ALMATY, Kazakhstan  –

On 29-31 March, the regional event “Recognizing and Responding to Radicalization that Can Lead to Violent Extremism and Terrorism in Central Asia” was organized in Almaty, Kazakhstan, by the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) in an effort to support the implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia under the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, funded by the European Union.

In his opening remarks, the Special Representative or the Secretary-General and Head of UNRCCA, Petko Draganov, stated “the spread of radicalization and violent extremism is a threat to peace, stability, and development globally and in Central Asia”.

Representatives from Central Asian countries, observer states, regional and international organizations, as well as relevant experts, counter-terrorism practitioners, and civil society from across the region gathered to discuss the worldwide growing trend of radicalization and its realities in the region.

The seminar focused on better understanding the causes of radicalization that can lead to violent extremism in Central Asia and aims to bring Central Asian representatives as well as international and regional stakeholders together to discuss how to devise strategies to prevent and combat radicalization and the modalities for achieving them.

“The nature of the threat requires a comprehensive and balanced approach, combining the needs for immediate security response with the longer term effort to address root causes and drivers of the phenomenon”, the SRSG added.

Towards the end of the seminar, participants considered a number of recommendation to more effectively prevent and respond to the phenomena of radicalization that can lead to violent extremism and terrorism.