The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Central Asia and Head of UNRCCA, Kaha Imnadze, opened a side event on protecting critical energy infrastructure against terrorist attacks, which was organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) with the support of the Governments of Turkmenistan and the Russian Federation. It was convened on the margins of the expert meeting “Enhancing Critical Energy Connectivity: Fostering Collaboration and Achieving Sustainable Development” in Ashgabat on 16-17 October 2024.
The side event was aimed at raising awareness on terrorist threats and challenges posed to critical energy infrastructure through expert level discussion on international good practices.
In his statement, Kaha Imnadze underlined that “maintaining the continuous availability of energy resources is essential for sustainable economic development, social well-being and environmental sustainability, even a short interruption in the energy generation, transmission or distribution might lead to a cascading effect in other public sectors ranging from public health and transportation to food and water supplies. Therefore, the attention from the UN members states to the security of critical infrastructure is growing, including through resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council”.
More than 30 participants were taking part in the discussion representing Turkmen authorities, regional organizations, diplomatic community and UN entities. ///UNRCCA, 18 October 2024