UN Security Council: Preventive diplomacy key to Central Asia

The UN Security Council on Monday voiced its support for diplomatic efforts to strengthen peace and stability in Central Asia and praised the work of the UN office which is helping Central Asian countries address regional concerns. The Council reaffirmed the importance of the use of preventive diplomacy and early warning mechanisms by the UN to assist in the peaceful settlement of disputes in assisting Central Asian countries and to respond to domestic and trans-national threats to peace and in supporting the sustainable development of the region, said a statement issued here to the press. On Monday, the Security Council received a briefing by Miroslav Jenca, head of the UN Regional Center for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), on the center's work over the past six months. "The members of the Security Council stressed the need for further cooperation and coordination between the Central Asian states, UNRCCA, and regional organizations to strengthen the region's capacity to overcome challenges to peace, stability and sustainable development in Central Asia through the mechanisms of preventive diplomacy and dialogue," said the statement. The 15-member council welcomed UNRCCA's specific focus on supporting the cooperation among regional states in the area of counter-terrorism. In addition, Council members underlined the importance of close coordination among the Central Asian states in combating drug trafficking and commended UNRCCA's efforts in addressing this problem. The UNRCCA, headquartered in Turkmenistan, was established in 2007 at the initiative of five Central Asian countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. It is a special political mission tasked with dealing with threats of terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation facing the region.