OSCE supports discussion in Kazakhstan on countering and preventing terrorism
ASTANA, 26 November 2013 – The role of legal institutions, civil society and religious leaders in preventing and countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism was the topic of an OSCE-supported international conference which took place today in Astana.
The event was co-organized by the OSCE Centre in Astana in co-operation with the Union of Criminologists of Kazakhstan and the Legal Council under the Nur Otan Party.
Some 60 parliamentarians, high-level representatives of the National Security Committee, the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Supreme Court, Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Emergencies, Education and Science, Culture and Information, as well as the Religious Affairs Agency and National Human Rights Institute, international and national experts, academics, and leaders of religious communities participated in the event.
Participants analyzed the factors underlying violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism and the ways to effectively address this threat, most specifically at the regional level. The Deputy Governors of the Atyrau and Pavlodar Regions shared their ideas on preventing possible violent extremism and terrorist radicalization in co-operation with civil society and religious communities.
The discussion focused on preventive measures through better education, solutions to social isolation and unemployment problems amongst young people, countering propaganda of violent extremist groups with due respect for human rights and the rule of law.
“There is good reason for us to make an emphasis on the relationship between civil society, the legal community, law enforcement and educational institutions, as well as religious leaders in countering terrorism. History suggests that terrorism cannot be tackled effectively by any one country or institution alone. Only through multilateral co-operation can we reduce the threat of terrorism and help protect people, particularly the young, from the influence of violent extremist ideology,” said Ambassador Natalia Zarudna, Head of OSCE Centre in Astana.
Nurlan Abdirov, Member of the Parliament and Chairperson of the Legal Council under the Nur Otan Party, said: “Terrorism poses an imminent threat to the lives of people. The authorities have responded to this threat by improving current legislation and adopting special state programmes. Now the task is to set up a system which would prevent young people from being trapped by extremist recruitment. We should focus our efforts on healthy forces in society, its institutions, various religious communities, families of at-risk groups.”
As a result of the discussion, a set of recommendations to the parliament, government and local administrations on enhancing their interaction and co-operation with civil society in countering and preventing terrorism has been developed.
During the conference, the publication of “Comments on the laws of Kazakhstan ‘On countering terrorism’ and ‘On countering extremism’” was presented. This is the first ever article-by-article analysis of the laws prepared by the national legal experts in Kazakhstan.
The conference concludes a series of events supported by the OSCE Centre in Astana aimed at assisting the host country in its efforts to prevent and fight terrorism.