- Events
Between November 2025 and February 2026, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT) held a series of national consultations across all five Central Asian countries, in partnership with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵIDIR).
The national consultations took place in Turkmenistan (Ashgabat, 4¨C6 November 2025), Uzbekistan (Tashkent, 26¨C28 November 2025), Kyrgyzstan (Bishkek, 13¨C15 January 2026), Kazakhstan (Astana, 17¨C19 February 2026), and Tajikistan (Dushanbe, 23¨C25 February 2026), bringing together representatives of government institutions, law enforcement agencies, border and customs services, prosecutors, security practitioners, and international experts.
Throughout the consultations, participants examined the evolving threat posed by the terrorist use of small arms and light weapons (SALW), improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Central Asia. Discussions underscored the importance of coordinated national responses, effective legal and policy frameworks, and strengthened institutional capacities to address current and emerging security challenges in support of implementation of the Security Council resolution 2370 (2017).
Participants reviewed international, regional, and national legal obligations related to counter-terrorism and weapons control, as well as existing coordination mechanisms, information-sharing arrangements, and the roles of national authorities responsible for addressing terrorist threats related to weapons, explosives, and unmanned systems.
The consultations focused extensively on operational and technical preparedness, with experts and practitioners exchanging experiences on threat analysis, risk assessment methodologies, customs and border controls, investigative procedures, intelligence-led operations, and evidence management. Discussions further explored practical approaches to improving detection capabilities, disrupting illicit trafficking routes, and enhancing responses to incidents involving weapons, explosives, and UAS.
Recognizing the rapidly evolving nature of technology, participants also examined emerging trends affecting regional security, including the use of 3D printing in the manufacture of improvised weapons, the growing accessibility of UAS technologies, and the risks associated with the diversion of weapon components and precursor materials.
Raising awareness and building partnerships beyond government institutions emerged as another key focus of the consultation. Participants explored approaches to community outreach and engagement with private-sector stakeholders whose expertise and cooperation could contribute to preventing the misuse of technologies, materials, and supply chains by terrorist actors.
The consultations offered a platform for participating countries to exchange experiences and good practices, fostering a shared understanding of regional challenges and opportunities. Through dialogue, technical discussions, and interactive sessions, the partners identified practical recommendations to inform the development of regional Technical Guidelines on Security Council resolution 2370 (2017).
The consultations were held under the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT project entitled ¡°Building Capacity to Eliminate the Supply of Weapons to Terrorists in Central Asia,¡± with financial support from the Russian Federation.
