The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Global Program to Counter Terrorist Threats Against Vulnerable Targets, led by Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT and jointly implemented with CTED, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICRI and Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAOC, and in collaboration with INTERPOL, conducted its second tailored workshop in Lom¨¦, Togo on 25-27 October. This train-the-trainers workshop focused on developing a training curriculum on vulnerable targets protection, and building trainers¡¯ capacities on operational matters related to the protection of critical infrastructure and public places (or ¡®soft targets¡¯).
The event was opened by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and Togolese Abroad, who emphasized the importance of the partnership with Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT under the Global Programme on Vulnerable Targets protection, and the importance that the Togolese Government attributes to addressing terrorist threats. The Office of the Resident Coordinator of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ to Togo also participated.
Experts from Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT, INTERPOL, Spain¡¯s Guardia Civil, and the European Union CT Public Spaces project trained 20 Togolese officials from different ministries and entities¡ªsuch as the Presidency of the Republic; the Ministries of Security and Civil Defense, Foreign Affairs, Sports, Commerce and Industry, Health, Territorial Administration; the Police and Gendarmerie; and entities responsible for Ports and Water, among others, to become future trainers.
The Global Programme has been supporting Togo to strengthen its framework on vulnerable targets protection at the legal, institutional and operational levels. After a first stage of in-depth consultations to identify priorities and needs, and a second stage to develop a ¡°Roadmap¡± (or national action plan) to gather those priorities and needs, the third stage is focusing on delivering tailored capacity building to support Togo¡¯s implementation of the ¡°Roadmap¡±. This was the second capacity-building activity held in Togo; others are being planned for 2023.