This week, the EU Advisory Mission Ukraine (EUAM) finalized a series of training sessions on human rights and cultural awareness for Ukrainian border guards and customs officials who are greeting a large influx of visitors for the Eurovision Song Contest 2017, EUAM press service reports.
The training gave an overview of international and national legislation and guidelines related to equality and non-discrimination, according to the report.
The instructors reiterated the importance of avoiding inhuman or degrading treatment, both deliberate and accidental, when greeting masses of people arriving from other countries and cultures.
”Border guards and customs officials act as a sort of business card for any country – they are the first people that any guest will meet when they arrive,” said Brian Richard, EUAM`s Head of the Strategic Civilian Security Sector Reform Component and himself a serving customs official in Denmark. ”It`s therefore of the utmost importance for any country`s image that border guards and customs officials respect human rights and cultural differences while they go about their vital task of keeping borders safe.”
The training was organized specifically in preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest, but also serves as part of EUAM`s wider objective of working with its Ukrainian partners in the civilian security sector to strengthen the protection of human rights in Ukraine.
