Uzbekistan’s national approach to countering terrorism and extremism

Uzbekistan’s approach has several layers. The legal basis is the Constitution, the laws “On Combating Terrorism” (2000) and “On Combating Extremism” (2018), the Criminal Code and the 2021 Law “On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations”, which regulates the religious sphere. The strategic documents are the 2017–2021 Action Strategy (its fifth priority devoted to security, inter-ethnic harmony and religious tolerance) and the 2022–2026 Development Strategy of New Uzbekistan. Prevention includes education, work with young people, employment, religious education and information literacy; one official slogan is “Enlightenment against ignorance”. In September 2017, at the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, the President of Uzbekistan drew attention to education and religious tolerance; on that initiative the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution “Enlightenment and Religious Tolerance” in December 2018. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation has been based in Tashkent since 2004. Since 2019 Uzbekistan has carried out “Mehr” operations returning its citizens, mainly women and children, from conflict zones abroad. In international law, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees freedom of religion or belief and allows limiting it only where set by law and necessary to protect public safety, order, health or morals, or the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; human-rights organisations stress that security measures must conform to these norms.