EL BLOG DE LA FIIAPP. Cooperación Española

Commander of the Civil Guard and specialist in the project financed by the European Union, EMPACT FIREARMS, Adriana Tostón is part of the #PublicExpertise  harnessed by FIIAPP. In addition, it is also participating in the European project EL PAcCTO in its policing area to tackle illegal arms trafficking.

What is your history in cooperation?

Since 2018 I have been participating together with FIIAPP, through “EL PAcCTO”, in the policing area to strengthen Mexico’s capacities in its response to the serious problem of illegalfirearms trafficking, which is having a devastating imparct on society with a high death toll from firearms. We have shared our experiences and challenges, strengthening our bonds and identifying cooperation needs in a society globalised in all senses. The integration of capacities of the different relevant actors at the national level is fundamental to improving the response at the international level, highlighting the great willingness of the different Mexican institutions to collaborate, each within their area of expertise, in improving the national and international capabilities of countries in the fight against illicit arms trafficking in a comprehensive manner.

What does your job involve?

My privileged position as the European police officer responsible for the multidisciplinary and comprehensive response to firearms trafficking, through EMPACT FIREARMS, has allowed me to offer broader cooperation where, in addition, we have created an informal network of firearms experts at regional level called ARCO (Arms and Cooperation).

Through the network we are spreading a culture of cooperation and work dynamics where issues relating to threats are shared and solutions sought, including training activities.  One of these last training activities carried out has been related to the investigation of arms trafficking through the darkweb, aimed at identifying specialised threats and generating cyber-patrol capabilities.

How would you rate the experience?

It is a thrilling experience, since it allows us to deepen our mutual understanding, and through these exchanges, improve the fight against organised crime and, in this specific case, against illegal firearms trafficking.

Requeni talks about his work to combat trafficking networks through the ECI-Niger project: ‘I am proud to demonstrate the good work being done by Spain internationally. Being a member of FIIAPP and the National Police allows us to show our professionalism and dedication’. ECI-Niger is funded by the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF).

What has been the greatest achievement of your experience as a mobilised expert? 

The greatest achievement is to have successfully combined National Police and FIIAPP work procedures in the Sahel, a very difficult work environment.  It is true that both with police experience and with the essential support that the FIIAPP team gives us daily from its headquarters, the success is shared and has been achieved with some ease despite the innumerable difficulties. Having an excellent human team behind a project is essential to achieving success.

What are you most proud of?

Raising international awareness of the good work being done by Spain. Being a member of FIIAPP and of the Spanish National Police allows us to demonstrate our professionalism, dedication and ability to solve problems. Where others give up, this ECI has been decisive, which has made us a role model for similar projects.

How has your assignment helped to improve the lives of people and the planet?

 The ECI-Niger project aims to dismantle migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks, and has contributed to saving many lives. It was a common practice by human traffickers to abandon migrants in the desert, leaving them to their fate. Dismantling these trafficker networks has undoubtedly saved many lives. Likewise, coordination with other migrant aid operators has gradually improved life for people in these areas.

What is the main value of the public sector for you?

The public sector, because it is the result of the economic contributions of all EU citizens, requires  excellent management. The ECI-Niger team, as public resource managers, addresses all logistical and operational needs from the prism of resource optimisation.

What have you learned?

This experience has been valuable to me as I have acquired new professional and personal skills. Being a member of ECI-Niger has made me aware of a real problem that is often ignored. In short, this experience has helped me to become a better person.

We interviewed Pedro Cartagena, an expert in intellectual property at the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office (SPTO) and coordinator of a cooperation project in Egypt that is working to improve the Egyptian patent system: “I am proud to be leading a project in Egypt in which 4 different nationalities are working together.” The ultimate goal is to increase patent applications by Egyptian inventors, particularly within the scientific community. The programme will be led by specialists from the Spanish Patents and Trademarks Office (SPTO) with the participation of its Danish and German counterparts.

What are you most proud of?

Of successfully leading a project on which 4 different nationalities are working together with different mindsets and approaches.

How has your assignment contributed to improving the lives of people and the planet?

It’s difficult to say since the subject is a bit unusual as it has to do with patents. Improving and enhancing patent systems encourages innovation and most of them contribute to increasing well-being in society. 

What is the main value of the public aspect for you?

I am a civil servant of the General State Administration and therefore a defender of the public sectorwhen private initiatives are not involved. The public service must act where private initiatives are unable to intervene.

What have you learnt?

Living in a country like Egypt teaches you to value what you have much more and put everyday needs in perspective.

What has been the greatest achievement of your time as a expert in cooperation projects?

 The greatest achievement of my time as an expert has been the cooperation among all the Mediterranean countries to produce forecasts on a seasonal scale. This cooperation has included a lot of countries in deep conflict. I am referring to countries in the Near East such as Israel and the Arab countries and the countries of the former Yugoslavia. It has also enabled knowledge transfer, sharing the experiences of more developed European countries with countries where prediction on a seasonal scale was still nascent.

What are you most proud of?

 Well, perhaps having helped to iron out difficulties between groups of countries that had practically no professional relationships, in this case in meteorology, as a consequence of the political framework. I think that having facilitated that cooperation is a source of pride.

How has your assignment contributed to improving the lives of people and the planet?

  Well, everything to do with meteorology and climatology helps to improve our relationship with the planet and improves people’s lives. I mean on a seasonal scale, and projects that refer to climate change, climate change projections and impact studies to design adaptation strategies. That ultimately helps improve people’s lives.

That applies specifically to these adaptation strategies that end up being applied in certain sectors sensitive to climatic conditions. I’m talking about farming, water resources, and tourism, and that ends up affecting people’s lives.

The main value of this being a publicly-funded project is that it is not subject to economic interests, which is fundamental. In the end, public services are accessible to the majority of the population without prioritising whether or not it is profitable or if some economic benefit can be derived from an activity, task, or public institution. I think that is the main value of public services.

 What have I learned from this experience?

  Obviously, a whole lot. Firstly, to have learned about other professional points of view, other ways of working. Of course, it has also been very, very enriching from a personal point of view. And this experience has also helped me to see that, although there are conflicts, long conflicts, prolonged over time, in many regions and in many countries in our activity, these conflicts have been very easily avoidable. When it comes down to it, these conflicts are not reflected in the relationships between the people working on these projects.

What has been the greatest achievement of your experience as a expert in cooperation projects?

As an expert intelligence analyst, in charge of analysing and processing information related to the operations carried out by the team. My biggest challenge has been to generate, within the local team, a vision of the importance of the role of the analyst. Also transferring a level of technicality adequate for operational needs, so that, in the short term, local analysts are fully autonomous. For this role, it is not only necessary to have computer skills at a medium-high level, but also to be familiar with the different technological and digital tools that an intelligence analyst usually uses.

I consider my greatest achievement as having been able to provide my Nigerien counterparts, through teamwork and specific training, with adequate technical content during these four years, so that they are now about to carry out quality analysis and produce reports.

I would say that this is an achievement given that the technical level of the local staff at the beginning of the project, in terms of information technology and intelligence, was almost nil. The improvements in the technical skills of my Nigerien colleagues has been meteoric which is very satisfying.

What are you most proud of?

Without a doubt, I am most proud of belonging to a pioneering operational multilateral project like ECI-Niger , and of achieving success in an extremely difficult context. Representing the Spanish National Police and FIIAPP in a country where there are numerous projects and missions with different types of agents, and that they constantly congratulate the team for its work and results, makes one feel very proud.

How has your assignment helped to improve the lives of people?

One of the keys to our project is to prosecute organised crime involving human trafficking and migrant smuggling. This has meant that ECI-Niger has released numerous women, including minors, who were in forced prostitution in inhumane conditions, handing the criminals working in these networks over to the courts. Regarding illegal immigration, it must be clarified that the migrant is a victim, therefore, assistance is provided at all times. The objective is to arrest traffickers and to dismantle their networks, thus preventing hundreds of human beings from perishing in African deserts, having been tricked and mistreated by the criminals.

What is the main value of the public sector for you?

In my view, the most important thing is the space that is created for coexistence and fulfilment, where citizens and civil entities can interact and freely exercise their rights. This results in a higher quality of life for the population, provided that the “public sector” is managed in a coherent and responsible manner, to make this aim a reality. In short, it makes it possible for citizens to improve their quality of life and therefore that of the population.

What have you learned?

That is a very broad question to answer in a few lines, but I can tell you that one of the lessons learned in this project is that for a project of this type to be successful in such a difficult context, it is vital to take care of the different balances, encouraging experts to be cohesive and always to work as a team, since there are numerous daily challenges. You must always have an overview and seek to meet common objectives. Otherwise, these balances could be broken, leading to instability and a failure to achieve the objectives. I think that, although it may seem obvious, it is one of the most important lessons that could serve as a lesson for many other projects and assignments.

What has been the greatest achievement of your experience as a expert in cooperation projects?

To be able to take part in information, orientation, analysis, job placement and training programmes. These are processes that complement each other, although it is difficult to integrate them within the same administrative body or programme.  Having taken part in projects with such positive results, I feel they have been the greatest achievement in my experience of cooperation between administrative bodies. 

What are you most proud of?

Having worked to create teams of public employees that remain in place once the action is completed. Creating working groups from different administrative bodies and countries is a satisfying experience, but seeing that these teams and work dynamics have lasted over time is what makes me feel most proud. 

How has your assignment helped to improve the lives of people and the planet?

The Ministries of Work and the Public Employment Services are organisations that develop and implement policies that directly affect people’s quality of life and work conditions. The analysis of employment information, territorial diagnoses and support for the creation of decent jobs all contribute to improving these policies as well as to inclusive and sustainable economic growth. 

What is the main value of the public sector for you?

The public sector is a collective effort shared by everyone that represents the services and aspirations of the community, as well as meeting people’s needs and guaranteeing fundamental rights. It means common values, equality, non-discrimination and having a meeting place. The public sector means the public services, in which public employees take part, with values of rigour, professionalism, neutrality, transparency and respect for diversity. I believe that the quality of the public sector in a country is related to its level of development. 

What have you learned from this experience?

Through my experience of working with the public administration in other countries, I have learned about the importance of exchanging and sharing work approaches and dynamics. Working in the public sphere is something that brings together the different administrations. Nevertheless, at the same time each has different needs and contexts, different routes and different resources and means. Through this experience I have learned that it is important to value both the shared aspects in the public sphere and, also, the diversity and particularities of each space and group.