Update Report No. 1: UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA)
Expected Council Action
On 14 January Council members are expected to meet in informal consultations to hear a briefing on the activities of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Central Asia and head of the Centre, Miroslav Jenča. This will be the third briefing on the activities of the Centre since its establishment in December 2007. (The two previous briefings were in December 2008 and June 2009.) It is possible that Council members will also agree on a press statement expressing the Council’s continued support for the work of the Centre.
Background on UNRCCA
In May 2007 the Secretary-General informed the Council of his intention to establish a UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. This initiative came as a result of a proposal from the governments of the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to address common security threats faced by their region, including international terrorism, drug trafficking, organised crime and environmental degradation. The Council took note of the Secretary-General’s intention and invited him to keep it informed of the Centre’s activities.
The Centre was officially inaugurated on 10 December 2007. It was set up as a special political mission by the UN Department of Political Affairs with the aim of assisting the five Central Asian countries in building their conflict prevention capacities. The Centre’s main functions include:
- liaising with the governments of the region and other parties on issues relevant to preventive diplomacy;
- monitoring and analysing the situation on the ground and providing up-to-date information on conflict prevention efforts;
- working closely with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and other regional organisations;
- providing a political framework and leadership for the preventive activities of the UN country team and supporting efforts to promote an integrated approach to preventive development and humanitarian assistance; and
- maintaining close contact with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
The Centre’s programme of action for the period January 2009 to December 2010 identifies three priority areas:
- Cross-border threats from illicit activities (terrorism, organised crime and drug trafficking).
- Environmental degradation and management of common resources such as water and energy.
- Implications for the region from the precarious situation in Afghanistan.
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