On June 11-12, 2024, Ashgabat hosted the Ninth Annual Inter-Regional Meeting of the Heads and Authorized Representatives of Customs Services and other competent authorities within the framework of the Passenger and Cargo Border Team (PCBT). The meeting was attended by heads and authorized representatives  of the Customs Services and other competent authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan Representatives of the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey participated as observers. PCBT is UNODC initiative which is implemented through the UNODC-WCO Global Container Control Programme.

Establishment of a mechanism to exchange the pre-arrival data on high-risk cargo between the Port Control Units (PCUs), implementation of PCBT component on "Regional High-Risk Cargo Alert System – RECASYS", implementing of the improved version of the ContainerCOMM platform, including its mobile application and the creation of new Port Control Groups in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were the main topics of this year meeting. 

The meeting participants also discussed the current progress, prospects and priority areas for the implementation of the UNODC and WCO Global Container Control Program and the Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of an Interregional Network of Customs Services and Port Control Groups.

The event was organized jointly by UNODC and the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan with the assistance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.