ASTANA, Kazakhstan 

A regional training on “Capacity building in the field of mediation and conflict prevention” took place in Astana on April 3-5. The event was organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) in cooperation with the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The training has gathered the diplomats and other government officials from all Central Asian states and Afghanistan responsible for conflict analysis and resolutions in international affairs.

The training program included lectures on the overall concept of conflict prevention and the role of the United Nations in this context, analyzing root causes of conflicts and finding possible solutions meeting the interests of all parties.

Since its establishment in December 2007, the UN Regional Center has focused its efforts on capacity building on preventive diplomacy in the region. "In the context of globalization, states need to adapt their national policies to the diverse challenges of the modern world in order to deal effectively with them. Today, more than ever, the strength of any state lies to a large extent in its ability to cooperate with others, "said in his welcoming speech Petko Draganov, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Head of the UN Regional Center.

During the training the participants also got acquainted with practical experience of experts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and academic institutions of the Republic of Kazakhstan in responding to conflicts and holding peace talks.

As noted by Yerzhan Ashikbayev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan: "Kazakhstan's policy in Central Asia, first of all, is aimed at strengthening mutual trust and recognition of common interests. Such a policy is caused by the fact that many of the region's problems are of a transboundary nature, which can only be resolved through joint efforts. "