ASTANA – The Central Asian Regional Hub for Countering Global Threats will be established in the capital within the Academy of Law Enforcement Agencies under the Prosecutor General’s Office. The plan was announced April 11 at the meeting in Vienna between Prosecutor General Zhakip Assanov and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Executive Director Yury Fedotov.
A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Kazakh Prosecutor General’s Office and the UN, according to the office’s press service.
“It is an important event for us. This will help the Central Asian countries to increase their potential in combating the challenges, security and stability that stem from terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime. We are grateful to Kazakhstan for its support and we will work in cooperation in this direction,” said Fedotov, according to the press release.
The regional hub will become a location where law enforcement and special bodies will take part in trainings and learn the world’s best practices and advanced technologies to counter five global threats – extremism and terrorism, illicit drug, weapon and human trafficking, cybercrime and corruption.
“This hub will become a single platform in Central Asia. The law enforcement and special authorities from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan will learn the best world practices and technologies to counter major global threats,” said Assanov.
The UN and Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) headquarters in Vienna are ready to send their leading experts to the regional hub to share experience. The hub aims to become a major international research and development centre for joint research with law enforcement agencies of Central Asian countries.
During his stay in Vienna, Assanov also met with OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier to discuss the main directions of cooperation as part of the Central Asian regional hub. Kazakhstan cooperates with the OSCE on all the most important aspects of strengthening international security in the sphere of combating the challenges and threats of our time, said Assanov.
“We need to unite joint efforts in the fight against violent extremism and terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption and money laundering. The academy’s initiative to create a hub is timely and relevant. We support this initiative. We must attract the best experience of the international expert community,” added Zannier.
Assanov also held talks with International Anti-Corruption Academy Dean Martin Kreutner. The parties noted the common goals and tasks facing their respective institutions and expressed interest in establishing mutually-beneficial cooperation.
UNODC, with 21 regional offices in 150 countries, is a global leader in combating illicit drug, weapon and human trafficking, organised crime and international terrorism.
