Malta Customs secures participation in three more extensive training programmes.
These training programmes were offered to Malta Customs by the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies (GCMC). The GCMC is one of five U.S. Department of Defence Regional Centres and the only bilateral Centre (United States/Federal Republic of Germany governments). It also serves as the regional centre for the Federal Republic of Germany.
A Maltese Customs Official will participate in each of the following training programmes:
1. Programme on Terrorism and Security Studies (PTSS): This four-week course programme, that supports the Marshall Centre’s emphasis on transnational threats and challenges, will take place between the 2nd of February 2022 and the 3rd of March 2022. The programme builds a network of security professionals dedicated to the mission of combating terrorism and irregular warfare threats and helps countries to successfully cooperate in the global struggle against terrorism and irregular warfare.
2. Programme on Countering Transnational Organised Crime (CTOC 1): This three-week programme on Countering Transnational Organised Crime (CTOC) focuses on the national security threats posed by transnational criminal organisations (TCOs). The course, which will take place between 9th March 2022 and 31st March 2022, is designed for government officials and practitioners who are engaged in strategy and policy formulation. The desired outcome is the development of “whole of government” approaches to counter illicit trafficking and the associated activities of transnational organised crime as a national security threat. It provides participants with a global view of how transnational criminal organisations actually threaten the national security of their countries. The course examines also the spectrum of illicit activity with an emphasis on counter-narcotics, counter-threat finance, corruption, and state capture.
The core learning objectives are to:
- instil a comprehensive understanding of the threat that transnational organised crime poses to governments and civil society;
- detail the global movement of illicit drugs and money and the human enablers who facilitate their movement;
- examine how deficiencies in rule of law, governance, and institutions weaken national security institutions and serve to enable transnational organised crime;
- outline the goals and objectives of key international organisations aimed at combating the activities of transnational criminal organisations;
- examine best practices in countering transnational organised crime and determine opportunities to adapt and share successes.
3. European Security Seminar: This five-day course, taking place between 2nd May 2022 and 6th May 2022, is designed primarily for government officials employed in mid-to[1]upper-level leadership positions in counterterrorism and irregular warfare specialties across the world. The course focuses on building partner institutional capacity and exploring methods to help a state effectively combat terrorism and irregular warfare while adhering to the values of a democratic society. Participants work to develop common perspectives, knowledge, understanding, and build professional networks to form an “intellectual interoperability” that transcends national borders and enables national security officials to cooperate and coordinate regionally and globally.
The training sessions will all be hosted at the GCMC Centre in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.