Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a video message to the participants of the high-level international conference "Regional cooperation of Central Asian countries within the framework of the Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy", taking place on 3-4 March in Tashkent.

During his speech, António Guterres stated that “today’s conference reminds us of the importance of uniting efforts in order to fight terrorism and the significance of such common values as peace, human rights and universal progress. When people do not see these values in their daily lives, disunity and extremism increase.”

António Guterres highly appreciated the efforts of the Central Asian states that adopted the Joint Action Plan for the Implementation of the Global Strategy in Central Asia ten years ago and gradually implemented it in close cooperation with the UN.

According to him, the document was a vital tool for providing technical assistance in four areas of the GCTS.

"The conference demonstrates the political will of the Central Asian states to work together to prevent and combat the threat of terrorism," he stressed.

“The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the UNOCT remain committed to engaging with all relevant stakeholders to assist the Central Asian states in their efforts to combat the terrorist threat in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” António Guterres assured.

As the UN Secretary General noted, his new program for peace, proposed in the report “Our Common Agenda”, confirms the fact that the world community cannot consider the challenges of terrorism and security in the absence of concrete actions to develop and protect human rights for all. Humanity needs societies based on mutual trust, hope and respect for human rights, and not on fear, mistrust and terror.

According to him, “poverty, violence and insecurity create the ground for the growth and spread of terrorism. One such tragic example is the outbreak of the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.”

The international conference was organized on the initiative of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, put forward at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. The event in Tashkent brought together senior officials and leading experts from national and foreign think tanks of the EU, Central and South Asia, representatives of donor countries, international and regional organizations and civil society institutions.