Cooperation between Central Asian countries and the UN on issues of ensuring regional security

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In recent years, Central Asia has entered a new stage in the development of cooperation with foreign policy partners and international organizations, among which the United Nations occupies an important place.

Speaking to the world community at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2020, the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan noted the importance of strengthening cooperation in ensuring the security of Central Asia. Active interaction with the UN and its specialized agencies has allowed the countries of Central Asia to significantly strengthen their potential in matters of security and sustainable development, and to attract the attention of the world community to the problems existing in the region in these areas.

Today, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asian Countries (UNRCCA), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) are active in Central Asia. ), WHO, UNESCO, ILO, FAO, International Organization for Migration (IOM), etc.

During the period of establishing cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and the UN, the states of the region have achieved significant success in finding solutions to many pressing problems of regional development and security. Among them are the creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone (CANWFZ) in Central Asia, active participation in international efforts to resolve the situation in Afghanistan, the adoption and implementation of the Joint Action Plan of the Central Asian countries for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the establishment of the Central Asian Regional Information Coordination Center for combating with the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors (CARICC), the creation of the UN Special Commission on the Aral Sea problem and the adoption of the UN resolution “Granting the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea observer status in the General Assembly”, etc.

An important contribution to strengthening the global non-proliferation regime and regional security was the initiative of Tashkent to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone (CANWFZ) in Central Asia, put forward from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly in 1993. In 2009, the signed agreement came into force September 2006 in Semipalatinsk Treaty on the CANWFZ. A historic event was the signing by the five nuclear-weapon states of the most important international document - the Protocol on Security Assurances to the Treaty on the CANWFZ. Thus, Central Asia has become the only nuclear-free zone operating in the northern hemisphere.

Currently, in connection with the launch in 2017 of the process of intensifying regional interaction in the political, trade, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, cooperation with the UN has risen to a completely new level. The main challenges that the countries of Central Asia and the UN are jointly overcoming include problems of stabilizing the situation in Afghanistan, countering the threats of terrorism and extremism, radicalization, drug trafficking and organized crime, resolving pressing problems in the areas of ensuring environmental and water security, etc.

The adoption in June 2018 by the UN General Assembly of a historically important resolution “Strengthening regional international cooperation to ensure peace, stability and sustainable development in the Central Asian region,” initiated by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, became a clear confirmation of broad international support for regional cooperation on issues of security and development of Central Asia.

An important area of cooperation between the states of the region and the UN remains the promotion of the peace process in Afghanistan . Uzbekistan and the countries of the region pay special attention to efforts to involve Afghanistan in regional trade and economic relations designed to help promote peace and stability in the country. The intensification of the participation of Central Asian countries in international efforts for settlement and stabilization in Afghanistan was facilitated by the holding in March 2018, on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, of the High-Level International Conference on Afghanistan “Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Interaction.” UN Secretary-General A. Guterres addressed the conference participants with a welcoming speech. The Tashkent Declaration adopted as a result was distributed as an official document of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly and Security Council.

The holding of the International Conference “Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development” in Tashkent in July 2022, with the active support of the UN, made it possible to once again draw international attention to the issues of promoting the post-conflict reconstruction of the country and its integration into the world community. The conference participants especially noted the consistent efforts of the UN and its agencies to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people and called for the continuation of assistance programs.

Currently, the states of Central Asia are actively participating in the implementation of UN programs to provide humanitarian assistance and peaceful reconstruction of Afghanistan. Through the International Multifunctional Transport and Logistics Hub established in Uzbekistan in the border city of Termez , humanitarian aid is regularly sent to the neighboring country by the World Food Program and other UN agencies. The countries of Central Asia have established supplies of electricity, fuel and food to Afghanistan. Active development of infrastructure projects continues, including the creation of Trans-Afghan transport and energy corridors, including the construction of the Surkhan - Puli-Khumri power line and the Termez - Mazar-i-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar railway.

The fight against terrorism and extremism remains an important area of interaction between the countries of the region and the UN in the field of security . The Central Asian states are actively participating in the joint implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). To date, the countries of the region have completed the second stage of the Joint Action Plan (JAP) on the GCTS, adopted in November 2011 in Ashgabat.

As UN Secretary General A. Guterres noted, “regional cooperation in Central Asia opens up great opportunities for solving common problems, including those related to the fight against terrorism, strengthening border security, promoting dialogue with religious leaders and institutions, combating human trafficking and drug smuggling.” .

On the initiative of Sh.M. Mirziyoyev, on March 3-4, 2022, the international conference “Regional cooperation of the countries of Central Asia within the framework of the Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy ” was held, which made a significant contribution to the consolidation of the efforts of the countries of the region and the world community on the implementation of the UN GCTS in Central Asia.

the region were adopted , and a decision was made to open an office of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office in Central Asia.

The provisions of the Tashkent Declaration and the new SAP are a logical continuation of previously adopted documents - the Ashgabat declarations on countering terrorism (2011 and 2017), the Samarkand Declaration on enhancing the role of youth in countering violent extremism and radicalization leading to terrorism (2018), as well as Dushanbe Declaration following the results of the international conference “International and regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and sources of its financing, including drug trafficking and organized crime” (2019).

Thus, Central Asia became the first region to begin the comprehensive implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy , and the Joint Plan of Action was the first framework program for the implementation of the UN GCTS developed on the basis of a regional approach.

In recent years, a significant place in the development of cooperation between the Central Asian countries and the UN in the field of countering the threats and challenges of drug production and drug trafficking through the Central Asian countries , primarily emanating from Afghan territory, has been occupied by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and its regional office, as well as CARICC. In November 2021, UNODC and the foreign ministries of Central Asian countries signed a new Cooperation Program on Counter-Drug Action in Central Asia for 2022-2025. , whose budget is $90 million.

In 2015-2021 The previous UNODC program achieved significant results in the fight against drugs, organized crime, corruption and terrorism. National and regional projects totaling about $15 million have been implemented, including the creation of interdepartmental mobile teams and border cooperation offices. Three port control points were opened, which managed to identify and stop more than 100 serious cases of smuggling totaling $14.6 million.

An important area of interaction between the states of the region and the UN is the development of cooperation between the parties in resolving issues of environmental safety.

First of all, the Central Asian countries are actively involved in the joint implementation of programs to restore the Aral Sea, combat climate change, protect the environment, ensure the safety of hydropower facilities, etc.

In this area, the Central Asian states cooperate with the UN within the framework of such institutions as the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Special Program for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), and the UN Regional Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC).

A significant contribution of Uzbekistan to resolving these issues was the adoption in May 2021 of a Special Resolution of the UN General Assembly on declaring the Aral Sea region a zone of environmental innovation and technology. This document reflects UN support for the creation of the International Innovation Center of the Aral Sea region under the President of Uzbekistan and the establishment, under the auspices of the UN, of the Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Human Security for the Aral Sea region.

The UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy plays an active role in the development of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and the UN for Central Asian countries (UNRCCA), based in Shgabad . Since its founding in 2007, the priority areas of interaction between UNRCCA and the countries of the region in the field of security have been cooperation in countering terrorism and violent extremism; border security issues; cooperation on general issues of the nexus between water, energy and agriculture, and continued joint efforts to mitigate the effects of the drying up of the Aral Sea.

The UN Regional Center takes an active part in major international events held in Uzbekistan and other countries of the region and assists in promoting regional cooperation, including in key areas of security. Evidence of recognition of the Center's merits in strengthening interaction between the countries of the region and the UN is the regular participation of its leaders in the Consultative Meetings of the Heads of State of Central Asia and other important regional forums.

In general, in recent years there has been a significant intensification of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia and the UN and its institutions in the security field.

The growing activity of Uzbekistan and other states of the region in jointly holding international events, the implementation of specific technical assistance programs and practical interaction in the field of international security indicate the strong interest of the countries of the region in further deepening cooperation with the United Nations in the implementation of important initiatives to ensure peace, security and development in Central Asia.

 

 

Zilola Yunusova,

Head of the Department of the Information and Analytical Center for International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan,

Oleg Limanov,

Chief Researcher of the Information and Analytical Center for International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan.