OSCE Office in Tajikistan

Countering political extremism and terrorism

The Office's main anti-terrorism efforts are focused on developing law-enforcement capacity in combating terrorism and political extremism. It has supported the participation of Tajik officials in international workshops on combating terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime, as well as improving travel documents security.

It also assisted the Tajik Foreign Ministry in ratifying and implementing the 12 United Nations anti-terrorism conventions and protocols.

The Office sponsors conferences, awareness-raising campaigns and the publication of brochures that help prevent the spread of extremist ideas and terrorism. It has also helped publish analytical papers on terrorism and ways to combat it in the national newspaper Shield.

Small arms and conventional ammunition

The 1992-1997 civil war in Tajikistan left a lethal legacy - loads of small arms and light weapons (SALW), as well as conventional ammunition are stored in precarious conditions throughout the country. As a result of a weapons collection programme and on-going seizures from criminals, surplus stocks posed a serious danger to the public and the environment.

In 2004, the Tajik Government asked the OSCE to help destroy SALW and conventional ammunition, and improve the country's stockpile security and management systems. The OSCE responded with a comprehensive programme to destroy surpluses, upgrade storage conditions and reduce the chance of dangerous material falling into the wrong hands.

In August 2005, the Office and the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation launched a programme to destroy 34 tonnes of surplus ammunition and 26,000 pieces of small arms and light weapons. Nine national experts in explosive ordnance disposal were trained, and an explosive ordnance destruction facility and a SALW destruction facility were built. The Office also helped refurbish or build seven new storage sites to ensure safe and secure storage of SALW and ammunition. The programme was made possible through the financial contributions of Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Tajikistan and the United States.

Following the successful completion of the programme's first phase in November 2006, the Tajik Government asked the OSCE to assist in developing the second phase, which focuses on addressing the problem regionally, including along the Tajik-Afghan border.

Phase two of the programme, launched in July 2006, aims to assist in destroying surplus rocket boosters and in building 32 safe storage facilities throughout the country for Tajik law-enforcement agencies. A contribution by Andorra reinforced those already made by the original donor group.

Mine clearance

Landmines pose a hidden danger across 25 thousand square kilometers of land in Tajikistan. Since 2003, at the request of the Government, the OSCE has been assisting the country in addressing this serious threat. In addition to improving human security, clearing landmines contributes to the country's economic and environmental security, because it frees up land for agriculture and reforestation efforts. It also helps improve cross-border co-operation.

The Office's Mine Action Programme - the first of its kind for the OSCE - is being implemented through the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD). Since September 2004, 437 square kilometers of land have been cleared, and some 2,500 anti-personnel mines and 1,400 pieces of unexploded ordnance have been destroyed.

The Office in Tajikistan, through OSCE donor States, created and supports the operation of a training centre for mine detecting dogs, which are used by demining teams in the Rasht Valley and Panj District in southern Tajikistan.