The Programme Global Shield (PGS) is a multilateral initiative developed by the World Customs Organisation (WCO) which aims at building the capacity of customs administrations to combat the illicit trafficking and diversion of chemicals and other components used by terrorists to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the most prevalent form of explosives employed by terrorists around the world, due to the cheapness and wide availability of the materials needed to manufacture them. Started in November 2010 as a temporary (6 month) project, the PGS has been turned into a long-term program, which is now also recognised by the United Nations, that encourages all countries to participate and support it.
The overall objectives of the PGS are to:
From 8 to 11 July 2019, experts from the WCO held a mission in Mombasa, Kenya, to offer support to the ongoing efforts of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to further enhance its border control capacity to improve safety and security of the people in Kenya.
In the beginning of 2019, KRA participated, together with the revenue authorities of Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, to a Sub-regional Training-of-Trainer Workshop in East Africa on the PGS. The workshop was jointly organized by the WCO and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Subsequently, a pool of PGS trainers has been established within KRA for more sustainable PGS training delivery in Kenya.
As KRA has been actively delivering training and/or sensitization activities on PGS to secure its borders, the WCO, in cooperation with JICA decided to further support their efforts and to work with PGS trainers at Mombasa, one of the biggest entry points for East Africa where KRA organized a set of trainings/sensitization activities on PGS.
Together with the WCO experts, PGS trainers introduced the Programme Global Shield and trained/sensitized approximately 80 officials participated from the KRA on precursor chemicals, IEDs, detection methods as well as their handling, labelling and storage regulations.
Source: WCO
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