Integrated Border Management (IBM) is a key component of Ukraine’s European integration, based on the principles of internal, inter-agency, and international cooperation. It involves effective information exchange and coordination between various participants at all levels, regulated through legislation, inter-agency agreements, and international treaties.
The blockade of the Ukrainian border in Poland in 2023 has been an extraordinary event that highlighted the challenges of different actors’ interaction in crisis conditions, and a routine process demonstrating the daily operation of IBM mechanisms. This case underscores the importance of inter-agency and international cooperation and raises questions about the effectiveness of existing strategies in crisis resolution.
An analytical note, covering the period up to January 1, 2024, examines the course of the blockade, its preconditions, and the efforts of various parties to resolve it. The purpose of the note is to systematize the experience of IBM stakeholders’ interaction and identify key gaps in communication, coordination, and strategic planning that hindered an effective response to the crisis.
Learn more in the analytical note “Integrated Border Management: Challenges and Problems in Emergency Response (case study of the Polish-Ukrainian border blockade in November-December 2023)” (download in PDF format).
Project “EU Support in Strengthening Integrated Border Management in Ukraine – Resilience (EU4IBM-Resilience)”. Funded by the European Union and implemented by the ICMPD
