OSCE supports seminar in Kazakhstan on public-private partnerships to counter terrorist use of explosives

ASTANA, 10 June 2014 – An OSCE-supported roundtable discussion on countering terrorists’ use of explosives through better control over explosive materials took place today in Astana. The event was co-organized by the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the Anti-Terrorism Centre of Kazakhstan and the OSCE Centre in Astana with support from the governments of Liechtenstein and Spain.

The roundtable seminar aims to raise awareness to better implement preventive measures of the international legal framework against terrorism and the Terrorist Bombings Convention for some 25 representatives of Kazakhstan’s Anti-terrorist Centre, Emergency Services, Defence Ministry and the private sector.

The event is led by experts from Belgium, Spain, United Kingdom and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime who will share their experiences in using legal and practical tools and mechanisms to effectively control legal explosives and the most common explosive chemical precursors on the market.

Topics for discussion include the universal legal framework against terrorism, legal use of explosives in industry and business, explosive precursors, use of fertilizers and other chemicals in industry and agriculture as well as using public-private partnerships to effectively prevent and combat terrorism. Towards the end of the seminar, participants will prepare a list of recommendations on the next steps Kazakhstan can take to enhance security in these areas.

Manuel Larrotcha Parada, Spain’s Ambassador to Kazakhstan, emphasized the worldwide threat posed by terrorism in his opening statement. He noted the need for international co-operation and to protect fundamental freedoms in preventing and combatting terrorism.

“This is a problem of a transnational nature and can only be addressed with the efforts of all our countries,” said Kendebay Adambekov, Head of the Anti-terrorist Centre.

“Prevention is the key to avoid any terrorist attack,” said Manuel Marion, Senior Programme Officer at the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat. “The OSCE strongly supports the establishment of public-private partnerships to prevent and counter possible terrorist action.”

The Terrorist Bombings Convention is one of the 19 universal anti-terrorist instruments that criminalize terrorist acts. The formal name of the agreement is the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, which criminalizes the use of bombs by terrorists and obliges parties to co-operate to take all practical measures to prevent and counter preparations of such attacks.

The event is part of the OSCE’s comprehensive contribution to the global efforts against terrorism.