Security Council Press Statement on United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):
The members of the Security Council welcomed the briefing on 22 January 2018 by the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Natalia Gherman, and expressed their support for the work of UNRCCA, which marked its tenth anniversary in December 2017.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the importance of preventive diplomacy in supporting United Nations efforts to assist in the peaceful settlement of disputes and acknowledged in this context the role of the Regional Centre in assisting the Central Asian States, in accordance with its mandate and through enhanced regional cooperation, to respond to transnational threats to peace and to support sustainable development in the region.
The members of the Security Council expressed their support for UNRCCA's role in regional counter-terrorism activities, including through its support for the Joint Plan of Action on implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia.
The members of the Security Council agreed that developments in Afghanistan directly impact the stability, security and economies of Central Asia, where increased terrorist activity was observed, and noted relevant concerns of the Central Asian States in this regard.
The members of the Security Council welcomed the Centre’s engagement on border management issues and its preparedness to assist the Central Asian States to reduce the potential for violence in border areas.
The members of the Security Council commended the ongoing efforts of UNRCCA to assist the Central Asian states in transboundary water management and encouraged all Central Asian States to play a full and active role in this process. They called on the Centre to continue to promote regional dialogue and encouraged all States in the region to engage constructively in consultations to reach agreement on how to meet energy and water resource challenges across the region.
The members of the Security Council emphasized the importance of close coordination between the Central Asian States and Afghanistan in combating drug trafficking. They commended UNRCCA's efforts, in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and relevant regional organizations, to help the Central Asian States address this problem in a more effective way.
The Members of the Security Council welcomed UNRCCA’s commitment to coordinate more effectively with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan in this regard. They also welcomed bilateral and multilateral engagement of the Central Asian states with Afghanistan and encouraged enhanced cooperation and coordination between them, especially on combating terrorism.
The members of the Security Council encouraged UNRCCA to continue to liaise with the Governments of the region and with other parties concerned on issues relevant to preventive diplomacy.
The members of the Security Council welcomed further cooperation and coordination between UNRCCA, the Central Asian States and relevant regional organizations, including those organizations of which the Central Asian States are members, to strengthen the region’s capacity to overcome the challenges to peace, stability and sustainable development in Central Asia.