Partnership for Peace and Security: An Expert View on Cooperation Between ISMI and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Thanks to the proactive foreign policy of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the United Nations and its specialized agencies continues to strengthen year after year.

This policy reflects not passive reaction, but active, initiative-driven participation in addressing the most pressing regional and global challenges, particularly in the field of peace and security.

A notable example of this engagement is the partnership between the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan (ISMI) and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

Initiative and Global Participation

In recent years, ISMI has actively contributed to developing and implementing counter-terrorism measures tailored to the specific conditions of Central Asia.

The partnership originated with a joint international conference held in Tashkent in March 2022 on regional cooperation within the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy’s Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia.

This event represented a practical realization of the initiative put forward by President Mirziyoyev at the 75th session of the UN General Assembly.

The conference resulted in the adoption of the Tashkent Declaration, which later gained the status of an official document of the 76th UN General Assembly session, as well as an updated Joint Plan of Action for the region.

Since then, ISMI has regularly served as a co-organizer or participant in major international counter-terrorism events under the auspices of UNOCT.

In May 2022, in Malaga (Spain), UNOCT, together with ISMI and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, launched a comprehensive e-learning course on counter-terrorism, human rights protection, and the rule of law.

In July 2024, ISMI Director Eldor Aripov became the first from Uzbekistan to participate in UNOCT’s quarterly briefing for member states, marking deeper integration of Uzbek expert opinion into the global security dialogue.

These formats ensure sustained and substantive engagement with the international community, strengthening Uzbekistan’s position as a reliable partner in regional and global security.

Foundations and Key Areas of Cooperation

A milestone confirming the strategic nature of the partnership was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ISMI and UNOCT at the UN Headquarters in New York on 5 December 2023. This agreement placed ISMI among the “privileged partners” of the UN in counter-terrorism activities.

Cooperation focuses on:

• intensive expert exchange on preventing and countering extremism and terrorism, prioritizing identification and elimination of root causes;
• joint work on the implementation of all four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia;
• high-level conferences, seminars, and roundtables designed to unite regional and international partners.

Cooperation is carried out in line with the 2024–2025 Roadmap between Uzbekistan and UNOCT, including innovative projects to counter the use of new technologies for terrorist purposes, combat terrorist financing, and develop early-warning systems.

Practical Solutions and International Innovation

ISMI and UNOCT collaborate on complex, sensitive issues requiring modern and human-centered approaches.

A prominent example is the joint implementation of rehabilitation and reintegration programs for individuals repatriated from conflict zones.

The launch of the Regional Expert Council in Central Asia, initiated by President Mirziyoyev and established in partnership with UNOCT, represents the first mechanism of its kind in the world. More than 40 experts from Central Asia — including law enforcement officials, judges, psychologists, theologians, medical and social specialists — take part in this effort.

The project’s credibility is reflected in support from bodies such as the OSCE, the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ).

The Council’s activities were presented at UN forums on 11 November and 10 December 2024 in Geneva and New York, as well as on 21 May 2025 in Vienna.

Work is now underway to transform the Council into an International Competence Centre, which would significantly strengthen its global role.

A Synergy of National Experience and Global Expertise

The partnership between ISMI and UNOCT is a compelling example of synergy between Uzbekistan’s national analytical capacity and the UN’s international expertise.

It confirms Uzbekistan’s role as an active, pragmatic, and responsible participant in global security efforts and reinforces the country’s analytical standing in counter-terrorism.

This collaboration serves as an effective tool for implementing President Mirziyoyev’s proactive, multilateral, and practical foreign policy.

Within the framework of building a “New Uzbekistan,” the fight against extremism and terrorism is seen not only through the lens of national security, but as a foundation for sustainable societal development.

This policy combines firmness and principle with deep humanism, national interests with international openness.

It also enables UNOCT to benefit from Uzbekistan’s proven experience, which emphasizes preventive approaches — including social rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees from conflict zones — rather than relying solely on force-based methods.

Timur Akhmedov,
Head of Department, ISMI
under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan