Afghanistan among top priorities for UN cooperation with Eurasian security body: UN chief

Conflict prevention, counter-terrorism and support to Afghanistan, top the list of issues on which the UN and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) should bolster their cooperation, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Security Council on Wednesday.

The CSTO is a Eurasian regional grouping comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian Federation and Tajikistan.

"Our founders understood that no single organization can alone ensure peace, security, and development in a complex and rapidly changing world," said Guterres, describing CSTO as an important partner for the UN system.

Among other issues, he described the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan as one area where strong support from regional partners will prove crucial in the months and years ahead.

The CTSO is based on the Collective Security Treaty, signed in 1992 as a follow-up to the Commonwealth of Independent States, and was officially established in 2002.

According to the UN News, the bloc has evolved from a common defense grouping to a multifunctional alliance with capabilities in diplomacy, information-sharing, counter-terrorism and the maintenance of regional peace and security.

Through various resolutions, reports and memoranda of understanding - including biennial resolutions of the General Assembly - the UN has acknowledged a range of goals and activities that it shares with the CSTO and welcomed the increasing breadth and depth of their cooperation.

In his address to the 15-member Council, the UN chief warned that terrorism remains a constant threat, not only to the security of the region but to the entire world.

"Without determined action, the severe economic contraction, rising unemployment and escalating humanitarian crisis will fuel despair and breed extremism," he said.

( With inputs from ANI )

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