The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) convened a regional meeting to discuss the creation of a community of practitioners on the nexus between terrorism and illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons (SALW) in Central Asia. The meeting focused on data collection and information-sharing on SALW and was held from 14-16 June 2023 at the Turkish International Academy against Drugs and Organized Crime (TADOC) in Ankara, Türkiye.
The meeting brought together fifteen national representatives from prosecutorial offices, courts, and ministries of internal affairs across Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. They were joined by over fifteen experts from international and regional organizations, including INTERPOL and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Participants discussed investigative strategies and approaches and shared good practices and common challenges on the terrorist use of illicit trafficking in SALW, their components and ammunition.
The regional event was organized within the joint UNOCT and UNODC project on “Addressing the terrorism-arms-crime nexus: Preventing and combatting the illicit trafficking of small-arms and light weapons and their illicit supply to terrorists” with the financial support of Canada.
Mr. Ulrik Ahnfeldt-Mollerup, Chief of the Countering Terrorism Section of UNCCT/UNOCT, in his opening remarks emphasized the increasing concern expressed by the international community over the nexus between terrorism-firearms-organized crime, especially in the field of illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons. He referred to relevant international conventions and United Nations Security Council resolutions that call upon states to strengthen judicial and law enforcement cooperation and information-sharing to prevent terrorists and criminals from acquiring SALW. In this context, he stressed the vital role of various United Nations entities in addressing this issue from multiple perspectives.
Ms. Simonetta Grassi, Head of the Firearms Trafficking Section at UNODC underlined the importance of such meetings of communities of practitioners fighting against illicit firearms trafficking and other related crimes, including drug trafficking to increase awareness of their interconnection. She emphasized the need for an integrated approach—combining prevention, detection, investigation, and evidence-based methodologies—to tackle these issues.
Similarly, Ms. Ashita Mittal, UNODC Regional Representative to Central Asia, noted UNODC's role in supporting governments to fortify law enforcement and criminal justice responses to detect and disrupt illicit flows and bring perpetrators to justice while adhering to international human rights standards.
Mr. Erdem ?zler, Director of TADOC, pointed out the unique challenges faced by Türkiye due to its geographical location at the crossroads of three continents, exposing it to various kinds of crimes, including SALW trafficking and terrorism. He expressed hope that the Turkish experience and expertise will be useful for the experts from Central Asia.
Mr. George Braun, Deputy Director and Chief of the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program at Global Affairs Canada observed that the terrorism-arms-crime nexus is a complex issue that requires a multifaceted approach. Strengthened criminal justice response as well as a commitment to regional collaboration are essential to address this concern. He added that Canada, through the Counter-Terrorism Capacity Building Program, will continue to work with the United Nations and its partners to tackle threats from terrorism.
