Databases and information systems, law enforcement cornerstones – IT expert mission to North Macedonia

A delegation of experts of the project Countering Serious Crime in the Western Balkans – IPA 2019 (CSC WB), specialists in IT and police databases, in the period from 23 to 27 August are performing an exploratory mission to the Ministry of Interior of North Macedonia (MOI), becoming the fourth WB country to be visited by IT experts of CSC WB led by the Italian Police Colonel Antonio Montanaro. The mission is targeting the existing information systems and police data bases in use in the Ministry with a view for providing future support to the improvement of the institutions’ abilities in the field of interoperability and SPOC (Single Point(s) of Contact).

The IT experts of CSC WB are executing meetings with representatives of competent units of the Ministry of Interior in charge of establishment, implementation and maintenance of various databases and system interoperability on operative and strategic level, being the Department for EU and International Cooperation, Department for IT and Telecommunications, Sector for International Police Cooperation and the Department for Border Affairs and Migration. “I fully support the idea of evolving national tools in order to improve the level of international police cooperation”, Assistant Minister for EU and International Cooperation, Mr. Muamet Rexhepi said in the occasion of the introductory meeting within the mission.

CSC WB and MOI experts are jointly assessing and elaborating the current state-of-play of affairs, focusing on the existing databases of the North Macedonian Ministry of Interior and the level of interoperability between them; architecture, structure and functionalities of data bases; access to the data bases and user privileges; available application functionalities; modernization/upgrade of existing IT infrastructure and other related issues. In this regard, the IT experts also visited the premises of the Sector for International Police Cooperation, where on-spot insight was provided into the Interpol, Europol, FAST and 24/7 Duty Service channels for information exchange and the installed respective equipment.

“The path to interoperability is key to the effective exchange and process of information, thus to success of police action” stated Antonio Montanaro, Component Leader for the specific output.
With a view for deepening the cooperation, as well as for successful implementation of the planned activities, the MOI will continue and intensify the support and communication with CSC WB and will stay committed to the core goals of the Project.