Joint Action Against Terrorism and Violent Extremism: Cooperation between Central Asia and UN
A seminar titled “Early Warning Network for Counter-Terrorism for Central Asia”, organized by the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the United Nations Center for Combating Terrorism, was held in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 27-30, 2022.
The seminar was attended by representatives of the United Nations and other international organizations, as well as experts and military experts from the Central Asian states, namely Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The main purpose of the event is to expand and coordinate cooperation in the fight against terrorism among law enforcement agencies, security agencies and other relevant sectors, experts, international and regional organizations, as well as to discuss issues of elaboration of an effective national and regional strategy to combat challenges and threats from Afghanistan and to expand its opportunities.
According to the program of the seminar, N.German, the Head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, told about the project’s work, its main objectives, and the relevant agencies of the Central Asian states in implementing the project. She emphasized the need to focus on security, and said that it was even more important now with the crisis in Afghanistan. The conference was followed by sessions, where representatives of Central Asian states reported on their work to ensure peace and stability in Afghanistan, as well as deficiencies and shortcomings in the prevention of terrorism.
The UN Resident Coordinator for Central Asia said in her statement that the rise in terrorism in Afghanistan had led to an increase in the number of refugees and had a negative impact on the region’s stability.
The speakers also noted the development of narcotics in Afghanistan, the production of morpheme poppies and hemp products, and it was emphasized that their replacement with other crops would bring a positive result.
At the end of the event, a proposal was made to establish a Special Control Center for the implementation of the “Early Warning Network for Counter-Terrorism for Central Asia” project at the national, regional and international levels, and it was agreed that the Center’s database would be available on its website. Suggestions and comments from participants on the timing of the seminars to be held within the project were also presented.
Shiri SHIRIYEV,
Head of the Center for Strategic Studies of
the
Institute of International Relations of
the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan