Introduction
The great economic success of the UAE and this nation’s achievements have always served as a magnet for regular and irregular migrants. However, there are also other illegal aliens that enter the UAE, such as terrorists and terrorist facilitators. Border security means the protection of land borders and ports from terrorists and illegal goods. It is thus no wonder that border security is a priority sector for the UAE government.
The capacity of the UAE regarding border security is low, and there are only a few organizations responsible for it. Generally, the UAE attracts foreign organizations working in the field of safety and security. In particular, the United States provides border security assistance to the UAE (“The United Arab Emirates,” 2019). Speaking of the national organizations, they include the Council for National Security, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, and the Civil Defence General Command. The given essay will focus on the discussion of the Supreme Council for National Security and its activities regarding border protection.
Firstly, it is important to take a look at this council. The Supreme Council for National Security was established to plan and implement the national security of the UAE from threats to border security. Currently, the council is presided by the president of the UAE, H. H. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan (“The Supreme Council for National Security,” n.d.). Other members of the authority are the rulers of the seven emirates.
The council’s mission is to manage and coordinate border threats by using national capacity. The Supreme Council for National Security is responsible for investigating any illegal border crossings, in particular, from Oman to the UAE (“The Supreme Council for National Security,” n.d.). The authority is thus in charge of elaborating necessary standard procedures for checking persons on the entry and exit in free zones. The council meets several times per year in order to create general policy guidelines, though leaders of the organization often consult with each other.
Secondly, the policies, values, and strategic goals of the chosen organization should be discussed. The national policy of the council is established to promote the security and stability of the country (“The Supreme Council for National Security,” n.d.). Special attention has to be paid to the values of the organization, which include collaborative leadership, cooperation, integration, professionalism, innovation, and community partnership.
Development of the effectiveness of the main operations in border control and protection is the main strategic objective of the council. In addition, the high-quality education of the national cadres for emergency management is another important goal. It is worth mentioning that the authority provides support for the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (“The United Arab Emirates,” 2019). Also, the Supreme Council for National Security builds its counterterrorism capacity and strengthens counterterrorism cooperation with other countries.
The Supreme Council for National Security works on elaborating safety measures to prevent attacks that could result in radiological releases. This authority is responsible for the provision of coordination of different departments to promote national safety. Nuclear energy program to which the Supreme Council for National Security sticks is peaceful and consistent with the standards of the International Atomic Emergency Agency (“The Supreme Council for National Security,” n.d.). Together with external and internal organizations, the Supreme Council for National Security aims to establish a peaceful domestic nuclear power capacity.
Current Activities of the Supreme Council for National Security
The authority pays significant attention to the use of the newest digital technologies for border threat prevention. In particular, the organization signed a contract with Morpho, a global leader in digital security and biometrics (“Morpho biometric systems,” 2015).
A multi-biometric border control system with a unique Morpho’s Finger on-the-fly technology will be implemented in the five biggest airports in the UAE. It is thus expected that border protection will be significantly strengthened due to face, voice, and fingerprint recognition technology. One could say that with this automated smart system, it will be easier to control persons entering and exiting the country.
The Supreme Council for National Security cooperates with US counterterrorism and counterproliferation policies to prevent the movement of terrorists through the UAE borders. One of the major efforts that have been taken by the UAE to avert the spread of terrorism is the Container Security Initiative to screen Dubai borders (“The United Arab Emirates,” 2019). This initiative allowed to reduce terrorist financing and strengthen border security considerably. Another direction in which the Supreme Council for National Security works is the prevention of drugs entering the country. It is known that drugs reach the UAE through air, land, and water. The Supreme Council for National Security cooperates with police and internal and international organizations against drug trafficking.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Supreme Council for National Security is a legislative authority that is in charge of strengthening the security capabilities of the UAE at its borders. Considering the constant threat to the UAE territory, the organization has a lot of responsibilities and strategic goals, including management and coordination of border threats, as well as investigation of illegal border crossings. Current activities performed by the council are aimed at counterterrorism, counterproliferation, and prevention of drug trafficking.
References
Morpho biometric systems for Lithuania and UAE. (2015). Web.
The Supreme Council for National Security. (n.d.). Web.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. policy. (2019). Web.