Modern approaches to protecting critical infrastructure and vulnerable targets: Resilience and security in an era of global threats (Counter-Terrorism Week Side Event)

Good morning. My name is Ignacio Ibáñez. I am the head of the UNOCT Program Office in Madrid and coordinator of the Global Program on Countering Terrorist Threats Against Vulnerable Targets. I will be your moderator today in this session in which we will have, I think, very interesting presentations. I'm sure you're going to enjoy them very much for the last day of the CT Week. I hope you had a very very fruitful, uh, CT Week. I think we touched upon a lot of interesting topics, and today, uh, we're gonna actually do, uh, one of, uh, I think of the topics that are, uh, right now more important, uh, in terms of counter-terrorism, which is the protection of critical infrastructure and public places. And in a way in which, thanks to the support of Kyrgyzstan, we will be hoping to give you good examples about how we turn principles and overall standards into practical, tangible measures. So without further ado, I would like to first give the floor to Mr. Meder Utebayev. Excellency, thank you so much for being with us. Mr. Utebayev is Chargé d'Affaires of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations, and you have the floor.

Well, thank you very much, Ignacio. Good morning, everyone. Welcome. So glad to see so many people sitting today with us, and I will start with thanking my colleague who's coming from the capital and the touristic center of the National Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan. I would like to thank the— welcome UNOCT and our partners, UNOSCE, for co-hosting today's event. So, first of all, thank you for your cooperation and continued support of Kyrgyzstan in strengthening the protection of critical infrastructure. And the vulnerable sites. Today's side event gives an important opportunity to discuss how identified needs and recommendations can be turned into real action. This is not only about the strategies and documents. It is about the practical steps that helps states become stronger and more resilient in the face of today's terroristic threats. As threats continues to change quickly, the protection of critical infrastructure in vulnerable sites is becoming more important than ever. Energy facilities, transport system, water supply, communications, healthcare, and many other infrastructures remain possible target for the terroristic attacks. An attack on these sites can lead to serious social, economic, humanitarian, and political consequences. Kyrgyzstan, which is located in the heart of Central Asia, is— for Kyrgyzstan, this challenge is not only the national, they are the regional challenges. So we understand that terrorism, radicalism, cyberattack, the use of unnamed technologies and the spread of extremist ideology do not stop at the borders. That's why Kyrgyzstan consistently supports stronger international regional cooperation. Kyrgyzstan highly values the cooperation and support of the UNOCT, the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility, the OSCE Action Against Terrorism Unit, and the OSCE Program Office in Bishkek. Thanks to partners, uh, we have been able to move from identifying needs to implementing the practical solutions. It is important to stress the protection, uh, critical infrastructure is, uh, not a one-time task. It is an ongoing process. Uh, it requires regular risk assessment, staff training, modern technologies, early warning systems, and readiness to respond quickly to changing threats. Kazakhstan sees this work as a contribution to security, sustainable development, and the public trust in state institutions. We are confident that effective protection of critical infrastructure is not only possible through close cooperation— this includes cooperation between states, between the international organizations and the private sector, experts, and civil society. On behalf of the Permanent Mission of Kyrgyz Republic to the UN, I would like to reaffirm our country's commitment to the goals and the principles of the United States— United Nations in the fighting against terrorism. Kyrgyzstan is ready to continue deepening its cooperation with the UNOCT, OSCE, and other partners And I'm confident that today's challenge— exchange of views will help us not only identify the current challenges, but also develop practical approach to further strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure and vulnerable sites. With that, I would like to thank and let's start our discussions. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Excellency, for your remarks. Indeed, it's an honor and a pleasure to work alongside Kyrgyzstan on this topic. I now would like to give the floor to Mr. Mauro Miedico, Director of Capacity Building at UNOCT, for his opening remarks. Director, dear Mauro, the floor is yours.

Thank you very much, Ignacio. Good morning to every— One, welcome to this last day of the Counterterrorism Week. Ambassador Utebaev, Excellencies, distinguished representatives and delegates, dear colleagues, it's really a pleasure to join you today for this important discussion on strengthening the protection of vulnerable targets, including critical infrastructure and public spaces, through the member states' leadership, multi-stakeholder support, and technology-enabled solutions. First and foremost, I would like to begin by thanking Kyrgyzstan for its leadership in bringing the discussion forward during the Counter-Terrorism Week. I want also to thank our dear colleagues from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for the continued partnership, but also, of course, also for the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe for the coordination and support and cooperation in this event. Also, allow me to congratulate again the Kyrgyz Republic on its election by the General Assembly as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028. We really look forward to continue our close cooperation with you in support of all our shared priority on peace, security, and counter-terrorism. I would also like to express, of course, our full— UNOCT— full appreciation to the European Union for its strong partnership with us, including through the EU-UN Global Terrorist Threat Facility, which is organizing this event. This cooperation has strengthened, really, our office's ability to provide targeted, flexible, and timely underlined quick and timely technical assistance to Member States aligned with their national— nationally identified priorities. And I would like also, of course, to acknowledge also with appreciation the State of Qatar for its longstanding support to UNODC, including in particular to our global programme on the protection of vulnerable targets against terrorist attacks that Ignacio leads, a partnership that has really contributed to strengthen our ability to support Member States. The protection of vulnerable targets remains a central concern for Member States and the UN, and terrorist attacks against such targets are intended not only to cause casualties and destruction, but also to disrupt essential services, create fear, undermine public confidence, and affect the functioning of societies and economies. This is why the protection of critical infrastructure and vulnerable targets is firmly anchored in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, but also in relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2341. This is also an area where Member States increasingly require more practical, integrated, specialized, and context-specific support. The threat environment in fact continues to evolve and critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed to risks that cut across physical security, cybersecurity, or emergency preparedness. Protection must therefore be understood not only as the hardening of individual side, but also as a resilience agenda strengthening preparedness, continuity of essential services, response and recovery. The experience of the Kyrgyz Republic offers really an excellent practical example on how this can be done. Following the identification of priority areas, national consultations very widely undertaken helped define needs and develop a roadmap for strengthening the protection of vulnerable targets. This roadmap helped translate recommendations and national priorities into a structured implementation process supported by a sequenced package of technical, operational, and capacity-building measures. It also illustrates the importance of linking CETA-identified technical assistance needs with coordinated implementation support from UNOCT and our partners. On our office side, this experience really underscores the particular strength of the UN Global Threat Facility, its ability to provide rapid, flexible, and tailored support to requesting Member States, helping translate identified needs into practical action. Depending on the national context, this support can include expert mentoring and advisory, as we have done in many countries, training, peer exchange, study visit, or even targeted equipment provision. In fact, in the Kyrgyz Republic, the facility worked hand in hand with our Global Programme on the Protection of Vulnerable Targets Against Terrorist Attacks, combining thematic expertise with flexible implementation support to advance the nationally identified priorities. And together, these efforts have supported Kyrgyzstan in advancing mutually reinforcing areas of work, including support with legislative drafting including the development of a secure online platform for information management, targeted equipment support, and capacity building for relevant national stakeholders. These measures are intended to strengthen information management, interagency coordination, and risk-informed decision-making. They also demonstrate how technology-enabled solutions can support national authorities in translating priorities into very practical tools for coordination and implementation. At the same time, of course, technology is not only— is only one part of the solution. Digital tools must be embedded in clear legal frameworks, institutional arrangements, human rights safeguards, data protection measures, and accountable governance. Our support is guided by the principle of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy,, including of course respect for human rights, the rule of law, and gender-sensitive approaches. In line with UN policies, including our Human Rights Due Diligence Policy, wherever relevant, these considerations are always integrated into the design, the assessment, and implementation of our capacity-building support. The broader lesson, at least for UNOCT, is very clear: sustainable capacity-building requires— demand-driven, nationally-owned, evidence-based and coordinated support focused on practical outcomes. The Kyrgyz experience is therefore relevant beyond one national context. It can offer very useful lessons for other Member States, including— present here today, seeking to move from the identified priorities to concrete implementation particularly in resource-constrained environments where the need to prioritize risks and strengthen coordination is especially important. We remain committed to supporting all Member States in these efforts, of course in close cooperation with CETA, with regional organizations, international partners, and national authorities. And I really look forward to discussion and to hearing from the Kyrgyz Republic experts today on the lesson learned from this important case study. And I thank you.

Thank you very much, Director Diarmauro, for your opening remarks. This concludes the opening session. I'm gonna ask you to please wait for 1-2 minutes until we give way to our panel discussion, so we can rearrange a little bit the table. And thank you again. Thank you very much. I would like also to take the opportunity to say hello to everybody who's following us online around the world. Thank you very much for your interest and your support. Without further ado, we're going to start with the panel discussion this morning, and I have the great pleasure to give first the floor to Mr. Aslan Bakaeva, Head of Unit of the ATC of the Kyrgyz Republic. Mr. Bakaeva, you have the floor. Thank you so much.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

Uh, our side event is dedicated to the theme "From Priorities to Action: Strengthening the Protection of Critical Infrastructure and Vulnerable Targets Through Member State Leadership, Multi-Stakeholder Support, and Technology-Enabled Solutions." UN Counterterrorism Week is an important forum for discussing current issues, exchanging experience, and strengthening international cooperation in the field of counterterrorism. The Kyrgyz Republic sees today's event as a valuable opportunity to present the results it has achieved and to demonstrate the effective partnership that it has had with the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, as the— and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Uh, that cooperation is focused on building national capacity for the protection of vulnerable targets and critical infrastructure. First, let's, uh, take a closer look at the timeline of events. From May 15th to 17th, 2024, in the city of Bishkek, national in-depth consultations were held on the protection of vulnerable targets. In support of the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions. The consultations were conducted on the basis of the questionnaire used by the Counterterrorism Committee Executive Directorate and UNOCT to assess and strengthen the capacity of partner states to protect vulnerable targets against terrorist attacks in support of the implementation of resolutions 2341 Resolution 2341 and the addendum to the Madrid Guiding Principles that contains recommendations on the protection of critical infrastructure and soft or vulnerable targets. Following those consultations, in December of the same year, the findings of the joint CETA-UNOCT assessment, as well as a roadmap for Kyrgyzstan on strengthening the protection of vulnerable targets, against terrorist threats were presented. On May 27th, 28th, 2024, in Astana, Kazakhstan, the Anti-Terrorism Center of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan participated in a regional Central Asian workshop on the topic of protecting vulnerable targets against terrorist attacks that laid the foundation for cooperation with the OSCE. CE on a project to develop interagency guidelines for the organization of cultural and sporting events in crowded public locations. In support of the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the UNGCTS in the Kyrgyz Republic, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the UN, represented by the Office of Counterterrorism and the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic. That was in 2024. In implementation of the memorandum, a roadmap was adopted for 2024-2027 for the implementation of UNOCT initiatives in support of the Joint Plan of Action. That roadmap includes 6 components: technical and legal support for capacity building in the prevention of terrorist travel, border security and border control, and the use of biometric data, protection of vulnerable targets from terrorist attacks, provision of advisory and technical support, legislative assistance, and technical and advisory support for the implementation of the program of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic to counter extremism and terrorism for 2023-2027. Next slide, please. On May 28th-29th, 2025, a workshop was held at the Anti-Terrorism Center on the topic of development of regulatory requirements for the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist threats. From July 8th to July 10th, 2025, with the support of UNOCT and under the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility, a study visit was organized to Germany to examine approaches for the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. The visit provided direct insight into Germany's comprehensive and continuously evolving approach to the protection of critical infrastructure, including its regulatory framework, interagency coordination, cybersecurity integration, and public-private partnership. The goal was to study international experience and adapt it to the legal, institutional, and operational realities of the Kyrgyz Republic. On October 10th, 2025, a decree of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic established an interagency working group composed of competent officials from state bodies, local self-government bodies, and an independent expert. On October 21st, 2025, the first meeting of the Interagency Working Group was held on the development of draft regulations concerning strategic and other facilities. It discussed various issues related to the proposed regime for the functioning of such facilities. The outcome of that meeting of the Interagency Working Group was the preparation and adoption of an action plan to improve legislation on countering terrorism and the protection of critical infrastructure. In accordance with the plan of action, an analysis of the current legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic was conducted with a view to ensuring the strategic— protection of strategic facilities, ensuring counterterrorism and cybersecurity. An analysis was also conducted of regulatory challenges and relevant international practice in critical infrastructure protection, and a concept for the draft law of the Kyrgyz Republic on infra— critical infrastructure was developed. That legislative and normative basis was established progressively based on the study of international experience and the development of an online platform. And this shows the incremental approach to developing our national system for the protection of facilities against terrorism. On April 14th, 15th, 2026, the Anti-Terrorism Center of the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, in cooperation with UNOCT and as part of the EU-UN facility, held a further meeting of the Interagency Working Group on the Development of Draft Regulatory Legal Acts Concerning Strategic and Other Facilities. The meeting featured presentations on an overview of international practice, an analysis of national legislation, and the concept and text of the draft law of the Kyrgyz Republic on critical infrastructure, as well as the online platform for the counter-terrorism protection of facilities. So why now? Why the need to review the regulatory framework for critical infrastructure protection The Kyrgyz Republic is facing growing hybrid threats as well as cyberattacks on government and financial systems. We are facing the cross-border vulnerability of hydropower and transport facilities, as well as climate-related and man-made risks and the economy's dependence on digital systems. The core principles of the draft law include the principle of legality and the supremacy of the Constitution. The critical infrastructure protection system must operate exclusively within the remit of the Constitution and legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic. The draft law provides for a clear delineation of the powers of state bodies, establishment of procedural guarantees for operators, a prohibition on arbitrary interference in economic activities, and the involvement of the armed forces only as prescribed by the Constitution. This principle ensures legal certainty, right, regulatory predictability and confidence on the part of business and society. The second principle is that of comprehensiveness and systemic unity. Critical infrastructure includes both state and private facilities that are of material importance to security of the economy and the daily life of the population. It is proposed that regardless of the form of ownership, a single mechanism be applied for designating facilities as critical and uniform criteria be used to categorize facilities. The protection of critical infrastructure must be based on a partnership between the state and the private sector and involve mutual accountability of the parties. The third principle is that of risk-based regulation and categorization. Regulation is based on a systemic assessment of threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the probability of incidents and the scale of potential damage. A unified system will be introduced to categorize critical infrastructure facilities according to the level of criticality, and a national registry of these facilities will be maintained. This categorization will make it possible to prioritize resources, differentiate requirements, and apply enhanced measures to facilities of the highest significance. The procedure and criteria for categorization would be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, taking into account current legislation, including the Law on Cybersecurity. The fourth principle is proportionality of requirements. Requirements placed on operators and state oversight measures must be commensurate with the category of the facility, the level of risk, and the potential consequences of an incident. Proportionality ensures a balance between national security interests, economic freedom, and the country's investment attractiveness.

This is great.

5. The principle of integration of physical and digital security, modern-day critical infrastructure, represents a united system of physical facilities and digital governing platforms. The protection of critical infrastructure is being conducted on a comprehensive basis and encompasses engineering and technical protection and protection of facilities, counterterrorism measures, cyber sustainability, and the protection of information systems, security of technological processes, as well as the resilience to information psychological impact. The draft law stipulates mandatory coordination of measures for physical protection and cybersecurity, including —so-called differentiated and split-up approaches. 6, the principle of personal accountability of operators. Operators and the owners of critical infrastructure shoulder direct responsibility for the organization of protection systems within their purview of their competencies. The plan is for them to include development, implementation of resilience plans 6, the conduct of regular risk assessments and audits, conduct of reserve operationalization mechanisms, and timely notification procedures for notification about incidents. And in a similar way, current norms on cybersecurity will have responsibility shouldered by the leaders as well as authorized specialists in critical infrastructure facilities. 7, the principle of digitization of procedures and Risk and the registry and the establishment of a registry, a protection of critical infrastructure is rooted on modern-day digital instruments. The draft law provides for the establishment of single national registry critical infrastructure differentiation amongst the various levels of access to information, electronic exchange of data about informa— about incidents, automized nature of monitoring of threats and digitization of Identification of solutions and the digitization helps to facilitate transparency and to expedite response. 8, principle of interagency coordination, involvement of local authorities. The protection of critical infrastructure requires coherent action on the part of national security bodies, law enforcement structures, civil defense bodies, as well as specialized ministries and local governing administrations. The plan would— is to incorporate a clear differentiation of competencies, the establishment of coordination mechanisms, participation of local governing bodies in identification and protection of facilities, as well as joint planning and conduct of training. This will provide for the system to be managed in a cohesive, coordinated way and prevent duplication of functions. 9, the principle of international cooperation in light of the cross-border significance of infrastructure. The draft law provides for international exchange of information about threats and about incidents, participation in regional cooperation mechanisms, use of international standards and best practices, as well as cooperation with international organizations and state partners. What is the draft law intended to establish? A national system for the protection of critical infrastructure, which proposes the establishment of a model where critical infrastructure is identified on the basis of objective risk criteria, where facilities are categorized according to their level of significance, where mandatory resilience requirements are established established and where a monitoring and response mechanism is created. A United National Registry of Critical Infrastructure providing for the establishment of a centralized government information system which would provide for— a Unified National Registry of Critical Infrastructure providing for transparent categorization, elimination of duplicate inventories, differentiated levels of access, and digital coordination among agencies. The draft law seeks to ensure the implementation of the following United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2341 on the protection of critical infrastructure, the provisions of the Global Counterterrorism Strategy of the United Nations, the principles of responsible state behavior in cyberspace and standards developed by the international community in the area of infrastructure resilience. Next slide, please. Expected results of the draft law include greater resilience of the energy and financial sectors and elimination of vulnerability to cyber threats and duplication. Is strengthening the role of the State National Security Committee as a coordinator of national resilience, improve trust amongst international partners, and to ensure the implementation of corresponding international standards, the establishment of a legal basis for the conduct of— for bringing in technical assistance. For the United Nations in order to ensure systemic work in order to achieve effective level of counterterrorism protection for strategic and other facilities in the coordination— with the coordination of the Counterterrorism Center of the State Center of National Security of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, support of the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, the EU-UN facility for Countering Global Terrorism Threats— the initiative was established to create a digital online platform for counterterrorism protection of facilities. For us, this platform is not merely a technical tool. This is a mechanism for the systemic management of information, for vulnerability assessments, and for the prioritization of risk reduction measures and coordination of follow-up action. The use of such a platform would facilitate more effective mapping of vulnerable facilities and critically significant infrastructure to analyze their levels of protection and to determine priority measures and to provide for cohesive interagency cooperation. As we see— as we see critically important services increasingly depending on digitized Digital systems, automated processes, and data flows— technical solutions need to be considered as an important component of national protection systems in order to create the online— the online platform is created in order to simplify the procedure for obtaining and approving counterterrorism security passports for facilities, as well as to delineate responsibilities for completing counterterrorism security passports between building owners and institutions leasing premises in these buildings, and to eliminate bureaucratic red tape in interagency coordination. Turning to the next slide, the online platform will help to expand opportunities of the counterterrorism in order to effectively collect, store, and analyze the counterterrorism certificates and to analyze best practices and international standards, and to provide for the complete and accurate completion of facilities' counterterrorism security platforms, consolidating data into a unified structure, ensuring that it is accurate and up to date, and standardizing reporting, improving analytics and forecasting of analytical data. And automate automated data analysis to identify risks and optimize counterterrorism security work for strategic and other facilities, reducing strategic and operational risks, timely protection of strategic and other facilities, real-time oversight of compliance with regulatory requirements, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements, and optimizing the work of state bodies as well as protected facilities with regard to counterterrorism security and reducing the time required for data collection and processing while improving the efficiency of facility management, including for— including rapid response. On the 18th to the 20th of February of 2025, with support of the department of the OSCE Department for Counterterrorism and the program office of the OSCE in Bishkek, A national seminar was held on national awareness-raising on the protection of other facilities, planning security for public events. In order to establish a legal foundation to craft recommendations to plan and organize the security in the conduct of mass cultural events and to fine-tune counterterrorism protection measures for other facilities, The National Security Committee of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan established a decree dating April 8, 2025. This is a dated number 10— decree number 10— which established an interagency working group on developing interagency instructions for planning and organizing security during cultural and public events. Greater details about this draft will be described by the representative of the program office of the OSCE-Bishkek. Вилмьет и скер. I wish to thank you for your attention.

Thank you very much, Mr. Bakabaev. Really, I— and I think I will share this with all other participants— I really appreciate the level of detail in which you went in your presentation to explain to us really going from the principles really to exact measures that Kyrgyzstan has taken. So thank you so much for that, and a lot of good practices that we can extract from your experience, no doubt. I now have the floor— I will now give the floor to Miss Anna-Maria Sesma, our dear colleague from the Counterterrorism Executive Directorate, for her presentation. CTD is one of the key partners for UNOCT in our engagement and was at the very beginning, of course, in the support and the methodological development of the assistance given to Kyrgyzstan. So, and Maria, you have the floor. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Moderator, dear Ignacio. And also, I wish to express, uh, gratitude to the Kyrgyz Republic, Your Excellencies, for inviting and organizing this event. And of course, our close partners, the UNOCT, the UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility, and the Vulnerable Targets Programme, as well as OSCE, who's also a longstanding partner of CTED. And I'm very, very glad to have also heard your presentation, Mr. Palkopajev, on the progress already having taken place. Um, for the first flight, uh, slide, uh, please. Next one, please. So indeed, uh, critical infrastructure and soft target protection, uh, by terrorists remains a key priority also for the Counterterrorism Committee and CTET, um, as the threat is evolving globally. So these concerns, as was already mentioned, are highlighted in Security Council Resolution, uh, 2341, which is dedicated to the protection of critical infrastructure. The soft target protection was introduced in 2017 in 2396 resolution, as well as elaborated by the Security Council in the Madrid Guiding Principles in 2018. As is already mentioned also, that the challenge indeed is, is increasing, and this is not only due to the fact that critical infrastructure and other vulnerable targets are becoming more and more interdependent, but also due to the vast range and adaptability of the threats. We are seeing more and more low-cost, high-impact attack methods being developed by terrorists—cyberattacks, use of unmanned aircraft systems for terrorist purposes, insider threats, and hybrid attacks, which combine multiple methods. So due to this constant evolution of the attack methods, protective and prevention tactics are quickly also becoming outdated. The evolution of threat also has led to complexity of infrastructure also that poses, uh, particular challenges that we are looking, uh, here as well. At the same time, there's a growing need to prevent and counter access, particularly online, to knowledge, materials, and operational know-how related to improvised explosive devices, unmanned aircraft systems, and other methods to attack vulnerable targets in more sophisticated ways, as well as supported by technology such as artificial intelligence. So drawing from CTED assessments, our country, uh, country on-site visits that we conduct on behalf of the Counterterrorism Committee, and also engagement with all member states, we have observed that the protection of critical infrastructure and other vulnerable targets is most effective when it is rooted in national ownership, evidence-based prioritization, and strong multi-stakeholder partnerships. CTEDD has so far, since its establishment, conducted already over 200 country visits to about 120 member states, and indeed, Central Asian countries and including Kyrgyzstan, are among the states. So these visits provide us the understanding of national contexts, gaps and challenges, but also good practices. So these assessments have played a decisive role in helping member states translate these broad counterterrorism obligations, which are the Security Council resolutions, but very often addressing very broad areas of terrorism and threats into concrete national priorities. We have consistently identified recurring gaps, particularly in this area, and one of them is the absence of national strategies to protect critical infrastructure. Also, interagency coordination.— which leads to certainly gaps in timely information sharing and understanding of the nature of the threat in a national context. And insufficient operational preparedness, which is at multi-level. CETA's role does not end with the assessment. So through the facilitation of technical assistance and follow-up engagement, including under the UN Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Threats Against Vulnerable Targets, which indeed we have had the privilege of being part since its launch. These findings from our assessments translate into actionable national roadmaps which reflect each state's specific risks, capacities, and policy environment. Progress has been made indeed, as we just heard from our colleagues from Kyrgyzstan, especially in towards ensuring security and resilience of critical infrastructure and other vulnerable targets. Indeed, the example of the Kyrgyz Republic already shows these improvements, which were collaborated to develop this roadmap to strengthen the protection of vulnerable targets. And I really compliment the progress made by the Kyrgyz Republic. So in the next slide, please, there are some highlights from CTAD's experience and recommendations which are not only specific to Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia, but really globally. So these are some of the most pending and emerging gaps that we continue to identify. One of them, the key recommendation, is implementation of systematic risk management process. Risk assessment methodologies are only effective when they are operationalized. And risk assessment must go beyond the analysis to inform decision-making resource allocation, and preparedness planning. So what does this mean in practice? It means embedding risk assessment within a structured process that includes comprehensive situational analysis of legislative, institutional, and operational capacities. And this is also how the Vulnerable Targets Programme has been, uh, designed to cover all these different pillars. Also, identification of gaps and assistance needs, prioritization of actions based on risk and feasibility. This means that no country can do everything at all times, but prioritize what actions are most relevant to your country. And then continuous adaptation through exercises, scenario planning, and lessons learned. It's Especially the scenario planning I would particularly highlight as we are talking about hybrid methods, hybrid attacks, cyber events, or all of them combined. You must practice these scenarios and include the new elements that we are seeing terrorists using. CEDAW has also observed that member states derive the greatest benefit from recommendations when they are used in the framework for longer-term reform and capacity building. This means strategic-level planning, but also having a system that keeps strategies, whether it is the counter— National Counterterrorism Strategy or dedicated critical infrastructure strategy, updated. So a system to continuously monitor its its updates, but also monitor its implementation by relevant national authorities. So first, integrating recommendations into national strategies and legal frameworks. Second, prioritizing and sequencing reforms across short, medium, and long-term horizons, and leveraging also CETA's findings to mobilize coordinated support from international and regional partners. CEDA's recommendation in this way function as a bridge between the identified needs and delivered assistance and ensure that capacity building efforts are targeted, coherent, and aligned with international organization obligations, being Security Council resolutions and also the CT strategy, which was renewed this week. Strong example of this approach is CETA's cooperation with UNOCT and especially the Global Programme on Vulnerable Targets, but also all its partners who help us implement and help member states implement their obligations. This partnership has really been impactful, establishing this clear an effective pathway from assessment to impact. CETA-led assessment of these capacity consultations provide the initial evidence base for member states. However, they must take the ownership of what follows and take ownership of implementation of the roadmap. This helps also to validate the findings, refine risk analysis processes, and align these priorities with national stakeholders. Building on this, the tailored national roadmaps that are developed translate recommendation into concrete but also prioritized actions. Not all actions are necessarily immediate, but should be developed in, in long-term planning. And as I said, these serve as national-level action plans. The roadmaps also help structuring the approaches following an upstream and downstream, uh, perspectives. Upstream means reducing structural vulnerabilities, strengthening police, legal frameworks, institutions that have responsibilities in protecting vulnerable targets.. At the same time, downstream measures focus on managing operational consequences, minimizing the harm, restoring services, and strengthening resilience of— after disruptions if they materialize. So indeed, UNOCT and our partners deliver targeted technical assistance and capacity building based on these findings, but also based on the priorities agreed with the member states. And fully aligned, of course, with the support and coordination between the partner entities. And ensure sustainability, or help member states keep these efforts also sustainable. So the integrated model linking assessment, prioritization, and delivery has really proven effective support in— for member states and the comprehensiveness of of approaches. And next year— next slide, please. I also wish to mention that with OSCE, we last year cooperate jointly in producing a trends report. It was an update to physical protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. This work already combined CDETS global assessment insights and country visit findings with OSC's regional expertise, technical assistance, and capacity building support, and also was reviewed by our UNOCT colleagues. The main conclusion was also validating these priority gaps that we have identified, and also that while progress has been made, Security Council Resolution 2341 against also the evolving threat— terrorist threat is really absolutely relevant today, as it was when it was adopted, especially driven by these emerging technologies and interconnected system. It really requires us all to stronger or commit to stronger risk management interagency cooperation, public-private partnership, and shift from pure protection towards resilience to ensure effective critical infrastructure security. So really, I hope that from these discussions today, you will learn that these initiatives, how they display UN support with the leadership of member states— here, the Republic of Kyrgyzstan— can really transform priorities into concrete and sustainable counterterrorism outcomes with potential to be applied by other member states. So I invite you to take these experiences with you. And in conclusion, CTED experience has really demonstrated with our partners that the true value of our work is not only in identifying the gaps, but really supporting member states in transforming those findings into sustained strategic and operational outcomes. And that methodology has really been proven successful. So I thank you again and wish you all nice home flights if you are just visiting New York and that your CT Week has been fruitful indeed.

Many thanks, dear Annmaria. I think you very well presented the value added, as you were referring, of CTED in all this process, how really from your assessment point of view, how you understand well how to prioritize, what how to assist in a better way, and also to provide that methodological basis that then allows us from, from technical assistance providers to deliver some support to member states, and under the leadership always, of course, of member states, in this case the Kyrgyz Republic. So thank you so much for that, Annmaria. And I now will turn to my left, to the technical assistance and capacity building providers. First of all, to my dear colleague, Dmitry Ponomarev, who's the project manager at the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats facility of UNOCT. As you have heard already, our two programs are working together with the Kyrgyz Republic, but not only. We also work in other countries around the world. Again, supporting the implementation of Security Council General Assembly mandates in the area of vulnerable targets protection. It's always a pleasure to work together, Dimitri, and I'll give you now the floor. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Ignacio. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, dear colleagues, allow me to add my welcome and thank you all for coming to this session today. And I would like to also acknowledge our excellent cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic, CTAD, and OSCE in organizing this event and advancing this important area of work. Earlier, we heard from our colleagues from the Anti-Terrorism Center of the State Committee for National Security, who walked us through the journey of the Kyrgyz Republic in detail, from the initial assessment and identification of priorities and implementation of concrete actions, and strengthening of national capacities. This was structured national process that evolved over several years with support from the international community. What I would like to do in the next few minutes is to look at the same journey through a slightly different perspective. I will discuss the process from the perspective of United Nations Office of counterterrorism and illustrate how two UNOCT programmes supported the Kyrgyz Republic in— at different stages of this journey. The first is the Global Programme for the Protection of Vulnerable Targets, which supported national consultations, identification of priorities, the development of national-owned roadmap, and organization of study visit to Germany. Which exposed national counterparts to international good practices. Building on that foundation, the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility supported the implementation of those nationally identified priorities through expert mentoring, advisory support, targeted capacity building work, uh, support, uh, for development of technology-enabled solution, provision of equipment, and assistance in strengthening the legislative framework for critical infrastructure protection. UNOCT worked collaboratively with CTAD and coordinated our work closely with OECD program office in Bishkek. So, colleagues, what turns priorities in sustainable operation capacity? Many member states receive recommendations. Many develop strategies, but translating those priorities and strategies into sustainable operational capacity remains one of the greatest challenges that we have. In our experience, five elements are particularly important: national leadership and ownership; long-term partnership; targeted support responding to nationally identified priorities; And finally, focus on sustainable operational capacity rather than short-term outputs. The remainder of, remainder of my presentation will illustrate how these elements came together in the Kyrgyz Republic case study. Next slide, please. So building on the national priorities identified by the Kyrgyz Republic, UNOCT support through the Global Programme on Protection of Vulnerable Targets and the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility, focused on translating recommendations into nationally— national institutional capacity. This meant addressing several practical challenges. First, fragmented coordination. Through the leadership of the Anti-Terrorism Centre, This was addressed through establishment of interagency working group, bringing relevant national authorities into more structured coordination mechanism. Second, information management. Paper-based and fragmented information collection related to the protection of vulnerable targets is now being replaced by a secure online platform that supports the collection analysis, and sharing information among competent national authorities. Third, critical infrastructure protection framework. The Kyrgyz Republic is working to update its CIP framework, including through the development of modern legislation that reflects current risks, institutional responsibilities, and international good practices. Fourth, international experience. Through exchanges such as study visit to Germany, international experience was not simply copied. It was reviewed, adapted, and integrated into national capacity in a way that reflects legal, institutional, and operational specificities of the Kyrgyz Republic. And I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Permanent Mission of Germany and the German national institutions that hosted the delegation and generously shared their experience with us. Through the UNOCT Global Programme on the Protection of Vulnerable Targets and the EU-UN Global Terrorist Threats Facility, the Kyrgyz Republic was able to access a range of international expertise and good practices. This included expert mentoring and advisory support, targeted capacity-building workshops, and international exchanges. But the important point is that this international experience was not treated as a model to be copied. It was reviewed, discussed, and adapted to the national context of the Kyrgyz Republic—its legal framework, institutional architecture, operational realities, and specific risk environment. In that sense, international expertise became a resource for developing national solutions. As our Kyrgyz colleagues described earlier, one of the most important elements of this process has been development of secure online platform. Through the EU-UN Global Terrorist Threat Facility, UNOCT supported these efforts by deploying expert— experts to assist with the development of the platform, but also providing IT equipment to help operate it effectively. The value of the online platform is very practical. It helps move from paper-based processes to structured information management. It will support analysis and should enable stronger coordination among national competent authorities. It can also help decision-makers access more reliable information when assessing risks prioritizing actions, or responding to incidents. At the same time, technology should not be seen as a quick solution to complex institutional challenges. A platform can support coordination, but it cannot lead coordination process. Equipment can enable action, but it cannot replace clear mandate procedures and institutional responsibilities. In our case study, technology was used to strengthen the ability of national authorities to collect information, analyze risks, coordinate actions, and make better informed decisions. But institutions remain at the center. Allow me to conclude with 5 broader lessons that we believe extend beyond the experience of one country. First, national leadership and ownership must always remain the foundation. Second, genuine partnership means that international actors support nationally defined priorities rather than directing them. Third, sustainable institutions development require long-term engagement. Capacity is built over years, not through isolated interventions. Fourth, the effective capacity building requires a diversity of tools that reinforce one another. In the case of the Kyrgyz Republic, this included deployment of experts for mentoring and advisory support, targeted capacity building workshops, international exchanges, access to good practices, legislative support, and as I mentioned before, provision of equipment. And these tools are most effective when they are not delivered as separate activities, but when they are sequenced and connected in support of one national-led process. It also important to know that throughout this process, uh, all activities were designed and delivered in accordance with the UN human rights standards, with human rights and gender considerations integrated across implementation, including through the application of human rights due diligence policy and appropriate risk mitigation measures. And finally, fifth, technology. It should be viewed as an enabler of institutional effectiveness, not as an objective in itself. Every member state's circumstances are different, but these principles are broadly applicable. They offer one practical model for translating counterterrorism priorities into sustainable national capacity. Although important progress has already been achieved, this process continues. Implementation must be followed by institutionalization. And institutionalization requires continuous learning and adaptation. Dear colleagues, as terrorism threats evolve, national systems must evolve as well. The experience of the Kyrgyz Republic demonstrates that sustainable progress is not a destination, but an ongoing process. Critical infrastructure protection is ultimately about resilience. And resilience depends on institutions that can anticipate risks, coordinate effectively, and continuously adapt to new threats. There is no single model for protecting critical infrastructure. Every country's institutions, legal frameworks, and threat environment are different, but targeted, tailored, coordinated, and sustainable international support can help member states to translate their own priorities into lasting institutional capacity and ultimately into strengthening national resilience. And I thank you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Ponomarev. Thank you very much, dear Dimitri, for your presentation. I think it was very clear how we have structured the assistance, this partnership with the Kyrgyz Republic, and the different steps that we have taken together on the UNOCT side. I would be remiss, with your permission, Dmitry, also not to thank other UNOCT colleagues that have been very much involved, especially our Central Asia Unit, for the support that we have on the field. In the region to be able to be helpful to our member states. So without further ado, I will now pass the floor to our dear colleagues from the OSCE, another very, very important partner. They understand better than anyone how the, how the region is evolving in terms of the threat landscape and measures that need to be in place. And we're very proud to partner with the OSCE with ATU in Vienna and with you in the program offices in the field to make sure that the assistance and capacity building delivered is specifically tailored to the needs and priorities of the region and each member state. So without further ado, Ms. Bermet Asker, National Counterterrorism Officer of the OSCE program office in Bishkek, you have the floor and thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Moderator. Good morning, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen. Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to the government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the United Nations Office on Counterterrorism for co-organizing this timely and important discussion. For me, it is a pleasure to represent the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, in this exchange today, and perhaps it is worth recalling at the outset that the OSCE is the largest regional security organization in the world with 57 participating states, and that its work is grounded in a comprehensive concept of security that brings together the political, military, economic, and environmental, and human dimensions. Today I would like to start my presentation with a simple question: What do the FIFA World Cup currently taking place here in the United States and the World Nomad Games that Kyrgyzstan will host this September have in common? At first glance, perhaps not much. Different geography, different scale, different audiences, yet from a security perspective they share remarkably similar challenges. Both events require large-scale crowd movements. Both require coordination among multiple agencies and stakeholders. Both require careful risk assessment, contingency planning and real-time decision-making under pressure. And both remind us of something that security professionals know well: success of a major event is often measured by what never happens. Behind every safe and successful event are months of planning, coordination, information sharing, and preparation that remain essential even if they are not immediately visible. And both highlight a very practical operational challenge: how to bring dozens of institutions together, each with different responsibilities, and transform them into a single coordinated effort. In many ways, this is exactly what our work in Kyrgyzstan has focused on over the past 2 years. From the OSCE perspective, the protection of vulnerable targets is ultimately about people. It is about ensuring that individuals can gather safely, participate in public life, attend cultural and sporting events, and enjoy public spaces without fear. Because vulnerable targets are not only infrastructure, they are the Spaces where societies come together, and protecting them requires much more than physical security measures. It requires planning, coordination, preparedness, and trust between institutions. Let me now turn to Kyrgyzstan— —where these principles have been translated into practical cooperation. Over the past 2 years, The OSCE program office in Bishkek, in close cooperation with colleagues from the OSCE Transnational Threats Department's project PROTECT, and its— in strong partnership with the Anti-Terrorism Center under the State Committee for National Security of the Kyrgyz Republic, has supported national efforts to strengthen approaches to the protection of vulnerable targets. This cooperation has been highly practical in nature. In 2025 and 2026, we supported a series of awareness-raising and capacity-building activities, bringing together key national stakeholders responsible for planning and securing public events. The focus was not theoretical, it was more operational. How do institutions plan together? How do they assess risk in a structured and proposed in a proportionate way? How do they coordinate responsibilities before an event takes place? And how do we ensure that security measures strengthen safety while respecting fundamental rights and freedoms? These were questions that guided our work. Um, one important outcome of this cooperation has been support for the development of a procedure for ensuring public order and security during the preparation and holding of mass events or public events in the Kyrgyz Republic, which was earlier mentioned by Aslanbek Abaev. This document is currently undergoing the final stages of national approval and is expected to be adopted in the coming weeks. What makes this development particularly important is that it establishes a unified framework for planning and coordinating security measures for public events in Kyrgyzstan. It introduces a structured and risk-based approach and clarifies institutional roles and responsibilities, and it supports more systematic classification of public events according to the scale and risk profile. In practical terms, it helps establish a shared operational language among different institutions responsible for public safety and security. As Kyrgyzstan prepares to host major, major events, including the upcoming World Nomad Games, such a framework can contribute to more effective planning, stronger coordination, and enhanced preparedness. Once this document is adopted, Our cooperation will move into the next phase focused on supporting its practical implementation. And this will include targeted capacity building activities to assist national stakeholders in applying the guidance in real operational setting and ensuring that the framework is effectively translated into day-to-day practice. Next slide, please. Our work in Kyrgyzstan has also benefited from the broader framework of the project PROTECT, an OSCE initiative led by the Action Against Terrorism, my colleague Daniel Goldstein, aimed at enhancing national approaches across the OSCE area to the protection of vulnerable targets from terrorist threats and other hazards. This project brings together three complementary elements. The development and dissemination of practical guidance and good practices, capacity building and training for national stakeholders, and the facilitation of regional cooperation and dialogue on effective protection measures. In this regard, I would like to acknowledge contributions of the United States and Germany, which have supported the implementation of Project Protect and its broader objectives across the OSCE region. Next slide, please. As part of this effort, the OSCE developed the Technical Guide on Physical Security of Critical Infrastructure, drawing on extensive consultations with practitioners, international experts, and partner organizations. The guide was developed with valuable contributions from the members of the expert expert advisory group, including UNOCT, IKEA, and Interpol. Importantly, the guide does not prescribe a single model. Rather, it seeks to bridge the gap between policy and practice by providing practical considerations that can support national authorities in strengthening the protection of vulnerable targets. Next slide, please. Here you can see the the technical guide in English and Russian. And on the right side, you can see that it was translated to several languages as well. The next slide. Alongside the technical guidance, we also recognized another challenge. Protecting critical infrastructure is not only a technical issue, it requires strategic understanding. Extending political attention and sustained senior-level commitment. To support this, the OSCE partnered with CEDIT, as mentioned earlier by Anna-Maria, uh, to update its early analytical work on the physical protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks. The updated trends report was published in November 2025 in New York. The publication looks at the issue from a different angle. It takes stock of how the terrorist threat to critical infrastructure has evolved, highlights emerging risks such as the use of drones and AI, and outlines approaches that can strengthen national resilience at the strategic level. Together, the reports— the report complements the technical guide by connecting the why and what is changing with the how to respond, linking strategic threat understanding with practical action. Next slide, please. The experience of Kyrgyzstan also demonstrates a broader lesson. Progress in protecting vulnerable targets is most effective when national ownership is combined with practical international support. When national authorities define priorities and regional organizations contribute expertise and platforms for dialogue. And when international partners work together in a complementary manner. This is precisely the type of cooperation that today's side event seeks to highlight. And in the conclusion, I would like to reiterate that it— at its core, the protection of vulnerable targets is not about systems or procedures. It is about people. It is about whether our citizens feel safe together to participate and to experience public life without fear. And this is This is where the most important lesson from our work in Kyrgyzstan emerges. Progress in this field is never the result of the institution alone. It is the result of partnerships that connect national leadership with regional and international expertise. In Kyrgyzstan, this cooperation has brought together national authorities and regional partners, international experts, as well as— best practices from different jurisdictions. In Kyrgyzstan, it was experiences from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and specialist institutions such as the International Center for Sports Security. And what matters is how different experiences can be translated into practical, locally owned solutions. And ultimately, this is what we are working towards— not only safer infrastructure, but safer public life, open, resilient, and shared. And I thank you.

Thank you very much, Ms. Askar, and thank you very much again for the partnership with the OSCE. It's really important for us, and as you yourself said, we are stronger together. So these case studies is actually a good example of it. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the panel session. We will now go— We have a few minutes for questions and comments. What I would propose to you is that we do a round of questions or comments and then we'll let the speakers respond and conclude. So I have a first request from the floor from the delegation of Pakistan. Thank you.

We would like to first of all thank the Kyrgyz mission and the OCT and the OSCE for this event, which is a very timely event. We are encouraged to observe the positive steps that the government of Kyrgyzstan is taking at the national level, together in coordination with the UN entities, particularly the OCT, to strengthen institutional mechanisms for the protection of critical infrastructure. These collaborations will highlight the importance of multilateral collaboration for joint cooperation. In an era where terrorism transcends national boundaries, the importance of standardized approaches and coordination cannot be emphasized enough. As a close regional partner of Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan values the engagement to face common threats in the terrorism domain that we face, particularly from Afghanistan, including which poses serious threats to international peace and security. Terrorist groups such as the TTP, BLA, and Majid Brigade, together with their affiliates of al-Qaeda and ISIL-K, have carried out a number of attacks in Pakistan— against vulnerable targets, and this includes public places, including schools, mosques, public transport, and infrastructure. Unfortunately, the UN sanctions regimes have failed to take quick action towards the listing of some of the terrorist groups of this nature, which necessitates the need for reform in the UN's CT architecture to adapt to these needs. The reason why I mention this is because foremost amongst these is the application of legal instruments particularly sanctions mechanisms that set in motion the preventive measures to choke the access of arms— access to arms, finances, and physical movement of terrorist individuals and groups. Because no amount of protection can ensure a foolproof security guarantee for critical infrastructure and public places, namely the soft targets, if the supply side of logistics that enables terrorists to carry out attacks is not kept in check.— or blocked simultaneously. Therefore, this must be an integral part of our preventive efforts.

I thank you. I thank the delegation of Pakistan for your remarks. I now open the floor for any further comments or questions. Thank you very much. I don't see any further requests for the floor. We do appreciate your engagement. We're going to go into the closing session, so you'll have to bear with me for final remarks. I've been asked to deliver those on behalf of UNOCT. So Excellencies, distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen, as we come to the close of this very rich discussion, allow me to briefly reflect on a few key takeaways. Today's exchanges have clearly demonstrated that moving from priorities to action is not only possible but already happening in practice. What we have heard is a compelling illustration —of how Member States' leadership, combined with coordinated and demand-driven support, can translate identified needs into concrete and sustainable outcomes. This is very much in line with the vision outlined at the start of these events. In this regard, I would like to recognize in particular the strong leadership and commitment of the Kyrgyz Republic. The experience shared today From the development of a national roadmap to the operationalization of concrete measures offers a valuable model for others seeking to strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure and vulnerable targets in a structured and practical manner. Equally, today's discussion has highlighted the importance of genuine partnership. Close cooperation between national authorities, the United Nations, the OSCE, and other stakeholders has been instrumental in ensuring that support is coherent, complementary, and responsive to real needs on the ground. The collaboration with the OSCE in particular has demonstrated how regional organizations can play a vital role in strengthening interagency coordination, preparedness, and implementation at the national level. Allow me to also underscore the added value of our own United Nations collaboration, first between UNOCT and CTED, and second within UNOCT itself through the partnership between the EU-UN Global Terrorism Threats Facility and the Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Threats Against Vulnerable Targets, together with the invaluable support of our Central Asia Unit based in Ashgabat. This multi-stakeholder cooperation has enabled the provision of timely, flexible, and tailored assistance, bridging the gap between assessment and implementation and supporting the delivery of tangible results. At the same time, these efforts would not be possible without the steadfast support of our funding partners. We are deeply grateful to the European Union and to the State of Qatar for their continued commitment to UNOCD's work. Their support is critical in enabling us to respond effectively to member states' priorities and to deliver a meaningful impact on the ground. Excellencies, the discussions today reaffirm a key message: effective protection of critical infrastructure and public places requires integrated approaches combining legal, technical, and operational measures underpinned by strong national ownership and sustained cooperation. UNOCT remains committed to supporting Member States in these efforts and to continuing this important work together with all of you. I thank you all for your active participation and valuable contributions, to all of you here in the room and to all of those following us online. Thank you very much. With that said, I would now turn to Mr. Udebaev for the closing remarks. Excellency, you have the floor.

Thank you, Ignacio. Let me first of all thank our briefers for very comprehensive presentations, for my colleague from State Committee for the National Security Security of Kyrgyzstan. We had a very comprehensive and very detailed presentation on how Kyrgyzstan is actually implementing this and turning into real action. I would like to thank our colleague, Anna-Maria, from CTAD, Dmitry Liu from the EU, UN facility, and colleague from the OSC, Madam Bermet Asker. Today, everyone was mentioning about Kyrgyzstan's leadership on this. This leadership we recognize as a contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security as a part of the preventive diplomacy, and also— and with jointly with all our partners from the UNOCT, OSC, CTED, and other international partners. This means that this topic, the protection of critical infrastructure, is very, very important for everyone. And Director Maruo, on his opening remarks mentioned about Kyrgyzstan's upcoming membership at the Security Council. This is a really big responsibility. At the same time, we understand that despite the shifting of the international focus to the other conflicts, that terrorism and countering terrorism is the main part of the Security Council's file. As mentioned, our colleague from Pakistan is a current member of the Security Council. So— and Kyrgyzstan has actually prioritized the countering terrorism as a part of its membership at the Security Council. And we are committed and we are ready to cooperate in close cooperation with our international partners. So, uh, and with that, I will just like to, uh, thank everyone, uh, for your participation and thanking our partners for the close cooperation. And, uh, as we are finishing and wrapping the CT week today, I would like to also wish the, uh, good safe travels for those who's traveling for the different locations. And thank you very much.