The UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch (UNODC/TPB) organized a two day national workshop on supporting criminal justice capacity building against emerging terrorist threats, including foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), in Dushanbe from 21 to 22 December 2016. The workshop was funded by the United States Government and focused on enhancing the capacity of national criminal justice institutions by providing a forum for presentation and in-depth discussion of the practical aspects related to the effective investigation, prosecution and adjudication of terrorism related offences, specifically in the context of the obligations imposed on States by Security Council resolution 2178 of 2014.
The event brought together Tajik officials representing the Parliament, the Ministry of Interior, the Committee on Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Anti-Terrorist Center of the State Committee for National Security, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Committee of Youth, Sport and Tourism, the Center for Islamic Studies under the Office of the President of Tajikistan, as well as a officials from the United States of America, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and UNODC. The participants strengthened their knowledge about the applicable international legal framework, including Security Council resolution 2178 of 2014, dealing with the preventive measures and criminalization of offences concerning FTFs, in a context of the rule of law and international human rights standards.
The workshop was well received by the participants, who discussed several case studies to highlight the gaps, challenges and possible solutions to the investigation of FTF related cases. Participants gained understanding of the practices adopted by different national jurisdictions through a discussion with international experts on administrative and criminal measures to deal with FTFs and the effectiveness of those measures in the context of counter radicalization programmes. These sessions generated a rich debate in terms of possible solutions to key practical challenges faced by Tajikistan.
