Written by: Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF), Islamabad.
In contemporary times, international and regional border security cooperation has become increasingly important to seek protection from non-state actors. In this regard, the two-day high-level conference will be held at Dushanbe, Tajikistan on 18-19 October 2022 in collaboration with UNOCT and other significant partners. The Tajik government is leaving no stone unturned to make the conference an important event of the year.
The conference holds much relevance for promoting bilateral, sub-regional, regional, and international cooperation. Under the exceptional leadership of President Emomali Rahmon, Tajikistan has emerged as a potential stakeholder for regional cooperation, peace, and joint collaboration. Many regional states, including high-level dignitaries from all around the world, are expected to participate in the event.
This Conference is part of the “Dushanbe Process” launched in May 2018, when the first High-Level International Conference of the process on “Countering Terrorism and Preventing Violent Extremism” (Dushanbe, 3-4 May 2018) was jointly convened in partnership with the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, UN entities, the OSCE and the EU. The UNOCT High-Level Conference of the process on “International and Regional Cooperation on Countering Terrorism and its Financing Through Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime” was convened on 16-17 May 2019 in Dushanbe.
Now, the Tajik leadership has been working to improve multilateral relations among countries and integrate nations at one platform to counter common issues with a holistic approach. Thereby, the upcoming Dushanbe conference will pave the way for border and customs controls to detect the movement of terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition and explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons and materials, and to take measures on border security and management, criminal justice, and information‑sharing in accordance with international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law.
The platform calls for an open dialogue between regional stakeholders, security agencies, agencies, international organizations and experts. The discussions will focus on the most topical issues of security under the auspice of international and regional security laws. Moreover, the Conference will include a High-Level Opening Session with the participation of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan H.E. Mr. Emomali Rahmon, Secretary-General of the United Nations H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, and a number of Government Ministers and other senior officials from the region and abroad. It is also anticipated that the two-day International Dushanbe Conference will conclude with the adoption of the Dushanbe Declaration on Border Security and Management Cooperation to Counter Terrorism and Prevent the Movement of Terrorists.
Tajikistan towards a Glorious Future under President Rahmon:
Tajikistan is among one of the fastest-growing economies in the Central Asian region. Progressive and sustainable in its development goals, the country has been constructively working to bring nations together by reinvigorating regional cooperation. Tajikistan’s foreign policy has been strengthening up to its present expansive phase. Moreover, its ambitions reflect through its foreign/regional policies, objectives and targets. It relies on more advanced and socially modernize goals. Since the conference of ‘’Dushanbe Process on Security (2018)’’, Tajikistan has reaffirmed its commitment to fulfilling the targets and advanced its border security management through progressive measures.
It is noteworthy that President Rahmon has been stressing to actively work on counter-terrorism and regional border security goals, cooperating with regional countries and implementing joint progressive projects to ensure attaining common aspirations. Moreover, Tajikistan has been actively expanding its capacities through colossal efforts to integrate nations. With true determination, Tajikistan has always succeeded in blazing a new trail from the unknown to the realms of freedom and joint development.
All its endeavours have advanced the cause of openness in the country with innovative strategies. As the core of the leadership, President Emomali has developed new plans with logic and kept pace with the trends of the times, constantly adjusting strategies and policies in accordance with the security dynamics. Thus, the upcoming high-level conference at Dushanbe will usher into a new era of interregional border security cooperation to prevent counter-terrorism and foster cooperation by adopting new policies and plans. We wish Tajikistan all the best for achieving a milestone of exhibiting its global outreach by diplomatic means and constructive events.
