OSCE seminar devoted to manufacture and use travel documents

More than 200 representatives from 49 countries- members of the OSCE took part in the conference. Present at the event were also representatives from 12 international organizations. Representing our country at the event were Vasily Gritsak, people’s deputy of Ukraine, and a delegation from the EDAPS Consortium.

 Mr. Carlos Sanchez de Boado, Head of the Permanent Council of the OSCE, opened the seminar. The OSCE Secretary General Marc Perrin de Brichambaut gave a report on the usage and issuance of travel documents.

 Mauricio Siciliano, head of the workgroup that develops machine readable documents, gave a presentation on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In particular, Mr. Siciliano stated that he is proud of the new Ukrainian passport developed by the EDAPS Consortium, and that he considers it to be a good example for all countries of the region.

 Representatives from the EU countries took an active part in the seminar. The EU has a big problem with illegal work migration. This problem is partially solved by implementing highly secure travel documents. Everyone present at the seminar agreed that criminals who smuggle people across the border frequently use fake documents. According to the Interpol statistics, presented at the OSCE conference by Ms. Ivanka Spadina, from 2003 to 2006 there have been 95 registered attempts of EU border crossing with fake documents. For the most part these were criminals suspected of either involvement with terrorist organizations, or criminal groups that engage in human trafficking. That is why the EU representatives actively support a transition to new travel documents, as well as implementation of new standards and technologies. Representatives from other countries are equally concerned about the border security. For instance, Mikhail Turkin, deputy chair of the Federal migration service of Russia, noted in his speech at the OSCE conference that “in order to lower the threat of terrorism, it is necessary to strengthen the passport and border control, which can be accomplished by introducing the new generation of passport and visa documents…today the subject of biometrics and document security is a priority for all countries in the world, with no exceptions.”  

 The people’s deputy of Ukraine Vasily Grystak said that “Ukraine implemented the new travel passport as part of its effort to join the European community and fulfill its international obligations to fight illegal work migration, human trafficking, and terrorism.” Mr. Grytsak also noted that “as of today, Ukraine’s passport is one of the best-looking and secure documents. While most world currencies have only 15-17 levels of protection, the new Ukrainian passport has 25. The success of the implementation of the new passport is in large part owed to the efforts of the EDAPS Consortium, which united the scientific and technical potential of the leading IT companies in the field.”     

The Ukrainian development drew interest from other countries-members of the OSCE: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, and Uzbekistan. The representatives from other countries were curious to see the new Ukrainian passport. Experts from the developed countries, such as France, Germany and the US, also paid attention to the new Ukrainian passport after hearing that the ICAO gave it a high ranking. In answering questions from their colleagues, Vasily Grytsak and Alexander Vassiliev, chairman of the board of directors for the EDAPS Consortium, noted that Ukraine is open to international collaboration, especially in fighting terrorism, human trafficking and illegal migration. The people’s deputy Grytsak expressed the following idea: “If we talk about creating a common European home, then we must first and foremost make it secure and comfortable for all the nations of the continent. Implementing high security documents has its role in this process.”  

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OSCE – The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe – is the largest regional security organization in the world. OSCE was founded on the basis of common values and commitments aimed at strengthening peace and security, and providing basic freedoms and human rights. Its main commitments are outlined in the Helsinki Final Act of 1975. At the end of the “cold war” the Paris Summit of 1990 set the OSCE on a new course. The states-members of the OSCE use dialog and consensus to arrive at agreements that become binding politically, but not legally.

The OSCE comprises of more than 56 States from Europe, Central Asia and North America, populated by more than 1 billion people.