TBILISI, Georgia

On 9-13 October 2023, UNRCCA and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) organized a regional conference on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia. The Early Warning Network is being designed to intensify and to systematize exchange of information and to coordinate the work of different national and regional entities operating in Central Asia and covering issues related to Afghanistan. 

The meeting led to the identification of a number of recommendations on the purpose, activities, structure, staffing, funding mechanisms and other operational modalities of the Early Warning Network. Additionally, discussions helped to identify common transnational and national threats in Central Asia that would need concerted efforts and collaboration on data gathering, analysis and monitoring through the Early Warning Network. Emphasis was put on the need to continuously monitor the impact of developments in Afghanistan on Central Asian societies, as well as the need to engage communities as allies in threat identification and monitoring.

More than 70 representatives of state institutions and civil society organizations of all five Central Asian states as well as independent experts took part in the discussion. Furthermore, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 1267/1989/2253 and 1988 Sanctions Committees of the UN Security Council, the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS ATC), the Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (CARICC), other UN entities and regional partners were present at the forum.

The conference was followed by a training course on the modern techniques of a threats and risk assessment. Participants learned how to identify and to prioritize critical threats, their cause and effects, and to develop adequate response policies. Sessions were also devoted to developing indicators for monitoring.

This conference, supported by the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund (UNPDF), was organized under the joint UNOCT/UNRCCA project “Towards a Comprehensive Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia – Phase IV” and based on the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia. It built on consultations which were organized at the national level in each of the Central Asian capitals in July 2023.