Slovak diplomat set to head UN preventive diplomacy centre in Central Asia

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the Security Council of his plan to appoint an experienced Slovak diplomat as the head of the new United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA).

Miroslav Jenca will serve as head of the centre – which is located in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan – and also as Mr. Ban’s Special Representative, the Secretary-General’s spokesperson told reporters today.

UNRCCA was established by the UN last year to help the countries of Central Asia respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

According to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), the centre is tasked with assisting Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan “in building capacities to peacefully prevent conflict, in facilitating dialogue, and in catalyzing international support behind projects and initiatives.”

It is expected to work closely with existing UN agencies and programmes already operating in Central Asia, and with regional groups such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Mr. Jenca, currently the Director of the Office of Slovakia’s Foreign Affairs Minister, recently served as head of mission for the OSCE centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He has also served in an array of other diplomatic posts for his country.