UNOCT and UNRCCA host a High-Level Briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA) co-hosted a high-level briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network (CT EWN) for Central Asia initiative at the United Nations Headquarters on 8 July 2025. 

The event aimed to inform Member States about the initiative's scope, progress, and strategic relevance in addressing evolving threats. It also focused on possible technical, political, and financial support.

Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Head of UNOCT delivered opening remarks at the briefing, which also featured presentations of research findings from two analytical papers on online propaganda and cross-border security dynamics concerning Central Asia and Afghanistan. 

Central Asia remains highly exposed to the threat of terrorism due to its geographical proximity to conflict-affected areas in the Middle East and shared borders with Afghanistan, as well as to increased online propaganda targeting its young population.

In response to concerns expressed by the Central Asian States in 2022, UNOCT/UNCCT and UNRCCA launched the Counter-Terrorism Early Warning Network for Central Asia. The network is part of the Joint Plan of Action for the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia (Phase IV) - a flagship initiative designed to enhance regional cooperation and threat monitoring across the region, including addressing security challenges related to Afghanistan. 

During the last two years, the CT EWN facilitated numerous engagements, such as technical trainings on risk assessment and resilience-building conferences involving diverse stakeholders, from state institutions to civil society, UN entities and regional organizations such as Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS), Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Center (CIS ATC) and Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre (CARICC). These efforts have fostered stronger regional dialogue, improved threat assessment capabilities, and highlighted the importance of monitoring developments in Central Asia and Afghanistan. 

The CT EWN has been implemented with financial support from partners including UNPDF (China), Saudi Arabia and Turkmenistan.