Tashkent hosts the first meeting of the Central Asia Regional Expert Council on rehabilitation and reintegration.

Addressing the event, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov expressed sincere gratitude to the Republic of Uzbekistan for the initiative to establish the Regional Expert Council and organize its first meeting.

As the UN Under-Secretary-General noted, “the return of people from conflict zones remains one of the most pressing and difficult tasks facing the international community”.

The compliance of the goals and objectives of the Regional Expert Council with the priorities set out in the Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia, adopted at a high-level conference in March 2022 in Tashkent, is emphasized.

Mr. Voronkov stated, “The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism is proud to have supported the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan to establish a Regional Expert Council as part of the implementation of the UN Global Framework for Support to Third-Country Nationals located in Syria and Iraq”. According to him, “the launch of a one-of-a-kind initiative, the result of more than 10 years of exemplary efforts undertaken by the Central Asian states, represents another important and timely milestone”.

In conclusion, Mr. Voronkov stated the UNOCT’s commitment to continue supporting the efforts of the region’s states in criminal prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration, including acting as the secretariat of the established Regional Expert Council in partnership with the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

UzA