VIII. Explain the italicized grammar constructions in the following sentences.

1. Established in 1948, the UN Information Centre in Moscow is the oldest UN office in the country.

2. It is also a repository of knowledge, global best practices and standards in a wide range of areas – from environmental protection to outer space – being at the same time a sort of a local UN public relations service.

3. Another important function of the Centre is to keep the UN Headquarters informed of the perception in Russia of UN’s activity.

4. The UNIC’s strategic mission is to cultivate an informed understanding among the Russian public of the UN’s achievements and priorities.

5. It assists the media in preparing news and analytical materials on a wide range of issues, encouraging the creation of regular columns and programs.

IX. Make a summary of the text “The un Information Centre In Moscow”.

X. Imagine that you are the member of the Intergovernmental Council of the UNESCO Program “Information for All”. Prepare your plan to contribute to the national information policies.

CHAPTER 2.

CUSTOMS SERVICES OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES

Unit 2.1.

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service

Read the text to fulfil the tasks

The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is the Australian Federal Government agency responsible for managing the security and integrity of the Australian border, facilitating the movement of legitimate international travellers and goods, and collecting border related duties and taxes. The Service employs nearly 6000 people around Australia and overseas and is headquartered in Canberra.

Protecting the Australian community by intercepting illegal and potentially harmful goods, such as drugs and weapons, is a high priority and sophisticated techniques and equipment are used to target high-risk aircraft, vessels, cargo, postal items and travellers. This includes using intelligence, and computer-based profiling and analysis, Detector dogs, Smartgate, world leading container x-ray facilities, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring and other means.

Detector dog teams operate nationwide and search sea and air cargo, aircraft baggage, international mail, ships, buildings and people. The Customs Detector Dog Training Centre in Canberra trains narcotic, firearms and explosives detector dog teams for Australian Customs and a range of federal, state and territory agencies including police, military and corrective services. The Centre also provides training to law enforcement agencies from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Samoa, Guam and Saipan.

The Customs National Breeding and Development Centre in Melbourne supplies suitable labradors not only to Customs but to Australian federal, state and territory agencies, and countries including the United States of America, Indonesia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Guam, Papua New Guinea and Thailand.

Coastwatch was a Division of the Australian Customs Service, which is an agency of the Australian Federal Government, with its headquarters based in Canberra, Australia. The former Coastwatch Division is now known as the Border Protection Division of Customs and is a part of the Border Protection Command, a joint civil/military organisation responsible for civil maritime security.

Border Protection Command Dash 8 aircraft remain known as Coastwatch aircraft. These aircraft carry out civil maritime surveillance service to help protect Australia's borders. The fleet of specialised fixed-wing patrol aircraft and helicopters undertake electronic and visual surveillance of Australia's coastline and offshore maritime areas.

In performing its role, Customs and Border Protection works closely with other government agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Department of Defence and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

Australia’s borders extend into the 200-nautical-mile (370 km) Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) where Customs and Border Protection also has a key role in addressing maritime threats through the Border Protection Command (BPC), a Customs and Department of Defence partnership. The Australian Customs Service National Marine Unit maintains a fleet of oceangoing patrol boats known as Australian Customs Vessels (ACVs) and contracts a fleet of long range aircraft, known as Coastwatch, as the basis for a civil maritime surveillance and response program managed by the BPC.

The Australian TV series Border Security: Australia's Front Line shows the daily work of the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service at airports, sea borders and internal immigration breaches.