On 23 October 2014, the Director of the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO), Mr. Zhang Xinfeng, briefed the Counter-Terrorism Committee on its regional efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism, including foreign terrorist fighters. RATS SCO, headquartered in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), is a permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization which serves to promote cooperation of Member States against terrorism, separatism, and extremism, which it refers to as “the three evil forces.” RATS SCO includes six Member States (the Republic of Kazakhstan, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan), five observers, and three dialogue partners.
In his briefing, Mr. Zhang explained that RATS SCO Member States currently are facing new threats and challenges, including the involvement of foreign terrorist fighters who are nationals of SCO Member States in conflict zones abroad, in particular in Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; incitement to terrorism and violent extremism through abuse of religious concepts; and financing of terrorism through proceeds from organised crime, including smuggling and trafficking of drugs and weapons. In this regard, RATS SCO has identified priority spheres for its actions to tackle these challenges and has already achieved some tangible results. For example, the Executive Committee of RATS SCO has collected information regarding fighters who participated in armed conflicts in Syria and other areas and listed them in its secure database.
To deal with the potential security threats posed by the withdrawal of ISAF from Afghanistan by the end of 2014, RATS SCO has strengthened the study and analysis of the current situation and has called on its Member States to enhance collection and exchange of information concerning terrorist organizations and militants within the territory of Afghanistan. To ensure the safety of border areas, the border defence cooperation mechanism under the framework of RATS SCO was established. RATS SCO has also collected and distributed to its Member States intelligence information regarding the use of the Internet by terrorist groups active in the region to promote their ideas.
Following the adoption of Security Council resolution 2178 adopted on 24 September 2014, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Members welcomed the efforts undertaken by RATS SCO in the region and underscored the importance of close cooperation between the Committee and relevant regional organizations.