The Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council met with Acting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Alexander Zuyev.
Konstantin Kosachev, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, has met with Alexander Zuyev, Acting Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), to discuss avenues for deepening counter-terrorism cooperation.
Opening the meeting, Konstantin Kosachev underlined Russia’s consistent support for the UN’s leading role in international affairs. “The counter-terrorism agenda within the Organisation’s work is of particular importance to parliamentarians. We have a clear interest in ensuring the most effective possible functioning of the UNOCT, as well as the broader activities of the United Nations system,” he stated.
The Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council went on to emphasise that Russia remains an active participant in global counter-terrorism efforts. The country is party to 18 of the 19 international anti-terrorism instruments adopted under UN auspices and by its specialised agencies.
“Our nation ranks among the top ten contributors to the UNOCT and provides practical support to its operations,” the Senator added.
Konstantin Kosachev also highlighted a flagship initiative launched at Russia’s behest in 2020 – a UNOCT programme aimed at countering the supply of arms to terrorists in Central Asia. A series of events carried out under the programme have, according to beneficiary countries, helped raise awareness and strengthen legal frameworks for preventing illicit arms flows to terrorist groups.
The centrepiece of this project is the development of Technical Guidelines for Central Asian states to facilitate tackling terrorist use of improvised explosive devices, unmanned aerial vehicles, and small arms and light weapons. The Senator confirmed that the final document is expected to be presented at the Moscow Conference on 15 July.
In turn, Alexander Zuyev set out the UNOCT’s current priority areas, which include the use of artificial intelligence in preventing terrorist attacks, countering terrorist threats at major sporting events, and addressing the online radicalisation and recruitment of young people.
“We have extensive areas of cooperation with a range of Russian agencies and institutions. We greatly appreciate the support we receive from Russia – not only financially, but also politically, particularly in the Security Council, where the country is a permanent member and an active voice in deliberations,” he remarked.
Alexander Zuyev also underscored the value of the UNOCT’s engagement with parliamentarians, noting that the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly was one of the Office’s reliable partners in this regard.