UNRCCA, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the Office of the Project Coordinator of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Uzbekistan and the Government of Uzbekistan organized the first meeting of the working groups of the Central Asia Regional Expert Council on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Returnees. The virtual event, held on 26 July 2024, gathered over 80 representatives from government authorities, civil society organizations, and partnering agencies from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Building on the momentum of the inaugural meeting of the Regional Expert Council on 14 May 2024, this meeting focused on operationalizing its working groups on: (a) accountability, legal, and judicial issues; (b) psychosocial support, health, and education; (c) countering terrorist narratives; and (d) civil society, including women and youth groups. Further to the four key thematic topics, cross-cutting issues were also addressed in each of the working groups, including allocating resources for human rights, gender, youth, and monitoring and evaluation.

Among other issues, participants also discussed work plans for 2024/2025, as well as various experiences with returnees and their families, highlighting current needs and challenges. In terms of next steps, participants requested support to establish an online platform to share information on prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration related matters. Additionally, Uzbekistan announced the ongoing efforts to organize an in-person event focused on community engagement on prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration. This upcoming event will aim to further strengthen regional cooperation and enhance the effectiveness of rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.