SCO for combating drug, terror, crimes in Afghanistan

Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have called upon all the states concerned to implement existing international strategies to combat narcotics in Afghanistan, in the framework of the United Nations activities, and other international and regional organizations.

The SCO held an international conference in Moscow on Friday (March 27), to discuss the 'situation in Afghanistan and its influence on neighboring states'. The conference was attended by foreign ministers and high-level diplomats from SCO member and observer states, as well as Afghanistan, the US, and Turkey. The conference called for strict implementation of Resolution 1817 of the UN Security Council and decisions of relevant international fora, as well as for creating and reinforcing the "anti-drug and financial security belts" in the region, said the joint declaration.

"We call for further improvement of the SCO drug control cooperation mechanism as well as the elaboration of plans of practical cooperation between anti-drug agencies of the SCO Member States and other states of the region, including information exchange, precursor control and close interaction between this mechanism and relevant UN agencies, as well as other international and regional organizations involved in combating cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics," it said.

"We stress the need to strengthen international and regional cooperation to counter the threat of narcotics, including through support of programs and projects implemented by the UN, the CSTO, the CIS, the EU, and the OSCE in Afghanistan and Central Asia related to border security and management."

They also called for joining the efforts of all States and organizations concerned aimed at creating the "anti-drug and financial security belts" in the region.

"We welcome the fact that ISAF in cooperation with the government of Afghanistan joined the fight against drug production and proliferation in Afghanistan and support its wide-ranging participation in multilateral efforts in this area. We consider it important that the UN Security Council takes this into account when discussing the ISAF mandate next time," the joint statement said.

They called for wider cooperation between the SCO, CSTO and CIS on the anti-drug and counter-terrorism tracks, and stress the importance of the multilateral preventive operation named Operation Channel carried out under the CSTO auspices, as well as of increasing the number of observer States participating in this operation.

"We believe that full operationalization of the Central Asia Regional Information and Coordination Centre established to combat illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors with the participation of Afghanistan will strengthen control over the illicit production and abuse of and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors in Central Asia."

The member states of the SCO said they believed that the list of priorities for the international community in combating terrorism should include the improvement of its international legal framework, in particular early elaboration and adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism as well as the elaboration of regional counter-terrorism legal instruments.

"We call for adherence to relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council concerning international terrorism," the statement said. "We call for stopping the attempts to spread terrorist ideology as well as for strict compliances with UN SC Resolution 1624 (2005), which condemns all acts of terrorism irrespective of their motivation, and call upon Member States to prohibit by law terrorist acts and incitement to commit such acts, as well as to deny safe heaven to those guilty of committing these acts; and we consider it important to advance international, inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue in order to fight terrorist ideology, which would involve the civil society, including religious leaders, mass media, business communities and educational structures."

They reaffirmed their intention to continue participating in the activities of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and the Eurasian Group on combating Money-Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (EAG), in particular with a view to stop the financial flows related to illicit trafficking in drugs and their precursors, and to make it a separate area in the EAG and FATF activities.

The SCO Member States intended to invest more efforts in combating terrorist threat using the capacity of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure to a greater extent, and the practice of joint SCO counter-terrorism exercises, and we invite Observer States and other countries concerned to participate in the collective efforts, including those related to creating the "anti-terrorist security belt", and consider taking part in transiting non-military cargoes needed by ISAF.

The SCO Member States with the assistance of the Afghan Government will advance cooperation in responding to terrorist threats, ensuring security and protection of their citizens and diplomatic missions in Afghanistan. The member sates reaffirmed their firm commitment to counter the growing illegal trafficking in arms, munitions, explosive and other types of transnational organized crime, which pose a serious threat to the lives and security of our peoples.

"We believe that an effective coordination mechanism for the competent authorities to be established within the SCO in the form of meetings between the ministers of interior affairs and public security, as well as fostering and developing links with competent authorities of other States, international and regional agencies will help in combating organized crime," the statement said.

"We express our commitment to enhance cooperation with all relevant States and international and regional organizations, namely UN, EU, CIS, CSTO, OSCE, NATO and CICA on matters of common interest in the spirit of this Statement and the Plan of Action of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Member States and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan on combating terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and organized crime," it added.

Source: Pajhwok Afghan News