The overall objective of BOMCA is to secure the gradual adoption of modern border management methods in Central Asia. Modern border management has two equally important purposes:

• Enhanced border security
• Facilitation of legal trade and transit

BOMCA aims to achieve these twin objectives through the introduction of European-style integrated border management (IBM) methodologies. IBM has three pillars: intra-agency coordination, inter-agency collaboration and international cooperation. The BOMCA strategy to introduce IBM in Central Asia is comprised of three components:

• Policy Advice, Legal & Institutional Reform: BOMCA has established inter-ministerial commissions and inter-agency working groups in each country to familiarize decision makers with options for IBM implementation and to initiate the legislative and regulatory reforms necessary to institutionalize the IBM framework.
• Strengthening National Training Capacities: BOMCA is renovating and equipping training centres for border agencies in all give countries of Central Asia, introducing IBM components to national training curricula, and establishing national training capacities through a ‘training-of-trainers‘ approach that utilizes the best of European expertise.

• Pilot Site Trials in Integrated Border Management: BOMCA is providing infrastructure, equipment and ’on-the-job‘ training in key skills to border agency staff at selected airports, seaports and stretches of green border in Central Asia, with a view to national governments running trials of IBM in these pilot sites under future phases of the programme.