S/PV.7796 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakisan to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization; Mr. Rashid Alimov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/867, which contains a letter dated 14 October 2016 from the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept paper on the item under consideration. I wish to warmly welcome the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and I give him the floor.

I am pleased to be here today, and I thank the Russian presidency for having convened this debate. Before turning to the subject at hand, I wish to say a few words about the latest developments regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC). The world has made enormous strides in building a global system of international criminal justice, with the International Criminal Court as its centrepiece. The ICC and other international tribunals have secured ground-breaking convictions. Yet we know that these and other gains have also been accompanied by setbacks and shortcomings. Prosecutions can take many years. Not all countries accept the ICC’s jurisdiction, and even some of those that do, do not always support the Court fully. Some are concerned that the Court has convicted only Africans, despite evidence of crimes in other parts of the world. Indeed, in recent days, three African countries have expressed their intent to withdraw from the Court. I regret these steps, which could send the wrong message on these countries’ commitment to justice. These challenges are best addressed not by diminishing support for the Court, but by strengthening it from within Deterring future atrocities, delivering justice for victims and defending the rules of war across the globe are far too important priorities to risk a retreat from the age of accountability that we have worked so hard to build and solidify. I welcome the Secretaries-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The global peace and security landscape has become much more complex in the last decade. Brutal wars raging across the Middle East and beyond continue to take lives, displace millions and wreck economies. Hospitals, schools and aid convoys are targeted with absolute disregard for international law and basic humanity. The resurgence of ethnic and sectarian tensions in the midst of these conflicts risks trapping nations in chaos for many years to come. I am especially alarmed at the fact that a wide variety of armed actors are taking advantage of modern technology and globalization to wreak havoc on a horrific scale. Meanwhile, growing xenophobic, nativist and protectionist policies and sentiments in other parts of the world are cause for serious concern. These challenges transcend national borders and demand a collective response by the international community. To rise to the moment, the United Nations has completed a number of major reviews of our work. All emphasized the urgent need to prioritize conflict prevention in a collective manner that draws on regional and global partnerships. This has always been one of my top priorities. After nearly 10 years as Secretary- General, I am even more convinced that the international community must come together to promote stability and defuse tensions wherever they occur. In this context, and in line with Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, we are seeking to intensify our interactions with the heads of regional and subregional organizations. I have personally engaged in collaborating with our regional partners for results. The impact has been meaningful, but we can do even more. Central Asia is the region where we have our closest contact with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. These organizations regularly exchange information with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia on terrorism, violent extremism, drug trafficking and other issues of shared interest and concern. My Special Representative for Central Asia and Head of the United Nations Regional Centre, Mr. Petko Draganov, regularly meets with the organizations’ leaders to discuss our joint agenda and the latest developments. All three organizations actively participate in supporting the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia. The United Nations Security Council Counter- Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate are in direct contact with counterparts in all three organizations. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) cooperates with all three organizations on drug trafficking, irregular migration and counter-terrorism. They have conducted joint operational initiatives in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Experts from the three organizations participate regularly in UNODC meetings, including the Paris Pact Initiative, a partnership to combat illicit trafficking in opiates from Afghanistan. On peacekeeping, I am especially grateful that senior officials from the Collective Security Treaty Organization participated in the first-ever United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit in June to discuss how we can more effectively tackle challenges together. Our organizations also work to strengthen confidence-building measures and promote stability in Afghanistan through the Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process. The United Nations is committed to strengthening this productive partnership. We all agree on the value of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, and we should not be afraid to confront the difficulties. We have much in common, but our strategies may at times pull us in different directions. Resources, capabilities and mandates vary. Sometimes regional organizations may have particular challenges that can limit their role as honest brokers. That is why it is so important to deepen our strategic dialogue, forge common approaches to emerging crises and strive to improve our collective responses to peace and security threats. In that way, we can make the most of our respective strengths. Let us use this valuable Security Council meeting to advance our partnerships for the sake of the peoples of these regions and our world.

I thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Bordyuzha.

I should like at the outset to thank the Russian delegation for having convened today’s meeting on such an important issue as cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. We also thank Mr. Ban Ki-moon for his statement. The year 2017 will be marked for us by two anniversaries: the twenty-fifth anniversary of the signing, in Tashkent on 15 May 1992, of the Collective Security Treaty, and the fifteenth anniversary since the establishment, on the basis of that Treaty, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). In that time, the CSTO has created a comprehensive legal basis regulating the work of the organization in all areas of its work, establishing the necessary political, diplomatic, military, and human rights, and special resources for ensuring the individual and collective security of member States and counteracting traditional and new threats. In developing existing concepts of collective security, in Yerevan in October we held a meeting of the Council at which it adopted the CSTO collective security strategy for 2025. One important area of our work is coordinating with senior political officials of member States and cooperating with other international and regional organizations. We are extending our working contacts with such international organizations as the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and other major international structures. We are strengthening CSTO forces. We now have a joint CSTO force that, beyond bilateral and regional groups, includes collective forces for rapid response, a collective CSTO air force, a rapid-deployment force for Central Asia and CSTO peacekeeping forces. We have established and are improving our military-technical and military-economic cooperation mechanisms with member States. In the area of response to security threats, the efforts of CSTO members are focused on counteracting international terrorism and extremism, illegal drug trafficking, illegal migration, trafficking in persons, and crime on the Internet. The effectiveness of these CSTO special operations — including the Kanal anti-narcotics programme, the anti-illegal migration programme Nyelegal, the anti-cybercrime programme Proxy and the Nayomnik programme, aimed at preventing CSTO fighters from entering conflict zones — has been recognized for its effectiveness. Of particular importance in this year’s work of the CSTO is counteracting international terrorism. We are extending our cooperation with national anti-terrorist services. We are establishing a legal framework for a common security space for member States and undertaking joint efforts to adopt a plan to implement the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. In a recent meeting of the CSTO Council, a mechanism — unique among international organizations — was adopted for drawing up a single list of terrorist and extremist organizations in the CSTO format. In counter-terrorism, we are endowed with a collective CSTO response force that is undergoing extensive training to develop special forces. At our initiative, in addition to cooperation with specialized agencies of the United Nations, we coordinate with anti-terrorist structures of OSCE, CIS and SCO. As a result of the migration crisis in Europe, we have adopted collective measures to enhance our fight against illegal immigration. We have begun to monitor migration flows from areas of armed conflict, mobilize resources and train joint forces to work with internally displaced persons. To increase the effectiveness of our measures to counter crime on the Internet, for the past three years we have had a consultaive coordination centre to respond to cybercrime. As a follow-up to the mechanism, our Heads of State have resolved to create a CSTO crisis-response centre. We also intend to establish a CTSO centre to coordinate with the United Nations crisis response. I note in particular that in all areas of our work, CSTO works closely with United Nations structures. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave an especially important boost to cooperation between the organizations when he paid a visit to CSTO headquarters in 2011 and spoke to representatives of CSTO member States. Relations with this important international Organization are high-priority and constructive, as set out in the memorandum of cooperation between the CSTO and United Nations secretariats and the recurring General Assembly resolution on cooperation between the two organizations. It is also enshrined in the observer status enjoyed by CSTO in the General Assembly. When we met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in Moscow and New York, we discussed the need to enhance cooperation between CSTO and the United Nations, and we hope for similarly intensive and constructive dialogue with the Secretary-General designate, Mr. Guterres. We have always enjoyed high-level working contacts among senior officials of the two organizations and their participation in United Nations-CSTO events. The CSTO secretariat works on such important areas as counteracting international terrorism and extremism, illegal drug trafficking and illegal immigration, peacekeeping and a number of other areas related to international security. We have had particularly intensive cooperation with the United Nations, including Special Representatives of the Secretary- General, to resolve the situation in Afghanistan and assess the situation in Central Asia. We have signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, which includes information exchanges and regular high-level contacts to assess our anti-terrorism efforts. We are implementing a memorandum of cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and exchanging analyses and information on the drug situation in the region under CSTO responsibility. CSTO experts will participate in the UNODC Podmena operation in Central Asia, aimed at preventing precursors from reaching Afghanistan. Representatives of UNODC take part in CSTO operations. The information and teaching materials prepared by the United Nations are used to train the staff of counter-narcotics organizations of member States. We are also developing cooperation with regional structures of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, whose representatives regularly work with CSTO coordination structures. We hold regular meetings with the leadership of the Regional Office for the Caucasus, Central Asia and Ukraine and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and regularly exchange information on emergency situations. We have agreed a protocol between the CSTO secretariat, the regional office of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and regional representations of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent in Russia. We traditionally enjoy high-level cooperation between CSTO and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. We hold video-teleconferences and regular exchanges of information on crises situations, and coordinate joint activities. The Centre’s leadership takes part in many meetings with CSTO Ministers for Foreign Affairs. We enjoy cooperation with the Monitoring Team of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida,and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities. On the basis of memorandum of 28 May 2010, our cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has intensified. With the Department’s methodological assistance, we train CSTO peacekeepers and work is under way to establish a permanent police stand-by force to deploy to peacekeeping operations, including those under Security Council mandate. We are completing the establishment of the legal basis to regulate the work of the CSTO joint peacekeepers, and preparing a road map up to 2025 that, following agreement with the United Nations Secretariat, will facilitate the establishment of preconditions for using CSTO peacekeeping potential for United Nations peacekeeping. In conclusion, I wish once again to express our readiness to cooperate closely with the United Nations and to make proposals that we believe would facilitate and strengthen cooperation between CSTO and the Organization, with an emphasis on practical components. First, we wish to pursue the practice of holding high-level regional meetings, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary-General, to exchange information related to international security. Secondly, we hope to coordinate joint efforts and a mechanism for international cooperation based on the potential of existing organizations, and to hold meetings between the CSTO secretariat, the SCO regional antiterrorist structure, the CIS anti-terrorist centre, the Department of Transnational Threats and Security Committee of the OSCE Permanent Council and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, which would promote closer interaction in thisarea. Thirdly, we would like to see UNODC’s cooperation with regional and international security organizations focusing on strengthening their coordination of joint activity aimed at combating illegal drug trafficking and creating an effective system for the rehabilitation and re-socialization of drug addicts. We would also like to see the leadership of UNODC hold frequent meetings with senior officials of the regional and international structures that specialize in issues related to combating illegal drug trafficking.

I thank Mr. Bordyuzha for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Alimov.

I would first like to thank the Russian presidency of the Security Council for taking this important initiative and for inviting the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to take part in today’s debate in the Security Council, a forum that has so much bearing on the fate of the international community. This year, SCO is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. During that time, the founding member States of SCO have tested and successfully put into practice a model of intergovernmental cooperation based on the principles of the spirit of Shanghai, whose key elements are equality, mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation and joint development.SCO member States proceed from the assumption that the United Nations remains the leading universal international organization for the maintenance of global security and affirm their commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and to strengthening its central coordinating role in international affairs. The relationship between SCO and the United Nations has been actively evolving since 2004, as they have significantly strengthened it until it has become an example of effective cooperation between a global, universal organization and a regional one. That cooperation focuses particularly on complementing United Nations and Security Council efforts in the maintenance of international peace and security. SCO’s main priorities include ensuring regional security and stability, fighting terrorism, separatism and extremism, and combating illegal drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. Within our organization, we have developed a package of international regulations that now include 31 documents on issues relating to cooperation in the areas of policy and security and constitute the legal basis essential to effective cooperation in that very important field. SCO supports coordinating the fight against the threat of terrorism under the auspices of the United Nations. We are involved in the continued expansion of cooperation with the United Nations in taking joint action aimed at implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In this regard, the activities of SCO regional anti-terrorist structure are particularly important. It forms the base for a successfully tested mechanism for effective multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, as well as regular interaction and information exchanges with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Between 2011 and 2015, the relevant authorities of SCO member States, through the coordinating role of the SCO regional anti-terrorist structure, prevented 20 terrorist attacks at the preparatory stage and about 650 terrorist and extremist crimes; eliminated 440 terrorist training bases and about 1,700 members of international terrorist organizations; detained more than 2,700 members of illegal armed groups and their accomplices and persons suspected of criminal activity; and extradited 213 people involved in activities of terrorist and extremist organizations, with many of them being sentenced to long prison terms. Much work has been done to curb illicit trafficking in arms and explosives and to counter the use of Internet networks for terrorist, separatist and extremist purposes. SCO’s regional anti-terrorist structure has also developed and implemented joint measures to detect channels used to transport people to regions with heightened terrorist activity in order to enable them to fight for international terrorist organizations in internal armed conflicts, and has created a list of terrorist, separatist and extremist organizations. The structure intends to explore opportunities for practical cooperation with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre. Achieving peace and stability in Afghanistan as soon as possible is an important factor in maintaining and strengthening security in the entire region. The Tashkent Declaration, adopted on 24 June by the Heads of SCO member States, emphasizes our involvement in and support for settling the intra-Afghan conflict by promoting an inclusive national reconciliation process under Afghan leadership and conducted by Afghans themselves, with the United Nations playing a central coordinating role. We consider a key SCO policy to be ramping up its efforts in the area of combating the illicit drug production and trafficking out of Afghanistan that poses a threat to international peace and stability, as outlined in Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Implementing the SCO 2011- 2016 anti-narcotic strategy and programme of action continues to be particularly important in that regard. Thanks to the operations of the national drug control authorities, as well as improved cooperation between the relevant SCO member State authorities, in the period from 2010 to 2015 alone we seized about 25 tons of heroin, more than 11 tons of raw opium and more than 352 tons of marijuana. Operation Myshelovka, conducted in 2015, enabled us to seize more than 75 tons of precursors. We are currently conducting a joint effort to develop a strategy for combating the drug threat over the next five years. In that connection, we consider continuing and strengthening the close cooperation between SCO and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to be particularly important. We note the very productive dialogue between SCO and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. Considering the recent breakthrough decisions by the Security Council and General Assembly on peacebuilding and sustainable peace, there are good prospects for expanding SCO contact with the United Nations system, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific. SCO is working consistently and purposefully to develop and expand cooperation in the humanitarian aspects of regional security. SCO member States’ commitment to the spirit of Shanghai, the most important principle of its activities, is enabling us to construct a productive intercultural, interreligious and inter-civilization dialogue based on the parties’ mutual trust, respect and equality. We intend to continue to further develop our policy of multifaceted cooperation with the United Nations and the Security Council in the maintenance of international peace and security.

I thank Mr. Alimov for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Ivanov.

On behalf of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the invitation to take part in today’s debate on the issue of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. We are greatly honoured by the number of regional organizations represented here and for the opportunity to address and inform the Security Council. The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the United Nations have been cooperating since 24 March 1994, when the General Assembly adopted resolution 48/237, granting it observer status. Over the 25 years of its existence, the CIS has moved into the mainstream of global processes and has contributed to the development of a broad political dialogue founded on equality. With time, the Commonwealth has become a launching pad for creating and developing new integrative institutions in the post- Soviet space, such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian Economic Community. A major event this year was the meeting in September in Bishkek of the Council of CIS Heads of State. It is worth noting four of the declarations adopted at the Summit, of which the first concerned the Commonwealth’s twenty-fifth anniversary, assessed its activity and discussed the importance of improving, developing and promoting it. Other declarations adopted included one on the outcomes of the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem, one on future joint efforts to counter international terrorism and one on the seventieth anniversary of the Nuremberg trials. The declarations were to be circulated at the United Nations, which I heard today has been done. The CIS is not a bystander with regard to current world problems. In order to address them effectively, we have established and continue to develop contacts with the working bodies of the main international organizations dealing with key issues on the global agenda. The CIS Executive Committee maintains relationships, including those based on agreements, with such United Nations bodies as the Secretariat, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the United Nations Office at Geneva, the secretariat of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Our established practice of regular consultations between CIS Foreign Ministers on current international issues is very important in that regard. The potential of the CIS for constructive action has been recognized as an important element in broad international cooperation, as reflected in resolution 69/10, on cooperation between the United Nations and the Commonwealth of Independent States, adopted on 11 November 2014 by the Assembly at its sixty-ninth session. This year we intend to adopt a new version of that document at the seventy-first session, under agenda item 126. In that connection, I would like to point out that CIS representatives are regular participants in many efforts organized in alignment with the United Nations, such as the Tashkent international conference on the outcomes of the creation of the Central Asia Nuclear- Weapon-Free Zone, held on 12 June 2015, and a regional seminar held in Ashgabat in March 2015 on border security and management in countering terrorism. At the end of this month, CIS representatives will take part in an international conference in Minsk on laying the foundations for the UNECE region’s economic integration and sustainable development by 2030, as well as the Global Sustainable Transport Conference, to be held on 26 and 27 November in Ashgabat. I should also mention the regional workshop held in Minsk from 15 to 17 January 2013 on implementing resolution 1540 (2004), organized by the Executive Director of the CIS in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the secretariat of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which was attended by representatives from every CIS member State. Lasting and productive partnerships have been established between the CIS Executive Committee and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. CIS representatives regularly attend events organized by the Centre, and the Executive Director of the CIS holds annual meetings with the Head of the Regional Centre. The CIS maintains active contact with specialized United Nations agencies of the United Nations through its cooperative sector bodies. For example, the CIS member States’ Anti-Terrorism Centre maintains contacts with the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), under the Security Council, and with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Anti-Terrorism Centre experts regularly participate in CTC missions verifying CIS member States’ compliance with resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005). At the request of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the Centre prepares information for the global survey of the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). The CIS intergovernmental statistics committee actively cooperates with the Food and Agriculture Organization in implementing the Global Strategy to Improve Agricultural and Rural Statistics in the CIS region. Our Intergovernmental Council on Industrial Security maintains close contact with the secretariat of the UNECE Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. Representatives of the Commission’s secretariat regularly participate in Council meetings, an in September 2016, the Convention secretariat was accorded observer status on the Council. Cooperation with United Nations institutions is a priority for the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. On the economic front, we are cooperating with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and we are preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. The Inter-Parliamentary Assembly pursues regular contacts with UNESCO to promote its members’ further adherence to UNESCO conventions. We conduct joint humanitarian actions and implement projects, while UNESCO experts take part in the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly’s standard-setting activities. Our departments have established cooperation with such entities and divisions of the United Nations as the United Nations Population Fund, UNESCO, the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNCTAD, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization and others. CIS member States participate in all United Nations activities. Economic cooperation is our priority, but now issues related to cooperation on security are also taking centre stage, thanks to the increasing threats in the area of international security. We can see that today’s world is being constantly overwhelmed with new challenges. New sources of tension are added to old conflicts, and serious crises permanently endanger not just individual countries but entire regions. The threats and challenges posed by terrorist groups demand that we ramp up our collective counter-measures, including through regional organizations. The CIS believes that our united efforts will produce the greatest effects if we steadily and consistently strengthen the central coordinating role of the United Nations and develop the potential of its specialized institutions and global programmes. The CIS member States affirm their commitment to effectively implementing their obligations undertaken through relevant United Nations decisions, as well as their intention to fully support the United Nations in implementing and improving its Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Needless to say, we are concerned about the serious risks in the immediate vicinity of CIS external borders, specifically the continued tensions in the Afghan- Pakistan region, which of course are a direct threat to the security of the Central Asian States that are members of the CIS. As a result of external interference, the export of so-called colour revolutions and of artificial regime change, once-stable countries have been plunged into chaos and anarchy. Instead of the promised democracy and prosperity, most of the citizens of these countries are suffering horribly and have been obliged to flee. Even Europe is now being tested by floods of migrants and the significantly worsening threat of terrorism. At the same time, the information space of the CIS countries has been aggressively attacked by some States that are trying to use their dominant position in the global information network to achieve political and military goals as well as economic ones. In such circumstances, the Commonwealth countries affirm their determination to expand international cooperation and unite efforts to increase the effectiveness of regional and international security systems. After 25 years of joint integration and development, and despite the sovereign differences and particularities of each country, the Commonwealth remains a well- established and active party to all of the most important international instruments that regulate cooperation in the areas of security, disarmament and combating today’s threats and challenges, and makes a genuine contribution to their implementation. Those joint measures are being undertaken with due account of the leading role of the United Nations and the need for constructive partnership with other international institutions and their specialized bodies. Therefore, in the light of all this, we can conclude that the CIS countries have done a great deal of work to counter new threats and challenges. We have every reason to believe that the Commonwealth has made a considerable contribution to the joint efforts to ensure international security at the regional and global levels. At the same time, the dynamically changing international situation, as well as the ongoing growth and transformation of various factors posing a real or potential threat to our States, require further strengthened efforts to deepen and expand the comprehensive cooperation of the CIS with the agencies of the United Nations and other international organizations in order to effectively counter existing and new emerging threats and challenges to global security. The development of collective approaches necessary for effective cooperation in overcoming modern threats and challenges requires increased cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In that regard, we believe that it would be appropriate to resume the practice of holding conferences and high-level meetings between the United Nationsm, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe, which had been held annually since 1993 on a rotational basis and included the heads of other regional organizations. Such meetings would provide an opportunity to the heads of operational and executive bodies of those organizations to engage in a high-level discussion on the most pressing issues of the global agenda and elaborate common approaches to address them.

I thank Mr. Ivanov for his briefing. I now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

China commends the Russian presidency for its initiative in convening today’s meeting. I wish to thank Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon; the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Mr. Alimov; the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), Mr. Bordyuzha; and the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Mr. Ivanov, for their respective briefings. At present, the international situation is complex and undergoing profound changes. Regional hotspot issues have surfaced one after the other. Traditional and non-traditional security threats are interwoven. As the core of the international collective security mechanism, the Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international security. Cooperation in the areas of peace and security carried out between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations, in line with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, is conducive to further strengthening the international collective security mechanism and better maintaining international peace and security. Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations should abide by the following principles. First, it is necessary to adhere to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. It is necessary to encourage and support regional and subregional organizations in peacefully resolving their regional hotspot issues through dialogue, consultation, good offices and mediation. It is necessary to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the countries concerned. Secondly, it is necessary to adopt a collective, holistic, collaborative and sustainable concept of security. It is necessary to take into account the historical background and current circumstances of the issues concerned, adopt a moderate approach and take holistic measures to seek and promote security through cooperation and the realization of mutual benefits and common security, which represent a win-win situation. Thirdly, it is necessary to take into account the focuses and priorities of regional and subregional organizations and to clarify the orientation of cooperation, strengthen coordination and form synergy. Fourthly, it is necessary to fully exploit the unique advantages of regional and subregional organizations with respect to geography, history and culture. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish means of cooperation so as to build a relationship of global partnership based on dialogue instead of confrontation and partnership instead of alliance. In recent years, SCO, CSTO and CIS have achieved positive results in fighting terrorism, drug trafficking and transnational organized crime, and promoting economic trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. They have thereby played an able part in maintaining regional peace, stability and development. China expresses its appreciation in that connection. The year 2016 marks the fifteenth anniversary of SCO. Since its founding in 2001, SCO has kept abreast with the trends of the time and has advocated the practice of the Shanghai Spirit, which is embodied by mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality, consultation, respect for diverse civilizations and seeking common progress. It has achieved remarkable results. Members of SCO have signed the long-term Treaty of Good Neighbourship, which has provided mutual support to the paths of development chosen by each member and has chosen to seek mutual trust and common development. SCO has adopted a policy of openness and expanded relations beyond its purview. It has established a relationship of cooperation with the United Nations, CIS and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It has thereby set a good example for regional and international cooperation, which should be efficient, open and mutually beneficial. The Shanghai spirit has vitality and values that transcend geography and time. It has provided a useful lesson to all those who seek to establish good-neighbourly relationships and common prosperity. It has also injected vitality into the establishment of a new international order of relationships based on cooperation and achieving win-win solutions. As an important member of SCO, China consistently supports SCO efforts to play a positive role in maintaining regional peace and security and seeking common development. China has actively implemented SCO development strategies until 2025 and adopted measures to make sure that the One Belt, One Road initiative became SCO development strategy. China has carried out measures to comprehensively promote cooperation in all areas. In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping attended the sixteenth meeting of the Council of Heads of State, where he proposed that SCO make security and the maintenance of regional peace and security its first priority. China has called for accelerated negotiations on the SCO anti-extremism convention, and announced a series of practical measures in support of deepening cooperation within the SCO. Together with other leaders of SCO, China published the Tashkent Declaration, which coincided with the fifteenth anniversary of SCO and made a great contribution in that connection. China, together with other countries, is ready to carry the Shanghai spirit forward and move ahead with the continued cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations and work together to establish a new order of international relations built on cooperation and mutual benefit. China hopes to forge a community with a shared future so as to work together to achieve durable peace and security and prosperity — a world we all aspire to.

Let me first express my gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of the organizations present for their respective briefings. In today’s world, no nation can maintain its peace and security in isolation. Therefore, it is critically important to deepen cooperation between the United Nations and regional security frameworks, in addition to encouraging collaboration between allies and like-minded countries. The key is to build trust and confidence among nations and regional organizations. We have been briefed by the three organizations represented here today on measures for maintaining peace and security in Europe and in neighbouring regions. The founding declarations on the charters of these organizations enunciate their adherence to the objectives and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Hence, activities by these organizations must be conducive to building mutual trust and confidence, not only among their members, but also with countries from outside that region. Japan has deep bonds with Central Asian countries that are members of the aforementioned organizations. Our goal is to bolster inclusive, stable and independent development, while also contributing to regional and international peace and stability. In addition to a wide spectrum of bilateral cooperation, Japan has held Central Asia plus Japan dialogues to address regional challenges, such as anti-drug measures and border control. We have also promoted practical cooperation in areas ranging from agriculture to transport and distribution. In addition, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is a significant and more inclusive platform for building mutual trust and confidence in the region and sharing knowledge through assistance to institution-building. It has a very broad European membership that extends beyond major parties to the three organizations present in the Chamber and includes Mongolia. Japan believes the OSCE is an important channel through which we contribute to security issues in and outside Europe and Central Asia. Japan is proud to be the OSCE’s oldest partner. Since 1992, we have deepened dialogue and cooperation and have contributed both funding and personnel to the Organization. Japan has sent monitoring missions to a number of elections in the region and has been the biggest donor to the OSCE’s capacity-building project for border control officials. We are pleased to play a bridging role between Asia and Europe, including through active participation in Asia Contact Group’s group meetings. We look forward to further cooperation with the OSCE in this regard. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of building mutual trust and confidence in maintaining peace and stability in the region and the international community as a whole. Japan strongly hopes that United Nations Member States and organizations in the Chamber today will redouble their efforts to that end.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this debate and the Secretary-General for his briefing. We fully share his concern about the situation of the International Criminal Court. I would like to thank our briefers, Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Mr. Rashid Alimov and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, for their statements and for the activities of their respective organizations. The report of the Secretary-General on the state of cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations (S/2016/621) identifies some progress in this area, including those linked to the maintenance of international peace and security, humanitarian assistance and development. The international situation has undergone profound and swift changes that require coordinated responses by the international community. The increase in transnational threats, terrorism and the spread of violent extremism, technological advances in war, cyberweapons and organized crime, among other factors, pose serious dangers and challenges to civilians and demand greater efforts at all levels. I come from a region with a long tradition of regional and subregional organizations, from the Organization of American States and the Agency for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, which was established by the Tlatelolco Treaty, as well as more recent organizations, such as the Union of South American Nations and the Caribbean Community, both of which made important contributions to the peace process that is taking place today in Colombia. We acknowledge that there is broad potential for cooperation and complementarity between the efforts of the United Nations and those of regional and subregional organizations. In this framework, regional and subregional organizations devoted to the maintenance of peace and security are particularly important and share responsibilities with the Security Council with regard to international peace and security. Given the knowledge that these organizations have of the history, culture and geographical proximity, they bring a specific added value when it comes to prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes. With respect to cooperation between the United Nations system and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the report of the Secretary-General mentions progress, including the periodic consultation mechanism between the CSTO and the United Nations on issues of mutual interest in the area of global and regional peace and security and on the consideration of more information with respect to prevention, early warning and peacekeeping; the consultations between the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Collective Security Treaty Organization; cooperation with the Regional Office for the Caucasus, Central Asia and Ukraine of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; and the exchange of information between the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the head of the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Centre, which seek to control the threat of foreign terrorist fighters in that region. Lastly, the willingness of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to cooperate with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre is another example of this progress. Allow me to close my statement by welcoming the decision of the Secretary-General to further strengthen cooperation with regional organizations through stronger partnerships in formulating specific approaches to cooperation depending on the context and taking fully into account the particularities and requirements of every region, as well as the mandate of the institution concerned.

The Angolan delegation commends the Russian presidency of the Security Council for convening this debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. We thank the Secretary- General for his insightful opening remarks and welcome and thank Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Mr. Rashid Alimov and Mr. Sergey Ivanov for their presentations and for sharing their views with the Security Council on the relevant activities undertaken by the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which have become relevant actors in the maintenance of regional peace and security and important partners of the United Nations. Experience demonstrates that cooperation with regional and subregional organizations strengthens the United Nations efforts in the prevention of conflicts in the maintenance of peace and in restoring stability in post-conflict situations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, which provides the framework for the establishment of regional and global partnerships in matters related to international peace and security. The involvement of regional and subregional organizations offers invaluable competitive advantages in complementing the work of the United Nations bringing to bear, as they do, specific knowledge of regional conditions, a better understanding of the genesis of conflicts and their prevention and resolution in the maintenance of peace and in upholding the rule of law. The United Nations, on the other hand, brings to bear its universal membership and legitimacy, broad experience and operational capacity in the maintenance of international peace and security. This relationship is even more virtuous since it facilitates swifter responses to crisis situations and permits a longer-term combined engagement in resolving critical situations. The current security challenges require a strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, which no country or organization can undertake by itself. In Eurasia and Central Asia, that cooperation has been of significant importance in conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well as in countering international challenges that are real threats to the livelihoods of the people of these regions and to peace and security. We greatly value the involvement of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States in countering threats to peace and security, including terrorism, illegal flows of small arms and light weapons, cyberterrorism, illegal migration, drug trafficking and organized crime, and in addressing the issue of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Central Asia, Eastern Europe and the Far East. We warmly welcome developments regarding the commitment for enhanced cooperation between the CSTO and United Nations specialized bodies, in particular the Counter-Terrorism Committee, at a time when terrorism has become a real threat to Central Asia; the cooperation of the United Nations on the issue of drugs and crime, which is a living curse on the region; and the development of the peacekeeping capabilities of United Nations peace operations. We acknowledge the support of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to the United Nations aimed at restoring peace in Afghanistan, and the current cooperation in preventing and resolving conflicts, in the fight against terrorism and non-proliferation of weapons, in countering transnational crime and illegal drugs, and in the exchange of security intelligence. We also appreciate the cooperation in methods of security between the States members of the Commonwealth of Independent States and other international organizations, especially the United Nations. We note that the CIS is party to all of the most important international instruments related to cooperation in the field of security, disarmament and countering terrorism; the intense relations that the CIS maintains with the United Nations and its specialized agencies; the work of the CIS countries in countering new threats; and their considerable contribution to joint efforts to ensure regional and international peace and security. As the concept paper (S/2016/867, annex) for this debate states, the strengthening and deepening of interaction between the United Nations and CSTO, SCO and CIS, on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, is a constructive element in the promotion of United Nations goals. Through a functional partnership, the United Nations and these organizations can strengthen the international community’s efforts in facing contemporary challenges and in building capacities to address current threats with a comprehensive and long-term perspective, as a key factor in sustaining peace and attaining greater stability in an ever-more dangerous and challenging world. We conclude by encouraging CSTO, SCO and CIS to use their influence, and their members to pursue cooperation among themselves, with the United Nations and other international and regional partners in collective efforts to find lasting solutions to global threats and challenges that affect the international community  — such as terrorism, drug trafficking, international organized crime, the non-proliferation of weapons, despicable violations of human rights, and the aggressive behaviour of many international actors, including non-State actors  — and to build a more just and peaceful world based on a community of shared interests.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement and Mr. Bordyuzha, Mr. Alimov and Mr. Ivanov for their briefings. I am also grateful to the Russian presidency for having organized a debate of such relavance, given both the strategic importance of the Central Asia region and the growing cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. Regional organizations are generally equipped with mechanisms that are well-adapted to local realities in terms of preventive diplomacy and, as appropriate, peacekeeping. That is why their cooperation with the United Nations harbours promising potential. In the case of a few regional organizations, such cooperation has developed to achieve a notable level of maturity, which is the case of the European Union, the African Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which have become the subjects of specific meetings for the Security Council. Conversely, in the case of other younger regional organizations, cooperation with the United Nations is less structured, as the concept paper (S/2016/867, annex) circulated by Russia for this debate clearly indicates is the case of the organizations we are discussing today: the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Those three organizations are the subject of a biennial resolution of the General Assembly, and have for years been promoting the development of their cooperation with the United Nations with a view to better complying with the objectives of the Organization, which is the ultimate guarantor of intentional peace and security. That cooperation encompasses a growing number of aspects, including the fight against drug trafficking, organized crime, terrorism, violent radicalism and other aspects that have been mentioned throughout the debate. The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia is very active on all of those fronts, and we believe that the Centre has a particularly prominent role to play in promoting cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations present in Central Asia. The duties of that body of the United Nations system are specifically focused on the region in question, and we believe that it is already playing its role in a most satisfactory manner. The European Union cooperates intensively with countries of the region and with the Centre itself, especially in matters related to border management and the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism — in the latter case, within the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. As a member of the European Union, Spain greatly values the work of the Centre. We believe that preventive diplomacy must be one of our highest priorities, and we therefore welcome the ongoing cooperation between the Centre and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. That relationship has a particularly important potential in early warning, conflict prevention and the fight against radicalism and violent extremism.

We thank and welcome the three briefers to our meeting this morning. We also thank the Russian presidency for its initiative to convene this meeting in order to strengthen the objectives of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations, on the one hand, and the various United Nations agencies, on the other. Egypt believes in the noble mission of regional and subregional organizations in connection with the maintenance of international peace and security as mentioned in the concept paper (S/2016/867, annex) distributed by the President. The current challenges pertaining to peace and security require meaningful coordination between the United Nations and the various groups and organizations, in particular those that deal with the maintenance of peace and security. In that regard, Egypt is a member of several regional and subregional organizations through which it contributes to the maintenance of peace and security, regional stability and the promotion of good neighbourly relations and mutual trust between the various parties. Egypt is striving to strengthen is relations with different parts of the world, including Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Far East. Egypt is also an observer to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization because our country is closely following its activities and working towards exchanging information and experience at all levels, including in the economic, strategic and military areas, among others. We are pleased with the work carried out by that organization, especially with regard to combating terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border criminal activities, such as illegal arms trafficking, in particular small arms and light weapons. Such weapons must not wind up in the hands of armed terrorist groups. In that vein, we welcome the efforts made by the organization to restore peace in Afghanistan. My country also supports the role played by the Collective Security Treaty Organization in connection with combating terrorism, drug trafficking and cross- border organized crime. We are also a member of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism, and want to strengthen cooperation with the Committee and that organization. It is important to benefit from sharing the experiences and opinions of the Committee so that we can strengthen the efforts of the United Nations in those two areas. We also believe that there is potential for future cooperation in connection with training for peacekeeping operations and peacekeeping efforts in Asia or Europe. As for the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Egypt maintains programmes and initiatives aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development in different areas, including in the humanitarian and civilian areas, trade, development, direct investment, the free movement of persons, migration and modern technology and its uses. In that context, the role played by the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States is one of complementarity at the regional level, and one that also strengthens peacekeeping and security promoted by the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Lastly, we stress the importance of dialogue and cooperation between the United Nations and these regional and subregional organizations in Europe and Asia. We recommend that the Council and the Secretariat communicate directly and regularly with these organizations through the convening of debates, consultations, technical consultations and annual consultations between the Secretariat and the secretariats of the regional organizations.

My delegation joins other Security Council members in thanking the Russian Federation for convening this debate. Enhancing cooperation between the Council and regional and subregional organizations in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations is indeed a relevant and worthwhile objective. I believe that our discussions today will contribute to that end. In that connection, I thank His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for providing an overview on the state of cooperation between the United Nations, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). I also thank Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of the CSTO, Mr. Rashid Alimov, Secretary-General of the SCO, and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the CIS, for their respective briefings and insights on this topic. I also take this opportunity to commend the work undertaken by Special Representative of the Secretary-General Petko Draganov and the entire team at the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia since its inception in 2008. States members of the CSTO, the SCO and the CIS collectively encompass a massive swath of land, stretching from the borders of Eastern Europe to the Far East and, as of last year, to South Asia. From the political, economic or development standpoints alone, the dividends that could be reaped from a stable and prosperous region covered by these organizations are immeasurable. The significant changes to the international environment in recent years, with new and increasingly complex challenges to international peace security, all demand more robust, and even proactive, responses, especially at the regional level. Given the intricate linkages between political, security, economic and development factors, which necessitate both comprehensive and targeted approaches, regional organizations have a critical role to play by bringing to bear the collective weight of their membership on regional-level issues or situations. Traditional crisis responses based solely on narrow conceptions of security may no longer be sufficient or sustainable. We note that, since their establishment, each of these organizations has developed a niche area of expertise intended to better contribute to the needs of the populations in their respective regions. In that regard, we urge the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia to continue to support these organizations to the extent possible. Efforts to enhance cooperation between the United Nations and the CSTO, the SCO and the CIS by deepening collaboration with agencies such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and bodies of the Security Council should be supported, as they have yielded noteworthy success in areas such as combating trafficking in illicit drugs and terrorism in the Eurasian and Central Asian regions. In that regard, my delegation supports the draft resolutions expected to be adopted during the current session of the General Assembly aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and these organizations. They are important steps towards consolidating the gains achieved thus far and providing fresh impetus in exploring new avenues for cooperation. At the same time, for these organizations to realize their full potential in addressing the myriad challenges faced at the regional level, differences must be cast aside. We should work together to further enhance the effectiveness and integrity of those regional structures, while members should be encouraged to deploy their respective comparative advantages and unique local expertise for the benefit of the region. The increasingly complex and intertwined challenges that threaten our world today cannot be addressed by any country alone or by the United Nations itself. Those challenges can be effectively addressed only by our collective and coordinated efforts through the establishment of strong and regionally owned frameworks for conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. We hope that the discussions today will generate more ideas and strategies to foster, expand and enhance comprehensive cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations with a view to strengthening our collective capacity to respond effectively to threats to international peace and security.

I too thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General Bordyuzha, Secretary-General Alimov and Vice-Chair Ivanov for their briefings. New Zealand strongly supports active and regular cooperation between the Security Council and regional and subregional organizations in preventing and resolving conflict. The past 70 years have provided numerous demonstrations of the value of regional organizations and of their effectiveness as partners with the United Nations. The peace and stability currently enjoyed in much of Latin America, Europe and South- East Asia owe a great deal to the regional architecture that has been put in place there. In Africa, we have also seen welcome growth in the tempo and effectiveness of regional and subregional cooperation to address peace and security challenges over the past 20 years. That has also been the experience in my own region, the Pacific, where regional cooperation has been essential for meeting both security and sustainable development challenges for the past 40 years. The reasons for that are clear. Regional organizations are able to draw on local knowledge and perspectives that are essential for addressing the security challenges faced by their members. They provide a mechanism for mobilizing and sustaining the political will of their members behind conflict prevention and resolution efforts. They also provide a means for regions to interact with the United Nations and to leverage the capabilities that the global organization can bring to the table. As today’s briefers have made clear, the peace and security challenges facing Central Asian countries cannot be met effectively without close cooperation among the countries of the region and strong partnerships with the international community. Ongoing tensions among Central Asian countries stemming from disputed borders, the management of cross-border resources, such as water, and the region’s complex ethnic makeup will require sustained and patient management, as will increases in the cross- border flow of peoples, including refugees. As we are all so aware in the Council, Afghanistan has been involved in a succession of external and internal conflicts for many decades. Despite the immense investments of the international community following the Council-endorsed action to free the country from the grip of Al-Qaida and the Taliban after the events of 9/11, peace and stability remain almost as elusive as ever there. Enduring instability will further exacerbate tensions, with cross-border implications for the wider region. As was again underlined to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) yesterday in the briefing by the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Taliban-controlled narcotics trade remains a serious threat to the stability of Afghanistan and its neighbours. We encourage regional players to continue coordinated efforts, including cooperation with United Nations bodies such as the 1988 Committee. It is Central Asia that will benefit most from a peaceful and stable Afghanistan. Regional cooperation is clearly also essential for combating transnational criminal networks, including drug traffickers and the transborder flow of illicit money and arms. Effective cross-border cooperation will be vital for addressing terrorism and violent extremism, the threat of which has been significantly exacerbated by the more than 2,000 foreign terrorist fighters thought to have travelled from Central Asia to battlefields in Iraq and Syria. As the Permanent Representative of Malaysia said, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia can play an important part in facilitating international support for tackling those threats. The Centre’s support in facilitating dialogue, promoting cooperation on early warning and analysis, and helping to mobilize and coordinate the political will and resources necessary to take effective action should be greatly valued. History also teaches us that countries that trade together are less likely to take up arms against each other. Levels of intraregional trade in Central Asia remain very low. Increasing connectivity through economic linkages, the strengthening of cultural ties and greater mobility can be the building blocks for stronger diplomatic bonds. In the Asia-Pacific, for example, we have seen the growth of trade go hand-in-hand with closer regional cooperation led by regional organizations. Promoting greater regional economic integration could both enhance Central Asia’s prosperity and help maintain peace and stability over the longer term. There is obviously no one-size-fits-all approach to cooperation with regional organizations, but it is clear that it is in all our interests to encourage effective regional cooperation and to help regional and subregional organizations fulfil their potential. Before I conclude, I want to note an important positive development in another regional organization devoted to maintaining international peace and security, namely, the Antarctic Treaty System, which is of vital importance to my country and other members of the Organization. Earlier today in Hobarh, Australia, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Resources agreed to establish the world’s largest marine protected area. That was the culmination of over six years of dedicated diplomatic effort led by New Zealand and the United States, and involving difficult and intense negotiations with other Commission members, including, I would note, members of the Council: Russia, China, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Ukraine and Uruguay. As my Minister observed when welcoming that achievement, “This is a great result for quiet diplomacy and honest toil”. He added that it was particularly pleasing that this agreement could be reached when there are so many difficulties and so many differences happening elsewhere. I have little doubt that he was thinking of the challenges we face in the Council and hoping that we might strive for similar positive results here.

I would like to begin by thanking the representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States for their briefings on the actions carried out by their respective organizations. The concept note prepared by the Russian presidency (S/2016/867, annex) invites us to focus on the issue of regional cooperation in the light of the challenges to international peace and security in Central Asia. First, Central Asia is a region that continues to face major economic and political challenges, as well as security challenges. In particular, the situation in Afghanistan and the various illicit forms of trafficking that flourish in the area — in drugs, weapons and human beings — are all destabilizing factors. The terrorist threat spares no one today and often thrives in the context of social frustration, among other factors, and it should not be neglected. That fragile context makes cooperation crucial among all actors present in the region, including States and regional and international organizations. To complement the actions of regional organizations, the mission of the United Nations Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia is crucial. Support for the countries of the region in developing national responses to these challenges and encouraging them to strengthen regional cooperation is more needed than ever. I am thinking in particular about the assistance provided by the Centre to the implementation by the countries of Central Asia of the United Nations Global Counter- terrorism Strategy, whose tenth anniversary we are celebrating this year. That is an excellent example of value added. France encourages any initiative that will allow countries in the region to contribute nationally, regionally and internationally to efforts to prevent violent extremism and to fight terrorism. Lastly, beyond the action of regional and subregional organizations, the European Union has also played a crucial role in this region since the adoption by the European Council of the European Union Strategy for a New Partnership with Central Asia, in June 2007. The total amount of assistance provided by the European Union to the region for the period 2014-2020 amounts to over €1 billion. With respect to security issues in particular, a high-level dialogue between the European Union and countries in Central Asia was held on 18 May in Brussels. Specific measures were adopted during the meeting, such as the provision of expertise to bolster the implementation of a common action plan for Central Asia within the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the development of programmes related to European Union border management and the fight against drug addiction and the renewal and updating of a European Union-Central Asia action plan to fight drugs. The ministerial meeting of December 2015 made it possible to reaffirm the commitment of European citizens to promote the rule of law, stability, security and cooperation in the area.

We would like to thank the Russian Federation for convening today’s debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations in maintaining international peace and security. We also welcome the briefings from Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Mr. Rashid Alimov and Mr. Sergey Ivanov. Our delegation places particular importance on strengthening cooperation between the United Nations, including the Security Council, and regional and subregional organizations. We firmly believe that the contributions of these organizations to the areas of peace and security reinforce the work of this multilateral institution in resolving conflicts, in accordance with the provisions of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. While the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security lies with the Security Council, the many conflicts and crises around the world call for close cooperation between all United Nations bodies and regional organizations, particularly in cases where such organizations have a closer perspective of regional and local conflicts and a knowledge of their underlying causes, which allows for close and mutually beneficial cooperation. We firmly believe that regional and subregional bodies, such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, among others, play a fundamental role in promoting dialogue and cooperation with a view to addressing the challenges and threats to peace in those regions. There is therefore a need for those institutions to work in close cooperation with the United Nations as strategic allies in the areas of international and regional peace and security. The independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of countries are common goals of their members States. Such institutions play an important role in the maintenance of peace in a very broad region that spans from Eastern Europe to the Far East. Despite all of their efforts, political and economic stability in the region is currently affected by a number of challenges related to security threats, which include terrorism, violent extremism, radicalization, and recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters coming from the region and being recruited by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and other groups, as well as ethnic and internal sociopolitical disputes that increase the risk of armed conflicts in the region. Tension and border disputes that are linked to delimitation problems are further negative factors. The challenges facing Central Asia call for an effective and coordinated response from countries in the region, which must address the challenges and security threats that the strategic geographical zone is facing by establishing bilateral and regional cooperation links. We therefore appreciate the initiatives and the meetings that those organizations have organized with countries of the region and with other members of the international community to address the main challenges that they currently face. In that regard, we support the focused approach of those regional and subregional organizations to seek greater cooperation between the States of Central Asia in the areas of combating terrorism, preventing violent extremism and radicalization, with a view to implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which includes a number of activities aimed at improving capacity building and information exchange. The improvement of the political stituation in Afghanistan, particularly in the context of its transition and reconciliation process, will have a significant impact on the stability of its neighbours. Nevertheless, although there have been achievements in combating terrorism, violent extremism and drug trafficking, such problems still pose a threat to the country’s stability. We therefore commend the efforts of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Collective Security Treaty Organization in their commitment to combat those scourges in coordination with Afghan authorities. For the sake of the stability and security of the region, it is crucial that these issues be addressed by establishing conditions conducive to lasting solutions to regional problems, based on mutual benefits for States and the principles of international law. Diplomatic measures and mechanisms for prevention, both of the United Nations and of regional organizations, need to be coordinated and targeted towards an early identification of possible crises and an exchange of information. Venezuela commends the progress made by the United Nations to work with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia, which seek to establish methods to prevent conflicts and create peacekeeping mechanisms. In conclusion, we highlight the importance of continuing to encourage the efforts being made by those regional and subregional organizations to create specific areas of cooperation suited to each circumstance, taking into account the particular characteristics and interests of member States. We also encourage increased dialogue and contact between countries of the region, with the aim of identifying areas susceptible to disputes or conflicts, in order to take appropriate confidence-building measures to develop cooperation strategies that benefit all members States and the international community as a whole.

I would like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing. Indeed, it is very important to develop effective partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant statutes of regional organizations. In his latest report (S/2016/621) to the Security Council on the cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations, the Secretary- General underscored that such cooperation had significantly grown and diversified in recent years, and had proved critical in ensuring effective international peace and security engagements. We fully agree with his conclusion and we welcome positive examples of such cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and many others. Such organizations have proved to be capable of taking the lead in promoting peace, security and stability. As a current non-permanent member of the Security Council, Ukraine has already commended their increased contribution to the maintenance of peace and security and has welcomed their continued and important efforts and enhanced peacekeeping role to prevent, mediate and settle conflicts. Still, cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations has yet to reach its full potential and should be substantially mainstreamed, since the nature and structure of that cooperation are often overshadowed or undermined by the interests of certain Council members. Unfortunately, we must admit that, in today’s world, the roles of regional organizations in maintaining peace and security are rather different. Some of them are committed to their charters and work to prevent, manage and resolve crises. Others, on the contrary, tend to abstain from such actions and politicize their activities because of the distractive actions of their members. Since the topic of our discussion today is the cooperation between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), I would like to raise a couple of issues that are very important for creating a full picture of the nature, results and effects of that interaction. First, let me remind the Council that, according to the CSTO and CIS Charters, respectively, their members should be “acting in strict compliance with their obligations” under the Charter of the United Nations and Security Council resolutions “being guided by the universally recognized principles of international law”; and “build their relations in accordance” with the principles of “the inviolability of State borders, the recognition of existing borders and the rejection of unlawful territorial annexations” and the “resolution of disputes by peaceful means”. However, the facts are very clear. These organizations demonstrated a complete lack of will to take appropriate measures to respond to the conflicts in the region. First of all, I refer to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and Georgia. The Russian Federation, one of the founding members of these organizations, continues to blatantly violate the Charter of the United Nations, the CIS and CSTO Charters, international law, as well as multilateral and bilateral agreements. At this very moment, these organizations are still pretending that there is no ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine, no occupation of Crimea, no de facto occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and no war crimes committed against the Ukrainian and Georgian peoples. I take this opportunity to call on the member States of these organizations to speak up collectively and individually and to make a difference. This is also about their security and their future. Their voices are important in our common efforts aimed at defending the Charter of the United Nations and the credibility of the cooperation of regional organizations with the United Nations. Until then, unfortunately, we cannot agree that the CIS and the CSTO are able to “make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes”, as enshrined in Article 52, paragraph 2, of the Charter of the United Nations. Until then, we do not see any added value in deepening interactions between these organizations and the United Nations on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations. In that regard, I would like to commend the SCO members that during the conflict in Georgia in 2008 underscored the need to respect the territorial integrity of States. We wish the same approach to be maintained vis-à-vis the temporary occupation of Crimea and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. In conclusion, I would like to underscore that the Russian aggression against Ukraine clearly demonstrated the insufficiency of mechanisms of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. In our view, there is an urgent need to develop mechanisms of coordination for regional organizations with the United Nations at a stage when there are early signs of emergency. It would help us to shorten the time needed to start actions for the sake of the prevention and settlement of conflicts.

First, I want to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and for his leadership in building strong partnerships between the United Nations and regional organizations. I thank the Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, Mr. Bordyuzha; the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Mr. Alimov; and the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, Mr. Ivanov, for joining us here today. Our discussion today is a timely one. The work of anticipating and effectively responding to armed conflict, transnational terrorism, refugee and migrant flows, cyberthreats, drug trafficking and organized crimes goes beyond the capacity of any one State. One way we can address those capacity gaps is through strong and coordinated action by the United Nations and regional organizations. Such cooperation has the potential to strengthen the responsiveness, agility and breadth of the international community’s approach to our many challenges. But in order to realize this potential, regional organizations must prioritize the interests of all of their members. They must respect international obligations and commitments and act in accordance with the decisions of the Security Council and the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Above all, States must maintain their sovereign right to make their own decisions, without coercion from other States — decisions about the organizations and alliances in which they choose to participate. As we consider strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and specific regional organizations, it is imperative that we ensure that these shared principles and obligations are also respected and strengthened, not undermined or eroded. Strong and coordinated actions by the United Nations, regional organization and partner States have brought peace, prevented and mitigated conflict and helped coordinate reconstruction and development after conflicts have ended. Such actions have contributed to humanitarian response efforts, fought terrorism and cyberthreats and strengthened efforts to combat illegal trafficking and organized crime. From the Balkans to the shipping routes off the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan, regional organizations are a force multiplier. Where these kinds of legitimate joint efforts between the United Nations and regional organizations are consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and applicable conventions, covenants and treaties, they will find a strong supporter in the United States. But regional organizations are strongest when they reflect the goals and aspirations of all of their members, rather than the dominance of a few. When one or two States set the agenda and determine the positions of the entire group, they are no longer truly regional, and the diversity that they can bring to partnerships with the United Nations system is impaired. As with Russia’s involvement in both Georgia and Ukraine, we have seen that the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Collective Security Treaty Organization were unable to defend, or even advocate for, the principle of territorial integrity. The organizations we endorse must also ensure that they respect international obligations and commitments, particularly with regard to counter-terrorism efforts. As we see across our agenda, States sometimes struggle to safeguard both security and individual liberty. Emergent security threats from terrorist organizations and from those advocating for violent extremism are real. And effectively countering the exploitation of porous borders and misuse of technologies like the Internet is not easy. In the rush to respond effectively, however, States and regional organizations must resist the temptation to criminalize the freedom of expression, limit the freedom of association or bar legitimate political opposition. We saw such overreach in the recently introduced draft resolution on countering extremist ideology and propaganda. We are concerned that the counter-terrorism policies proposed by these regional organizations at times also excessively infringe upon individual liberties and political freedoms. Restrictions on the freedom of expression and on the activities of civil society, especially restrictions that target minority groups, inevitably backfire. Such restrictive policies are counter-productive to a State’s ability to engage with communities that are the greatest terrorist recruitment targets. Such isolation and persecution can indeed foment grievances that are drivers of violent extremism. The freedom of expression and the free flow of information are in fact reliable defenses against violence and conflict. A free and vigorous civil society is one of the most effective means to address radicalization and violent extremism online and offline. Civil society organizations are vital in developing and sharing credible counter-narratives that disrupt the radicalization process and counter violent extremism. The United States record of promoting strong and increasing cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations around the world — including NATO, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the African Union, the European Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, among many others — is clear and unwavering. As we consider strengthening cooperation with additional regional organizations, it is imperative that we ask ourselves whether the activities of those organizations advance the purposes and principles of the United Nations, whether their decision-making represents the diversity of their States members and whether they exhibit the capacity to respond quickly and effectively to regional crises. Those are the standards that the United States expects from the regional organizations of which we are a member, and they are the standards that we should expect from them all.

I thank the Secretary-General and all our briefers for their remarks today. We welcome this chance to discuss the Central Asian region. It is a part of the world that we hear too rarely about in the Chamber, although the region faces many unique challenges that directly affect our core business, namely, international peace and security. They are challenges that represent the complex history and geography of the region. Unresolved border disputes and tension over access to water and other resources are having an impact on the security and prosperity of local communities. We therefore welcome the recent opportunities for discussions to improve relations between a number of countries in the region on those important issues. Environmental issues are also a major regional challenge, many of them legacies of the region’s history. And climate change is emerging as a major new risk factor. As a result, the region needs international support to improve its resource management, especially of water, and to adapt to the damage that has already been done. We are pleased to be participating in that. In parts of the reion those challenges include strengthening respect for human rights and the rule of law, promoting sustainable development, tackling corruption and removing restrictive State controls on economic and political life. There have been some improvements on those issues, and that is welcome, but the speed and extent of progress is not what the people in the region would expect — or, indeed, deserve. The c hallenges are clear, and so too are the regional opportunities and potential. To help realize that potential, the region can look to regional organizations and to the United Nations. Therefore, we strongly support cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations on the challenges facing Central Asia. For the United Kingdom, such cooperation must be consistent with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations and all applicable conventions, covenants and treaties. And it must uphold United Nations principles, particularly respect for human rights and universal freedoms. There are a number of regional and subregional organizations that are already doing valuable work in Central Asia to help address those shared challenges. Let me share three examples. First, as mentioned by Vice-Chair Ivanov, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) works on a wide range of security-related issues, including arms control, confidence- and security- building measures, human rights and democratization and economic and environmental issues. The OSCE’s capacity-building activities on preventing and countering radicalization and terrorism are particularly welcome, and they are delivered in a manner consistent with international and OSCE commitments on human rights. We also welcome the OSCE’s work on women’s empowerment, judicial and legislative reform, media development and conflict prevention, including in relation to the issue of water management, which I mentioned earlier. As a second example, the Council of Europe is working positively with the region. The Council of Europe’s neighbourhood policy programme with Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was designed to facilitate the political transition to democracy, help promote good governance and reinforce the regional work of the Council of Europe in combating cross-border and global threats. My final example is the European Union (EU). The EU remains committed to a strong and durable relationship with the five Central Asian States and to reinforcing cooperation on security and stability, including the sustainable management of natural resources. The EU’s approach emphasizes the fundamental importance of democratization, respect for human rights and the rule of law and socioeconomic development. The United Kingdom strongly supports the work of the EU, including that of its Special Representative for Central Asia, Mr. Peter Burian, in taking that forward. I would like to conclude by thanking you, Mr. President, for holding this debate. It is well timed, just two and a half months ahead of Kazakhstan joining the Council. The Council will be richer for Kazakhstan’s regional insight. We look forward to working closely together on this issue and many others next year.

I would like to begin by thanking President Churkin and the Russian delegation for convening this debate on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. This morning’s meeting addresses the interaction between the United Nations and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, following up our very interesting recent exchanges concerning cooperation with the African Union (see S/PV.7694) and the European Union (see S/PV.7705). Allow me at first to welcome the briefers for their being here and to thank them for their outstanding presentations: Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization; Mr. Rashid Alimov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization ;and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Today’s meeting provides an opportunity to strengthen the basis for cooperation between the United Nations and the organizations I just mentioned, including within the spirit of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, which stipulates that regional and subregional organizations may cooperate in improving collective security through the maintenance of international peace and security. As was rightly indicated by the Secretary-General in the Chamber in August 2015, “the United Nations increasingly shares responsibility for peace and security with regional organizations.” (S/PV.7505, p. 2) Acting under mandate of the United Nations, regional organizations have provided local expertise and operational resources to the United Nations. For the many conflicts and crises around the world require especially close cooperation between the United Nations and its various partners, particularly regional organizations, which play an essential role in the maintenance of international peace and security in their respective areas of competence. Regional entities, which form a link between the national and global levels, benefit from geographic proximity with the conflict situations in their areas and are therefore in a better position to understand such situations. It is clear that several of the missions of the entities with which we are exploring possible cooperation opportunities are in perfect alignment with the goals of the United Nations, such as, the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the region, the fight against terrorism, the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against transnational crime, human trafficking and illegal immigration and weapons and drug trafficking. The geographic areas covered by the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States are faced with multifaceted threats to peace and security including terrorism, drugs trafficking and organized crime. The scope of such challenges requires resolute collective action and the pooling of efforts by the various stakeholders, which are a requirement for efficiency and effectiveness. In that regard, the United Nations, an organization tasked with maintaining international peace and security, should be able to benefit from pragmatic cooperation with regional organizations. In so doing, it would help to stem the wide array of threats and contain the potential causes of conflict. In that regard, my delegation would like to highlight the remarkable work conduced by the Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, which, through its proactive approach, anticipates the situations that could devolve into conflict, by promoting dialogue and the peaceful settlement of disputes as the key elements for achieving peace and sustainable development. In conclusion, I would like to state that, now more than ever, my country is convinced about the usefulness of and the need for a fruitful partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations. I would also like to reaffirm Senegal’s commitment to effective multilateralism that is focused on the United Nations, with the aim of finding lasting solutions to the critical challenge of attaining global peace and security.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity as representative of the Russian Federation. We thank the Secretary-General for his statement on a subject that is so important to our region, and the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) for their detailed briefings. Today’s meeting is a central one for the Russian Federation’s presidency of the Security Council for several reasons. First, the organizations under discussion are truly vital to the regions in which they operate. There are pressing security and other issues on their agendas, and one of Russia’s foreign policy priorities is cooperating with them. Secondly, we believe that the considerable potential for cooperation between the United Nations and CSTO, SCO and CIS has not yet been fully exploited. Thirdly, we have often encountered situations in which members of the international community are not fully informed about their activities. On the one hand, that is to some extent a positive sign, since it speaks to their self-sufficiency and effectiveness in resolving the challenges they face. On the other, that lack of information can lead to underestimating the role that CSTO, SCO and CIS play in maintaining peace and security in their regions, something to be avoided. In that regard, we hope that today’s briefings and discussion will enable the international community to understand some of the basic problems that our region has and how CSTO, SCO and CIS are working to solve them. Let me be frank. There is another problem. Under various pretexts, some of our partners, including some within the Security Council, have been attempting to artificially marginalize those organizations, seeing them as geopolitical competitors. For example, one of the statements made environment arlier today referred to certain criteria that such regional organizations should meet. It is quite clear that if such criteria were to be applied to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, for example, it would have to be rapidly disbanded. We should put an end to this kind of ideological approach, which damages our ability to cooperate in finding answers to regional and global challenges. I will begin with the use of so-called tough security. The Collective Security Treaty Organization was created in order to respond to our most urgent military and political challenges, including the upsurge in terrorist and extremist groups, and its potential for destabilizing the situation on the borders of CSTO member States. However, it is important to emphasize that membership in CSTO is completely voluntary and our joint efforts are not aimed at just anyone. We are ready to engage in constructive cooperation with every member of the international community, and that approach is enshrined in the organization’s documents. Terrorist threats are one of CSTO’s most difficult problems. The overall situation in the Central Asian republics remains calm, partly thanks to the major efforts of the leaders of those countries. However, both for us and for our CSTO partners, the threats to regional security that result from external factors are extremely immediate. We are dealing directly with terrorist attacks and the ideological grooming of some of our citizens, who then unfortunately end up in the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). And, needless to say, we are also concerned about their possible return to Russia or to our neighbours and partners. We are equally concerned about the chronic instability in Afghanistan and the presence there of terrorist hotbeds. The tracks of Afghans are clearly visible in the subversive activities of organizations in Central Asia such as the Uzbekistan Islamic Movement and Hizb ut-Tahrir. The jihadists entering the region establish contacts with criminal elements and drug dealers and build cells for future terrorist activities. The problem is exacerbated because the so-called Islamic State has penetrated into Afghanistan and is expanding its platform there. In that regard, we have seen that ISIL has recently been increasingly involved in northern Afghanistan, and there is a growing threat from elements of the group entering neighbouring States. Drugs in Afghanistan present a serious problem. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime recently revealed horrendous data on a 43 per cent increase in opiate production there. Central Asia has every reason to talk about Afghan heroin aggression. Afghan drug trafficking is a significant source of funding for the extremist underground network in Central Asia. If we are to end such threats, we must act decisively on the security front. The CSTO countries will continue to strengthen and enhance their cooperation with armed groups and security forces. The Kobalt-2016 joint rapid-response team training session held in May demonstrated the excellent potential of the special forces of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan for combating terrorism and drug trafficking. The practical expertise of CSTO is in demand, thanks to its more than 10 years of experience in handling the Kanal anti-drug operation Canal, aimed at cutting drug-smuggling routes. During that time, seizures of drug indicators have gone up tenfold, to 20 tons. The United Nations and CSTO have a major mutual interest in enhancing their practical cooperation, particularly in areas such as peacekeeping and combating organized crime and terrorism. We believe it is important to continue working on developing CSTO peacekeeping capacity with the goal of sending contingents to United Nations peacekeeping missions in the near future. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has increased its membership and its regional scope. Over its 15-year history, it has strengthened its involvement in regional processes. The process of making India and Pakistan full-fledged members is in its final stages. We hope that their soon-to-be participation in SCO will enrich its cooperation efforts. Since 2005, Iran has participated in the work of the Organization as an observer. We hope that, once the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme has been fully settled and the United Nations sanctions have been lifted, no obstacles to considering its application for full membership will remain. Ensuring the security of the SCO area is the main focus of its work, and there are many challenges similar to those being faced by CSTO, such as terrorism, extremism, organized crime, drugs trafficking and threats from Afghanistan. We need to further enhance the capacity of regional anti-terrorist structures, improve coordination among military forces within the United Nations and other international organizations, update our anti-terrorist strategy and programme for its implementation, and improve the legal basis for cooperation in the area of information security. We give priority to implementing the SCO cooperation programme on combating terrorism, separatism and extremism for the period 2016-2018. Work is under way on a draft SCO convention to combat extremism. The joint counter-terrorism efforts of the SCO Peace Mission military exercise has proven to be very productive. However, our cooperation with SCO is not limited just to that. In the Ufa SCO Development Strategy, which was established under Russia’s presidency, we planned more than 70 events in the areas of politics, economics and culture. One important area of SCO work is fostering close economic cooperation. We must further eliminate trade barriers and limits to the movement of capital and labour, deepen production and technological cooperation, and develop production chains and joint transport infrastructure. The start of negotiations on association of the Eurasian Economic Union and the China Silk Road Economic Belt is a promising prospect in that regard. We are convinced that that involvement in this integration process by all SCO and CIS members will be a prologue to establishing a broad Eurasian area. We are pleased with the cooperation dynamics in the areas of tourism, education and youth. In our relatively new geopolitical region, CIS is a veteran organization that has helped us to forge friendly relations between new sovereign States on the basis of trust, equal rights and respect for each other’s interests. Despite well-known problems, the overall positive role played by CIS is obvious. The CIS Heads of State met for a summit in September in Bishkek, where they adopted an anniversary statement announcing a joint commitment to strengthening the Commonwealth, using its integration capacity and developing greater partnership among member States. We hope that this will give a political impulse to the development of trade and investment cooperation and stimulate cooperation in the areas of culture, education, science and sports. We believe that CIS can effectively promote the interests of the United Nations, including through the interconnected nature of security and development. In conclusion, I wish to note that developing a collective approach in order to effectively overcome current threats and challenges requires consistent efforts to enhance the cooperation efforts of the United Nations with regional and subregional organizations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular Chapter VIII. The United Nations and regional organizations have to complement one another by exploiting their objective comparative advantages. CSTO, SCO and CIS are making a considerable contribution to combating terrorism, the drugs trade, organized crime and other threats to international peace and security. All three organizations are developing practical cooperation with the United Nations, including with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia. We are convinced that today’s meeting has helped to demonstrate the potential of and genuine interest in these regional organizations in enhancing mutually beneficial cooperation with the United Nations on a whole range of issues and different avenues of work. I now resume my function as President of the Council. I give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

I have the honour to deliver my statement on behalf of the States members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO): China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. I thank the Russian presidency for its important initiative to convene today’s Security Council debate on cooperation with three important regional organizations: the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Constant and close dialogue between the United Nations and the organizations of the vast Eurasian region is vital to us all. We support the development of effective and cooperative relations between the United Nations and CSO, which is an important global partner in efforts to ensure international peace and security. This year, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. Over the course of its existence — the twelve years during which it held observer status at the General Assembly — CSO secured a commendable place and a rank of authority among the influential, international and regional organizations. It has become an effective entity in maintaining security, stability and sustainable development in the modern system of international relations. While reflecting the fundamental principles and ideas of the Organization, the Shanghai spirit is a unique source of the successful activities conducted by SCO and an important guide in developing inter-State relations, countering global challenges and threats, and settling international disputes. It is based on mutual trust, equality, consultation, respect for the diversity of civilizations and cultures, and the aspiration to achieve development for all. SCO strictly follows the approach of avoiding bloc- based, ideological and confrontational approaches to addressing urgent international and regional problems. In strict adherence to the principles enshrined in the charter of SCO — including the fact that SCO is not directed against other States or international organizations — SCO member States are actively developing contacts and cooperating with other countries and international and regional organizations. Partnerships have been established and maintained with the United Nations and its specialized agencies, and we are also engaging in cooperation efforts with other international and regional structures. On 21 November, the fifth anniversary General Assembly resolution 65/124 on cooperation between the United Nations and SCO will be adopted. The principle of openness in SCO is consistently implemented. Procedures are under way for admission of India and Pakistan as full members of SCO in mid-2017. The rapidly changing global situation is marked by ever-increasing geopolitical tension and the growth of terrorism and violent extremism, all of which negatively affect the entire system of international relations. In such conditions, the United Nations remains the leading universal international organization for the maintenance of global security and the main platform for addressing inter-State and international issues. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the central coordinating role of the United Nations in international relations. The countries of SCO intend to continue to adhere to the universally recognized purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, primarily with regard to the maintenance of international peace and security, the development of cooperation among States, independence, equality, the independent choice of social systems and paths for development, mutual respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders, non-aggression, non-interference in internal affairs, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the non-use of force or threat of force. We support the further strengthening of the lead role played by the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security by continuing extensive consultations in search of a package solution for its reform in order to improve the transparency and effectiveness of the Council, guided by the interest of ensuring the unity of the States Members of the United Nations, without setting artificial time lines and expediting options that do not enjoy broad support from Members States. We believe that all relevant disputes should be resolved peacefully through friendly negotiations and agreements among the parties concerned without internationalization or external interference. We are firmly convinced about the inadmissibility of ensuring our own security at the cost of the security of others. We support strict adherence to the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the comprehensive and consistent promotion of all of the goals and principles reflected therein. We stress the importance of preventing the militarization of outer space so as to ensure equal and indivisible security for all and to maintain global stability. We express serious concern about the growing threat of terrorist groups gaining access to weapons of mass destruction, including terrorists’ use of chemical and biological materials for terrorist purposes. We also call on the international community to work on creating a peaceful, secure, fair and open information space based on the principles of cooperation and respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in States’ internal affairs. We believe firmly that all States Members of the United Nations should develop coherent political approaches to the fight against terrorism, establishing the cooperation between international and regional organizations that can help to create conditions conducive to expanded collaboration in combating terrorism in the context of our new realities. In that regard, we would like to affirm our solidarity with multilateral counter-terrorism efforts and our support for joint actions against terrorist groups, conducted under the auspices of the United Nations. We also support further close cooperation in combating the spread of terrorist ideology, particularly among young people and through the Internet, as well as in preventing ethnic, racial and religious intolerance and xenophobia. We are concerned about the worsening international drug problem and in that regard we took special note of the outcome of the General Assembly’s special session on the world drug problem, held in April in New York. In our view, it is vital that, with the United Nations playing a central coordinating role, we unite our efforts in an integrated and balanced approach based on the principle of States’ common and shared responsibility for eradicating global drug production and on improved cooperation in the areas of drug rehabilitation and effective reduction of the demand for drugs. We would like to emphasize that one of SCO’s priorities in its cooperation with the United Nations is combating terrorism in all its forms, including the financing of terrorism, the illicit production and trafficking of drugs, transnational organized crime, crimes that exploit modern information and communication technologies, illegal migration and human trafficking, the illegal smuggling of arms, ammunition and explosives, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and strengthening border security. Today’s debate reflects the desire of all Member States to discuss the most pressing and multi-dimensional global issues relating to the maintenance of international peace and security around the world. SCO countries are determined to participate actively in that dialogue in order to help ensure the synergy of the three pillars of the United Nations — peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. We intend to deepen our dialogue and cooperation with all of the international and regional organizations that we have official relations with, as well as to encourage relevant external contacts in order to expand our network of multilateral partnerships, in accordance with the initiative launched by SCO Heads of State at the Tashkent Summit in 2004.

I now give the floor to the representative of Belarus.

Today I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO): Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan and Belarus. We are grateful to the Security Council for taking this important initiative to hold a debate on United Nations cooperation with the three international organizations in Eurasia — CSTO, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). To underline the importance of continued and close dialogue between the United Nations and those organizations, we have only to recall that the countries we represent are home to half the world’s population. The member States of CSTO support the development of effective partnerships with the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations with regard to the maintenance of international peace and security. Both the General Assembly and the Security Council have emphasized the importance of such cooperation many times. Whether on the economic or security front, such collaboration between the various international and regional bodies represents a requirement of modern life and the conditions needed to ensure countries’ and peoples’ sustainable development and to provide a peaceful, safe environment for progress and prosperity. The Collective Security Treaty Organization is a major partner of the international community in that regard. Since its beginnings, CSTO has transformed itself into a genuinely multifaceted body with a broad potential for responding to today’s challenges and threats. I would like to emphasize that this is not just about ensuring our member States’ national and collective security. CSTO’s functions and aims include coordinating its member States’ foreign policies, working together in order to strengthen our defensive capacity, improving our system for practical cooperation between our crisis response mechanism and national armed forces in order to ensure our States’ security, and combating international terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal migration, as well as cooperating in areas such as information security and the prevention and elimination of emergency situations. CSTO is ready to initiate multilateral cooperation mechanisms in all those areas, and in fact is already doing so in practice. In 2015, for instance, CSTO held an international conference on anti-drug operations, aimed at eradicating heroin distribution channels and synthetic drugs coming out of Afghanistan, attended by 25 countries as well as CSTO members, in an example of the joint efforts that affirm CSTO’s practical contribution to enhancing regional and international security. Productive cooperation with the United Nations is a priority for our States. That is solidly founded on CSTO’s observer status in the General Assembly, and periodic Assembly resolutions reflect the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two organizations. Our two secretariats’ cooperation is based on two framework documents, the 2010 Joint Declaration of Cooperation and the 2012 memorandum of understanding between the CSTO secretariat and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations. CSTO member States are involved in enhancing cooperation with the United Nations based on the progress we have already made. We believe that cooperation on peacekeeping between CSTO and the United Nations is a promising direction that can benefit both of our organizations and the international community, and we have made it a priority. The CSTO agreement on peacekeeping activity and related training represents a legal basis for developing our peacekeeping capacity and putting it into practice. We will very soon be ready to submit proposals for joint action with the United Nations for a substantive discussion on the possible involvement of CSTO member States in United Nations peacekeeping operations. We also propose considering other possible forms of cooperation between the United Nations and CSTO. There are many current topics that are of interest to both organizations and indeed the whole world, including the fight against terrorism, dealing with humanitarian emergencies and countering human trafficking and illegal migration. We would like to jointly consider how CSTO and the United Nations could combine their efforts to confront such challenges and threats, for example, by organizing specific measures with the leadership of both organizations participating. It is symbolic that today’s debate includes organizations that are engaged in a wide range of issues, from peace and security to economic, humanitarian and cultural cooperation, which we see as a reflection of the commitment of States Members of the United Nations to considering the world’s most pressing problems as they react on each other. CSTO States are committed to participating actively in that process, in their firm belief in the inseparability of peace, security and gradual sustainable development. I would now like to make a few comments in my national capacity regarding Belarus’s cooperation with CIS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Belarus’s natural path to development has always been through integration within CIS. For us, integration is a tool by which our countries’ joint efforts can achieve our key goal — increasing our citizens’ well-being and quality of life. This year CIS is celebrating its twenty- fifth anniversary, and during the years of its existence it has acted to resolve the many complex challenges related to the collapse of the Soviet Union, to encourage the establishment of sovereign independent States and to preserve and further develop our historical ties to one another. Today one of our priorities in cooperating with CIS today is on the economic front. In our view, successful cooperation in areas such as energy, transport, trade, industry and the development of innovative technologies should be one of the Commonwealth’s uniting functions. Our experience of cooperating within CIS has contributed significantly to our development of integration processes in various formats, including the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union. Mutual cooperation and the integration of these elements in the Eurasian space is very important for global political stability and well-being. Since July 2015, Belarus has been an observer of the Shanghai Pact. For four years before that we had the status of Dialogue Partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. With Belarus’ participation, the organization has been dealing with current threats, economic integration and cooperation the Eurasian Economic Union in establishing the Silk Road Economic Belt. We are ready to become a western portal for the SCO. Over recent years we have seen considerable success in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization as it has grown. The membership of India and Pakistan has significantly enhanced the authority of the organization and broadened its political and economic potential. The national interest of Belarus lie in joining with the SCO in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism, which are areas where we can and must collaborate with the United Nations and other international and regional organizations if we are to achieve international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of India.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today’s debate and for circulating the related comprehensive concept paper (S/2016/867, annex). We would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his remarks on this important topic. Regional and subregional organizations have an important role to play in maintaining international peace and security. Accordingly, the United Nations interacts with several regional organizations — for example, the African Union on the African continent — and India has supported such cooperation, pursuant to Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter. Indeed, Article 54 of the Charter directs such organizations to keep the Security Council fully informed of their activities for the maintenance of international peace and security. Today, few security problems begin and remain within the borders of one country; they invariably radiate beyond the national borders. Terrorism, drug trafficking, transnational crime, pandemics and environmental degradation do not respect any borders. Terrorism constitutes a growing threat to international peace and security. The international community is increasingly confronted with terrorist groups that have influence across continents in terms of the sourcing of their finances, recruitment, the spread of their ideologies of hate and their areas of operation. This has been made possible by the forces of globalization over the last two decades. The battle against such groups can be won only collectively and through much closer international cooperation. Regional and subregional groups can play an important role in facilitating such cooperation. Among the organizations being discussed today, India has been an observer in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) for the past decade and is now an acceding State. India brings principles to the organization that are in tune with the philosophy of the SCO. India’s capacities in trade, investments, information and communication technology, space, science and technology, agriculture, health care, and small and medium-sized industry can create far- reaching synergies with SCO countries. The SCO is a young organization. With India as a full member, the boundaries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization will stretch from the Pacific to Europe and from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean. It will represent 40 percent of humankind and over 1 billion young people. There already exists a Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the United Nations and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This cooperation can be taken forward. For the partnership between the United Nations and regional organizations to be effective, it needs to be one based on respect for regional processes, complementarity and a division of labour based on comparative advantage. While acting under Chapter VIII of the United Nations Charter, regional and subregional organizations should make every effort to assist their member States to achieve pacific settlement of disputes, in cooperation with the United Nations, as appropriate. Such cooperation should encompass all relevant issues related to international peace and security, including the fight against terrorism. It is important that cooperation between the United Nations and the SCO and other regional bodies grow organically. Periodic debates like the today’s offer a useful opportunity for the United Nations and regional organizations and their member States to discuss how such growth could proceed in a mutually supportive manner.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kyrgyzstan.

This year, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) marks its twenty-fifth anniversary. The member States of the Commonwealth are committed to the values that are set out in the Charter of the United Nations. Cooperation within the CIS is based on respect for humane and humanitarian values, which provides the basis for combating the ideological extremism, intolerance and terrorism that threaten the stability not only of member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States but the world as a whole. Since January 2016, the Kyrgyz Republic has held the presidency of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this period three entities have celebrated anniversaries: the Council of Heads of State of the CIS, the Council of Heads of Government and the Council of Foreign Ministers. At the Bishkek summit in September 2016, the Heads of State reviewed a broad range of issues related to intra-CIS cooperation, including security issues and combating international terrorism and extremism. The Heads of State adopted four statements — on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Commonwealth, on the seventieth anniversary of the completion of the work of the Nuremberg Tribunal, on future joint efforts to counteract international terrorism, and on the outcome of the special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem. It should be pointed out that all of those problems were given particular attention in a context in which the international situation is undergoing complex changes and international security continues to be subject to various sources of instability, namely, international terrorism, religious extremism and other contemporary challenges and threats. We are especially concerned by the growth in various terrorist and extremist organizations and the continuing recruitment of CIS citizens into entities engaged in armed conflicts. No less grave an external threat for the CIS continues to be the situation in Afghanistan, where there has been no drop in the threat of terrorism, extremism and drug trafficking. Reiterating that there is no military solution to the Afghan problem, the CIS States support the settlement of the intra-Afghan conflict through inclusive national reconciliation. We believe that these efforts should be undertaken by the Afghan people themselves and their designated leaders, without imposing preconditions and with the United Nations playing the central coordinating role in the process of international cooperation on Afghanistan. As the CIS countries contribute to counteracting new threats and challenges to security, they take into account the leading role played by the United Nations and the need to develop constructive partnerships with other members of international organizations and specialized agencies, such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, the International Organization for Migration, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Financial Action Task Force for combating money-laundering. CIS States are also parties to all the main international cooperation agreements on security, disarmament and counteracting contemporary threats and challenges, and we make a proper contribution to implementing them. Our countries make regular submissions to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) of information on their efforts to improve national systems for monitoring the trade in weapons of mass destruction, the means for their delivery and related materials, providing the highest possible respect for standards of nuclear security and implementing the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. All CIS States are parties to the global initiative on combating acts of nuclear terrorism. Significant experience has been gained in the areas of cooperation between the CIS and the United Nations in the achievement of our goals in the social, economic and humanitarian spheres. However, enhancing the cooperation’s viability and effectiveness implies ensuring that there is a solid basis for such cooperation, which would help us strengthen the links between the CIS and the specialized agencies and offices of the United Nations. That would be facilitated by the General Assembly draft resolution on cooperation between the United Nations Organization and the Commonwealth of Independent States, to be adopted in November. In order to ensure the sustainable socioeconomic development of CIS countries, member States are working on enhancing and broadening economic cooperation. That includes establishing a fully fledged free trade zone for the Commonwealth, further upgrading transport and communications and increasing our humanitarian cooperation, important components for ensuring stability and security throughout the CIS area. In conclusion, allow me to express our gratitude for the initiative to convene today’s debate and our trust that cooperation between the United Nations and the CIS will continue to have a positive impact on the maintenance of international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At the outset, I would like to express my delegation’s appreciation to the Russian presidency for convening this important event. I would also like to express my gratitude to all the briefers and their respective organizations. The maintenance of international peace and security is currently much more challenging than ever before, and therefore requires a much more shared and collective response at the national, regional and international levels. That is why greater cooperation is now needed between the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations that seek to maintain peace and security. Regional organizations are better positioned to grasp the essence of the issues at hand in a realistic way and provide a better understanding of the facts on the ground. In many cases, they are also equipped with preventive mechanisms adapted to local realities and needs. They can act to defuse tension in emerging conflicts and seek peaceful political solutions. To that end, the Security Council regularly holds meetings with regional organizations such as the African Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union (EU) to discuss cooperation, but this is the first time that the Council holds such a debate on cooperations with the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). These are relatively young emerging organizations and unions, operating in vast regions, from Eastern Europe to the Far East, with huge political influence in the world and significant contributions to strengthening regional and international security. Counter-terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime, peacekeeping and peacebuilding are some of the areas for potential interaction between the United Nations and CSTO, SCO and CIS. The General Assembly, through its biennial resolutions, endorses cooperation between the United Nations and the CSTO, under agenda item 126, “Cooperation between the United Nations and regional and other organizations”. CSTO’s structure allows it to actively contribute to international efforts by developing its own regional peacekeeping capacities or by helping national Governments with post-conflict development. The Joint Declaration on Cooperation between the Secretariats of the United Nations and SCO, signed in 2010, has laid the foundation for active cooperation between the two organizations in various fields. The threat of Da’esh and its offshoots continues to be significant and widespread, turning parts of the region, such as Afghanistan, into hotbeds for terrorists and extremist groups, thus increasing the need for increased cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. As an organization that the Islamic Republic of Iran has already expressed interest in joining as a full member, the SCO actively supports efforts by the international community and the United Nations in fields such as the prevention and resolution of conflicts, the fight against terrorism — through SCO’s regional counter-terrorism structure — the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, countering transnational crime and illegal drugs and providing international information security, among others. It also supports peace, development and stability in Afghanistan. The CIS too has sought to facilitate cooperation and interaction among its member States and to advise them on security in the face of emerging challenges and threats in the region. The United Nations should continue its efforts to foster coordination and interaction with such organizations on the basis of Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations, and those organizations should also try to harmonize their aims with the purposes and principles of the Charter. Cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations such as the CSTO, the SCO and the IS can enhance interlinked, mutually reinforcing security and development. Achieving security, development and stability in such a macro-region as Eurasia will readily serve as the basis for economic growth and nation-building in this important and immense region. We hope that the holding of this debate will further improve and deepen the cooperation between the United Nations and these organizations and help develop collective, innovative approaches to peace, development and stability in vulnerable parts of Eurasia that can also be applied to other parts of the globe.

I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

I would like to thank the Russian presidency for organizing today’s open debate on such an important issue. We also appreciate the thoughtful concept note shared by your delegation to inform the debate (S/2016/867, annex). Our multipolar world is more free and vibrant, yet more chaotic and turbulent. New and complex conflicts are emerging, while older and unresolved disputes continue to fester. The international order established after the Second World War is falling apart. But a new order has yet to emerge. At a time when confrontation has returned between the major Powers, traditional challenges have not diminished in scope or intensity. Poverty remains widespread. Violations of human rights are rampant. Situations of foreign occupation persist. Violent extremism and terrorism have assumed dangerous new forms. The global refugee crisis, as we all know, has reached unprecedented levels. We believe that one of the tragic ironies of our age is that we are witnessing unprecedented human suffering at a time when spectacular advances in human progress are being made possible by the technological and scientific breakthroughs of our era. The United Nations remains an indispensable organization for facilitating these opportunities and addressing the complex challenges of our times. But it faces an imposing task in simultaneously dealing with all those challenges and opportunities. Enhanced cooperation with regional and subregional intergovernmental organizations could help the United Nations succeed. We agree with the observation in the concept note that the United Nations derives its legitimacy from its universal membership and comprehensive activities, while regional organizations, by their very nature, often have a better understanding of the situation on the ground. There is therefore great scope for cooperation between them. That is why Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations elaborates the role of regional arrangements in the maintenance of international peace and security. Article 52 of the Charter not only urges Member States to “make every effort to achieve pacific settlement of local disputes through such regional arrangements or by such regional agencies before referring them to the Security Council”, it also urges the Security Council to “encourage the... pacific settlement oflocal disputes through such regional arrangements”. The role and utility of regional organizations in the peaceful settlement of local disputes is therefore amply acknowledged and entrenched. Operating in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, regional organizations play a positive role in addressing many diverse challenges, especially the economic and social dimensions of such challenges. Closer political interaction among regional countries can also serve to address the security dimensions of these challenges. However, as we know, cooperation among members is an essential factor for the success of regional arrangements. With relatively smaller memberships, regional arrangements can usually yield speedier and mutually productive cooperation. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offers the promise of mutually beneficial regional cooperation. With its current membership and observers, the organization represents half the world’s population. SCO plays a useful role in promoting cooperative and collective security in the Eurasian region, especially in countering terrorism, separatism and extremism, as well as in fighting drugs and crime. Since 2010, SCO has also been cooperating regularly with the United Nations in the fields of prevention and resolution of conflicts, anti-terrorism through its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, and countering transnational crime and illegal drugs. In June, my country signed a memorandum with SCO, paving the way for our full membership of the organization. Pakistan hopes to benefit from this membership, as we firmly believe in the value of finding regional solutions to regional problems and conflicts. We call for enhanced dialogue and cooperation between the United Nations and SCO, as both organizations share the same purposes and principles. While Pakistan is not a member of either the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) or the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), we believe that each regional organization is unique and for that reason offers different capabilities. In this regard, we see value in cooperation among various regional organizations as well. For example, with overlapping memberships, there could be enhanced cooperation among SCO, CSTO and CIS. SCO, for example, could also benefit from cooperation with other regional organizations such as the the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Economic Cooperation Organization. The One Belt, One Road project, launched by President Xi Jinping of China, is a significant example of ways in which cross-regional cooperation can be promoted in an inclusive and practical way. The China- Pakistan Economic Corridor is a major component of that visionary and ambitious enterprise. Finally, let me say that the United Nations provides the umbrella under which regional organizations can promote cooperation with each other in advancing the objectives of peace, stability and prosperity. The principles of the Charter of the United Nations remain the foundation on which nations of different regions can conduct their mutual relations and cooperation across regions in our interdependent world.

I give the floor to the representative of Armenia.

Armenia expresses it appreciation to the Russian presidency of the Security Council for initiating this debate and for sharing a substantive concept paper (S/2016/867, annex). We thank the Secretary-General for his presence and for his briefing, and appreciate the presence of Mr. Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO); Mr. Rashid Alimov, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization; and Mr. Sergey Ivanov, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). While we are aligned with the statement on behalf of the CSTO, we also wish to add a few points in our national capacity. No country can be effective in pursuing its national agenda without engaging with others. That is particularly obvious in the case of countries with modest capacities. The regional and subregional levels of cooperation provide an effective platform for pursuing specific common objectives, including common security goals. The United Nations remains a critical forum for interregional engagement. As a member of numerous regional organizations, CSTO and CIS among them, Armenia benefits strongly from the institutional strength and effectiveness of the regional and subregional landscape of cooperation, including in the fields of political dialogue, security, human rights, democratic transformation and the strengthening of the rule of law, trade and economy, culture and youth. As a member of CSTO, Armenia will continue to deliver on its commitment to forging stronger cooperation with the United Nations and to contributing to international peace and United Nations peacekeeping capacities.As a troop-contributing country for over 12 years, Armenia has gathered considerable national experience in its multiple engagements in peacekeeping operations in various parts of the world. Lately, Armenia has gained valuable experience in a United Nations-led operation in Lebanon. Armenia has been investing its experience in strengthening its preparedness for peacekeeping within CSTO. In that context, we welcome the expanding cooperation of the United Nations with CSTO, including between their respective secretariats. During our presidency of CSTO over the past year, we have attached priority to the expansion of such cooperation between CSTO and the United Nations. In our national context, the peaceful resolution of conflicts on the basis of the norms and principles of international law, without exception, are of specific significance given the ongoing negotiations for the peaceful settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict within the internationally supported format of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairmanship. This format is by far the most effective for our particular case on several accounts, not least due to its capacity to sustain focus on a compromise solution to defuse tensions and prevent escalation. Armenia welcomes the unwavering and continued support of the United Nations system and the Secretary-General for the established format of negotiations and for the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs. In April, Azerbaijan unleashed a military aggression against Nagorno Karabakh, thereby violating the trilateral agreements of 1994 and 1995 on a ceasefire, signed by Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh and Armenia. The ceasefire agreements do not have time limitations; however, Azerbaijan undertook efforts, including within the United Nations, to challenge the validity of the agreements. From the very beginning of the Azerbaijani aggression, the civilian infrastructure and civilian population — including children and the elderly — were intentional targets of indiscriminate violence. Among the earliest civilian victims were a 12-year-old boy and a 92-year-old woman, who were brutally tortured, mutilated and killed. Three captive soldiers of the Nagorno Karabakh defence forces were beheaded by Azerbaijan armed forces in the style of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. This barbarity was subsequently celebrated in the towns and villages of Azerbaijan and publicized on its social networks. It is imperative to preclude dangerous attempts to seek a military solution to the issue. The implementation of the confidence-building measures proposed by the OSCE Minsk Group co-Chairs, including the proposals agreed at the Vienna and Saint Petersburg summits by the Presidents earlier this year, will certainly serve that purpose. It is critical for the international community to urge Azerbaijan to strictly commit to the 1994 and 1995 trilateral agreements. Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh have accepted and remain wholly committed to the early implementation of the latest proposals. To date, Azerbaijan continues to reject the implementation of the agreed proposals. We reiterate our firm position that a clear and unequivocal commitment to the ceasefire and confidence-building measures on the part of the parties concerned is the only way to create an environment conducive to the peace process. In conclusion, Armenia believes in the viability and efficiency of both the United Nations and regional arrangements and mechanisms in enhancing trust, confidence-building and dialogue among nations. Regional and subregional organizations have an essential role to play. They often have a better understanding of local circumstances, tailored approaches and effective tools, as well their own resources and financing. Cooperation and dialogue among States from the subregional to the regional and global levels have been and remain the modus operandi for the sustainability of peace, security and cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of Azerbaijan.

My delegation had no intention to speak at this debate, but some thoughts expressed during the discussion encouraged us to take the floor. In accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, Member States conferred upon the Security Council the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and agreed that, in carrying out its duties under that responsibility, the Council acts on their behalf. At the same time, Chapter VIII of the Charter encourages cooperation between the United Nations and regional arrangements in the peaceful settlement of disputes. Since the 2005 World Summit and the adoption of resolution 1631 (2005), important progress has been achieved in enhancing cooperation between the United Nations and regional partners across a full range of areas — from the maintenance of international peace and security and humanitarian assistance, to development and the protection of human rights. Indeed, in a number of instances, the relevant international organizations have proved to be indispensable mechanisms for promoting international and regional peace and security and cooperation in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. At the same time, serious challenges remain. While regional organizations are normally well positioned to understand the causes of armed conflict owing to their knowledge of the region, it is obvious that not all of them can boast the reality, political will and institutional capacity to ensure compliance by Member States with their statutory commitments. First and foremost, it is critical that all Member States adhere to their obligations as they laid out in the Charter of the United Nations with respect to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of States. Unfortunately, we still face instances in which States that are responsible for violations of international law and regional politically binding obligations not the only continue to benefit from membership of regional and subregional organizations, but also abuse such a privilege with a view to undermining the efforts towards achieving a peaceful solution to regional security problems. Furthermore, as far as regional arrangements established for collective defence purposes are concerned, it is essential to avoid any ambiguity in terms of their area of responsibility and the conditions of invoking collective defence and to ensure that their respective functions are framed and guided by the Charter of the United Nations. It is also important that the collective defence shield not be misused by aggressors for consolidating the situations created by the unlawful use of force against other States. Our firm belief is that the United Nations should be resorted to by Member States in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Organization, and not misused for the political advantage of those who gravely violate international law and advocate the culture of impunity. It is regrettable that the contribution of the delegation of Armenia to our debate was to focus its statement on misinformation and misinterpretation, the only purpose of which is to deny its responsibility for the crimes committed in the course of its aggression against Azerbaijan. While speaking in the Security Council, the representative of Armenia omitted a reference to the relevant resolutions adopted by the Council in response to armed attacks against Azerbaijan and the subsequent occupation of its territories. None of the Security Council resolutions were implemented by Armenia, which continues to take purposeful measures to consolidate the gains of the use of force and ethnic cleansing and build up its military presence in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan. By disregarding the Charter of the United Nations and international law, Armenia clearly demonstrates who is actually pursuing a destructive and militaristic policy and openly challenging the ongoing political efforts towards a resolution of the conflict.