OSCE supports Kyrgyzstan in fighting terrorism
BISHKEK, 1 March 2013 – Adopting international anti-terrorism mechanisms and other measures aimed at controlling terrorists’ access to explosives and chemicals precursors were among the topics of a two-day OSCE-supported roundtable discussion which ended in Bishkek today.
The event, jointly organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat and the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the State Committee on National Security of Kyrgyzstan (ATC SCNS), in co-operation with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, brought together some 35 high-level officials of relevant law enforcement agencies, representatives of international organizations and experts.
Anders Troedsson, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “Combating terrorism is one of the most important transnational issues for all OSCE participating States. Key directions for this work are improving the legal framework, enhancing co-ordination between all relevant parties, and building expertise and technical capacity. Such efforts are all part of the OSCE’s assistance to Kyrgyzstan.”
Participants discussed improving national anti-terrorism legislation, in particular supporting efforts to ratify and implement the UN Universal Anti-Terrorist Instruments, of which Kyrgyzstan has ratified 10 out of 18. The discussion focused on those not yet ratified relating to safety of nuclear materials and the applicability in Kyrgyzstan of the convention on safety of maritime navigation.
Participants also discussed the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, ratified by Kyrgyzstan in 2001.
Manuel Marion, the Senior Programme Officer of the Action against Terrorism Unit of the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE Secretariat, said: “Full implementation of preventive measures provided by the international counter-terrorism legal framework, alongside enhanced co-operation with civil society and the business community, will help prevent explosives and chemical precursors falling into terrorist hands.”
Sabyrbek Osmonov, the Head of Legal and International Co-operation Department of Kyrgyzstan’s ATC SCNS, said: “The political and legal measures taken by the Kyrgyz Republic show the political will for having consistent policy with a permanent basis in the sphere of international co-operation in countering terrorism, and we hope for more of it in the future.”
Representatives of law enforcement bodies, the Parliament, the Agriculture Ministry, the Economy Ministry and other relevant state agencies, as well as non-governmental and private sector associations who deal with the storage, transportation, trade and legal use of explosives and chemical precursors attended the event.