Some 35 participants, officials from international and regional organisations, international experts, as well as representatives of civil society and relevant government agencies from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan attended the workshop “Law enforcement agencies and civil society to prevent violent extremism”, and shared their insights and lessons learned on cooperation to enhance the detection and prevention of violent radicalization. The workshop took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 14-16 February 2024, and was jointly organised by BOMCA and LEICA (Law Enforcement Programme in Central Asia).

Participants discussed concrete initiatives and gained experience from projects implemented on LEA-CSO cooperation, and in particular on engaging women while protecting children at risk of radicalization. This resulted in a list of recommendations and practical ideas for potential projects that could be designed at national or regional level, to enhance cooperation between LEA and SCO in addressing vulnerabilities of women and children in Central Asia.

Recently a similar activity was held for representatives from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.