National trainings in Central Asia for law enforcement, customs, and border control officers to counter international firearms trafficking and terrorism in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
The United Nations Centre of Counter-Terrorism (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) jointly conducted a series of five-day national trainings on ‘Countering Firearms Trafficking, Terrorism, and other crimes. Tools for effective investigation and prosecution’ in the Kyrgyz Republic (24–28 October 2022), the Republic of Kazakhstan (31 October – 4 November 2022), the Republic of Uzbekistan (21-25 November 2022), the Republic of Tajikistan (12-16 December 2022) and Turkmenistan (13-17 March 2023).
The trainings aimed to build the capacities of criminal justice, customs, and border control, as well as arms control authorities. In total, the series of workshops trained over 90 representatives from the relevant state institutions of each country such as State Committees for National Security, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Supreme Court, State Customs Service, General Prosecutor's Office among others.
The trainings were designed to strengthen the capacities of those who detect, interdict, investigate and prosecute terrorism cases related to the illegal production, trafficking, and/or diversion of small arms and light weapons (SALW) and connect them with other serious crimes. Special consideration was given to gender and human rights in all relevant cases.
Participants were briefed on the global dimension and the impact of illicit trafficking in firearms, with a focus on how these illicit activities are connected to and support terrorism. They also received an introduction to the United Nations main instruments to prevent terrorists from acquiring these firearms. Moreover, participants learned about national legal frameworks related to firearms and terrorism, and how to overcome legislative gaps and challenges during the investigation and prosecution phases.
The courses were a follow-up to trainings that were organized for national authorities of Central Asian countries earlier last year within the framework of the project on “Preventing and Combatting the Illicit Trafficking of SALW and their Illicit supply to Terrorists.”&苍产蝉辫;
This initiative is funded by Canada.
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The United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, in his latest Report on Small Arms and Light Weapons (2021) stated that “threats related to the misuse, illicit transfer and destabilizing accumulation of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition have remained a defining factor in undermining peace and security at the national, regional and global levels.”