Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The first meeting of the Regional Expert Council in Central Asia on rehabilitation and reintegration began its work today in Tashkent.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Secretary General and Head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office 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 Deputy Secretary General noted, “the return of people from conflict zones remains one of the most pressing and difficult tasks facing the international community.”

At the same time, V. Voronkov separately emphasized “the experience and leadership of the Central Asian states, which confirm the importance of whole-of-state approaches and approaches that cover all communities.” Effective cooperation between government agencies and civil society institutions, women’s and youth organizations in developing inclusive and flexible rehabilitation and reintegration strategies was noted.

According to the UN High Representative, the creation of the Regional Expert Council provides an opportunity for states in the region to demonstrate their efforts in response to calls from the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, will contribute to strengthening coordination, as well as the exchange of experiences and lessons learned on the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees.

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 especially noted.

Voronkov stated that “The UN Counter-Terrorism Office is proud to have supported the initiative 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, V. Voronkov stated the commitment of the UNOCT to continue supporting the efforts of the states of the region in the field of criminal prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration, including acting as the secretariat of the established Regional Expert Council in partnership with the Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia.

The first meeting of the Regional Expert Council in Tashkent is attended by high-level representatives of Central Asian states, international organizations - the UN and the OSCE, as well as specialists in the field of rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees from conflict zones, including in matters of bringing to justice persons suspected of committing criminal acts.

The organizers of the event are the Institute of Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI), the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Family and Women’s Committee under the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction of the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) and the Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Project Coordinator in Uzbekistan.