On 20-22 November, a regional workshop on strengthening the role of Central Asian religious leaders and institutions in conflict prevention and in countering extremism, took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event was organized by the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) with support from the Middle East and West Asia Division (MEWAD) and the Policy and Mediation Division of the UN’s Department of Political Affairs.

The workshop brought together representatives from various religious as well as national institutions from Central Asian countries and Afghanistan.

Given their potential role in prevention and resolution of conflicts as well as in prevention of radicalization that could otherwise lead to extremism and terrorism in the region, the workshop initialized a process of dialogue and discussion on these issues. This included opportunities for an exchange of experiences between the Central Asian countries and Afghanistan on addressing impending conflicts and potential risks of radicalization. The participants were furthermore engaged in training and skills development in conflict resolution and prevention.

The workshop was organized as the first activity of the project “Towards a Comprehensive Implementation of the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia under the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy” which is currently carried out by UNRCCA and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF). The aim of the project is to support Central Asian countries in implementing the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA) on which they agreed in November 2011.