OSCE organizes first national seminar in Turkmenistan on a comprehensive approach to countering violent extremism and radicalization that lead to terrorism

The OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, in co-operation with the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department,  organized a two-day seminar entitled “Countering Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism (VERLT): a Comprehensive Approach”, which concluded in Ashgabat on 4 April 2018. The seminar, the first of its kind in Turkmenistan, served as a platform for policy discussion on preventing and countering VERLT in Turkmenistan. It also aimed to promote a better understanding of the current global and regional trends in VERLT. A particular emphasis was put on regional challenges related to terrorist radicalization.

More than 40 participants, including representatives of Turkmen government agencies, academic institutions, civil society, the Office of the Ombudsperson and international organizations, attended the seminar. Eleven international experts from countries across Asia, Europe and North America shared their expertise with the participants. They discussed inclusive and viable approaches ranging from community policing and the development of national action plans to including gender perspectives and involving women and youth in preventive actions against VERLT.

This seminar is one of two events that the OSCE is organizing in Turkmenistan this week. A two-day workshop on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes will be held in Ashgabat on 5 and 6 April 2018. Its aim is to identify and apply appropriate legal frameworks and strategies in combating the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.