Open briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on Central Asia

Representatives of the five States (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) updated participants on the current counter-terrorism situation in the region, as well as the remaining challenges and priorities. The open briefing was also attended by Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of CTED, and Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Ms. Natalia Gherman.

Acting on behalf of the Committee, CTED has conducted assessment visits to all five countries in the region. These States recently embarked on the third phase of the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia (JPoA), developed to promote regional implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The third phase consists of a number of priority capacity-building activities, identified jointly by the five States and the United Nations at the High-Level Dialogue on Counter-Terrorism held in June 2017 in Ashgabat.

The CTED Executive Director stressed the need to continue to strengthen cooperation between the Committee and CTED, UNOCT, and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy.

As described in the Committee's visit reports, the States of Central Asia have introduced a number  of  important  measures  at the  domestic  level.  However,  there  remain  a  number  of  challenges and shortfalls, some of which require technical assistance. The Committee's priority  recommendations include: streamlining the definitions of terrorism offences in compliance with the  international  counter-terrorism  instruments;  ensuring  transparency  and  accountability  in counter-terrorism  investigations,  prosecutions  and  trials;  further  enhancing and  strengthening subregional  and  international  mechanisms  for  cooperation  and  exchange  of  information  and intelligence; and addressing,  in collaboration  with  communities and civil society organizations conditions conducive to terrorism.

In discussing of  technical  assistance initiatives to counter terrorism in the region and the five States’ remaining priority needs, it will be essential to take into consideration the coordinating function of the UNOCT with respect to CTED's assessments, analysis and recommendations. As underscored  by  the  Security Council  in  its  resolution  2395 (2017),  the UNOCT  and  all  other relevant  United  Nations  funds  and  programmes, donor  States,  and  recipients  should  develop technical assistance and capacity-building projects on the basis of CTED's assessments, analysis and recommendations.

The discussions focused on the efforts of the five States to strengthen their overall counter-terrorism capacities, as well as on the identification of priority areas for technical assistance facilitation and delivery.

Implementing partners, in particular UNODC, the CIS ATC, the EAG, the SCO RATS, the EU and the OSCE, described their respective projects and initiatives aimed at assisting the Member States of the region to implement the Committee’s assessment recommendations.

Open briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on Central Asia