The World Customs Organization's (WCO) first workshop on the use of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) for Border Security was delivered from 2 to 12 September 2024 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire for five West African Customs administrations. The principal aim of the workshop was to provide the participating WCO Members with the knowledge required to produce GEOINT. The use of GEOINT to assist in the management of fragile border areas is an element of the WCO Fragile Borders Action Plan.
The workshop was officially opened by Colonel Major Bahin Lejeune from the Côte d'Ivoire Customs who described the workshop as an excellent opportunity to improve Customs control using cartographic or mapping technology. The Project development partners were also represented at the opening ceremony with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the German Embassy in Abidjan, representing the German Federal Foreign Office and German Customs, providing opening comments.
Three participants from each of the Customs administrations of the West African countries of Côte d'Ivoire, Togo, Benin, Nigeria and Ghana joined the two-week workshop. They received one week of advanced training in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to develop GEOINT, followed by a second week focused on the use of GEOINT to plan and support Customs operations.
The participants learned how to source relevant geographic data from a range of sources and how to then use a GIS to store, visualize, analyze and interpret this data. The participants used this knowledge with general border control scenarios to develop GEOINT Use Cases with support from experts from the private sector and WCO Colibri Project. This included the use of specific border control scenarios from their home Administrations with a focus on fragile border areas.
The Director, Regulation and Disputes, of Ivorian Customs lieutenant Tia N'Dri Yves Roland formally closed the workshop, thanking the WCO Secretariat, the Project development partners and the officials from all five Customs administrations for their enthusiastic participation and active collaboration. The JICA Programme Officer for the West Africa also participated in the closing ceremony.
This activity was a collaborate effort of the German-funded West Africa Security Project (WASP) and the WCO/JICA Joint Project, that demonstrates how new technology can be used to achieve better controls in fragile border areas. At the end of the workshop, the participants were encouraged to further develop these use cases when they return to their home Administrations, with further support to be provided by the two Projects.