DUSHANBE, Tajikistan

On 28-30 March 2022, UNRCCA in partnership with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) organized a national workshop for the Tajik authorities to raise awareness and to enhance capacity in the responsible use and sharing of biometric data to detect, prevent, investigate and prosecute terrorist offences and other serious crimes at borders.  

More than twenty representatives from the law enforcement structures and other state institutions of Tajikistan were acquainted with the best practices in the use and sharing of biometric data, including the UN compendium of the recommended practices covering legislative and regulatory frameworks, operational capacities and technical readiness. Specific attention was paid to the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution 2396 (2017) on the collection of biometric data to identify terrorists. The latest technologies in the field of biometrics within the counter-terrorism context were also presented. 

UNRCCA contributed by focusing on regional developments as well as the human rights component of biometric data collection and its use. It was underlined that the work with biometric data is subject to human rights risk assessment and has to be carried out consistently with international human rights law and recognized data protection safeguards. It was also mentioned that the newly adopted Joint Plan of Action for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia has specific references to biometric data and human rights commitments.