United Nations Countering Terrorist Travel Programme Delivers An Interactive Training For Togo On Advance Passenger Information (API), And Passenger Name Record (PNR) Data
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Countering Terrorist Travel (‘CT Travel’) Programme organized an interactive training for 41 participants of the competent authorities of Government Agencies of the Republic of Togo from 5 to 9 September 2022 in Lomé. This training strengthened participants’ capacity towards implementing, managing and maintaining an Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) system to prevent, detect, investigate and bring to justice individuals suspected of terrorism or other serious crimes by using travel information. The course was organized around key modules, including the threat environment, the international legal and regulatory framework related to API and PNR data, the operationalization of a Passenger Information Unit, state and industry engagement, technological support and the goTravel software. Participants were able to engage through a mix of live and online sessions, case studies and exercises facilitated by CT Travel Programme Partners and international experts.
Nominated representatives from law enforcement, border security, customs, intelligence, airport authority and civil aviation agencies from Togo participated in the five-day training.
‘’I warmly congratulate the Togolese authorities for their determination to fight terrorism and transnational crime. I reiterate our readiness to support Togo in its efforts against these scourges‘’, stated the European Union Ambassador to Togo, Mr. Joaquín Tasso Vilallonga in his opening remarks. The European Union funds CT Travel through its Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI).
“This training on Advance Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR) data will allow the actors involved to have a better knowledge of the CT Travel Programme and the implementation of an API and PNR system. It will also allow the national players that we represent to have all the useful and practical information relating to the implementation and operation of the API and PNR system”, Col. Mr. Dokisime Gnama Latta, Director General of National Civil Aviation Administration (NCAA) said.
The CT Travel training for Togo is a part of the wider comprehensive assistance the Programme provides to 缅北禁地Member States to process and analyse not only API and PNR from air carriers for the purposes of detecting and countering the travel of terrorists and other criminals, but also data in the maritime and other domains.