Comparative study of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure and the CIS Counter-Terrorism Center in the field of anti-terrorism

Li Ziman Postgraduate student; Department of Public Policy and History of State and Law; Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba 10 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia 949124928@qq.com

The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center (hereinafter - RATS and ATC) They are two major organizations in Central Asia, each of which has made significant progress in combating terrorism and has made important contributions to maintaining security and stability in the region. For this reason, the Central Asian region is located in the center of the Eurasian continent, next to unstable regions such as Afghanistan, it has become a zone of activity of cross-border terrorist organizations, and in the face of the terrorist threat facing the region, regional anti-terrorism agencies and centers carry out extensive cooperation in the field of combating terrorism at the international, regional and domestic levels themselves. Member States. Comparing the cooperation of the two organizations at different levels of the fight against terrorism will help improve the mechanisms of work and counteraction to terrorist crime in this region.

Review of RATS and ATC

The establishment of the RATS and ATC is aimed at countering the threat of terrorism, and has important responsibilities to ensure the security of the area and social stability. Strengthening RATS by institutions, especially those with ATC, is one of the key strategies for preventing and reducing regional security threats. Through close cooperation with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the International Police Organization INTERPOL, it is possible to deepen the information exchange mechanism in the field of countering terrorist activities and effectively combat continuous cross-border drug smuggling operations. These joint platforms not only facilitate the exchange of information, enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement, but also provide strong support for the development of more comprehensive and targeted anti-terrorism policies, thus creating more sustainable global anti-terrorism ties.

Cooperation of the SCO RATS with international organizations

RATS works closely with the UN anti-terrorism unit, advocating the creation of a global governance system within the framework of the common guiding principle of the United Nations and the Security Council to combat such emerging threats ^{[3, p.228]}. This system is designed to develop and implement a complete set of response strategies, including preventive measures such as the creation of an alert system. In June 2011, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, between the Secretary General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime ^[5]. RATS carries out investigations and submits reports on the implementation of UN General Assembly resolutions. In 2018, the RATS held a bilateral meeting at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in the UN Vienna Headquarters. Its main goal is to deepen cooperation with UN terrorist agencies ^[15].

Cooperation of RATS with Interpol. In 2014, the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding, jointly deciding to cooperate in assessing the actual situation with terrorist activities in the region, helping to identify organized crime and combat terrorism. The leaders of both sides believe that bilateral cooperation has great potential to expand the field of cooperation in many areas, including the fight against terrorism, drug smuggling and cybersecurity ^[9].

Cooperation of the CIS ATC with international organizations

The ATC and the UN anti-terrorism agencies associated with it have a long history of cooperation. Since November 2002, the Counter-Terrorism Center has been providing information on anti-terrorist activities in the CIS countries to the UN Commission on Combating Terrorism. In March 2003, the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee met with various departments of the Counter-Terrorism Center and expressed its intention to further strengthen cooperation with the Structure - the Centers for Combating Financial Terrorism for the effective suppression of acts of international financing of terrorist activities.

In October 2018, the head of the ATC and the UN Under-Secretary-General for Counterterrorism in Tashkent signed a memorandum between the UN Counterterrorism Service and the Counterterrorism Center. The parties agreed to promote joint projects and programs in the field of combating the terrorist threat, to support and implement the "Global Strategy for Combating Terrorism", agreements on joint anti-terrorist actions in the field of information exchange, terrorism prevention, combating terrorist financing and border management ^[4].

In 2008, the ATC and Interpol signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening information exchange and other cooperation in the field of countering terrorism.Since then, the ATC has received the status of an "observer" in the International Police Organization Interpol, which gave it direct access to the global network of police information and the right to access the database of this organization. This cooperation has significantly increased the ability of both sides to integrate information and coordinate resources in anti-terrorist operations ^[1]. In 2017, the head of the Center for Combating Terrorism and the Secretary General of Interpol held working talks, discussing cooperation between the ATC and Interpol in the field of air traffic control in order to use the advantages of the organization to combat terrorism.

In general, both organizations work closely with international anti-terrorist organizations, while ATC cooperation is broader. RATS focuses on combating drug trafficking and information exchange within the framework of international anti-terrorist groups, but rarely cooperates in specific counterattacks. The ATC and international anti-terrorist organizations should increase their practical cooperation in the field of countering terrorism.For example, joint efforts in the field of information exchange and the fight against financial terrorist groups have achieved outstanding results and gained valuable experience. The RATS should improve its mechanisms in accordance with changes in the regional situation, strengthen cooperation with international anti-terrorist organizations, and enhance its counterterrorism capabilities.

Both institutions have good results in counter-terrorism cooperation with their organizations and specialized agencies of the member countries. The openness of the RATS borders allows them to diversify cooperation with specialized agencies of the participating countries, mainly with the more active participation of Russia and China in the field of countering terrorism.

Cooperation of the RATS with the SCO member states. In June 2019, under the leadership of RATS, Kazakhstan successfully hosted the Saryarka-Antiterrorist 2019 joint anti-terrorist exercises with the participation of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan at the Spask training ground. In December 2019, the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization conducted joint anti-terrorist exercises Xiamen 2019, which trained the responsible authorities of the participating countries to prevent the use of the Internet and communication tools to commit terrorist, separatist and extremist activities ^[11].

Cooperation of the ATC with the CIS member states. In 2011, the ATC conducted joint exercises "2011-ANTITERRORISM-DONBASS" with the special services and military units of the Commonwealth countries ^[8].In September 2016, the Head of the Council of the CIS Member States visited Kyrgyzstan, where a statement on the joint fight against terrorism was adopted and 16 documents were signed. Four important statements were approved regarding further joint counteraction to international terrorism and development plans for the next steps of the CIS member states.In 2020, a meeting of the heads of the CIS Counterterrorism Center was held in Moscow, where cooperation between security agencies and intelligence services of the participating countries in combating terrorism was further clarified.

The RATS and the ATC overlap in terms of their membership, while the participating countries have unequal opportunities. As far as the specific situation of interaction between members of organizations is concerned, the article focuses on the consideration of RATS' relations with specialized Chinese and Russian ATCs, as well as Russia's cooperation in the anti-aggression throw. The Federal Security Service of Russia cooperates closely with the two organizations in the fight against terrorism. In May 2019, ATC collaborated with the Federal Security Service of Russia. The Russian Federation, the Center for Public Relations of the Federal Security Service of Russia stated: "The Council unanimously agreed to increase the effectiveness of the international search for terrorists or extremists by strengthening the cooperation of intelligence services in conducting information collection operations in order to prevent the movement of armed terrorists to the CIS countries" ^[12]. During the 63rd session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, held in Vienna in March 2020, SCO representatives met with the Deputy Director of the National Drug Control Commission of China, where they exchanged views on the development of anti-drug cooperation within the framework of the RATS, as well as on cooperation with international and regional organizations in the field of counterterrorism, emphasizing the important role of China's role in the implementation of the SCO member states' Anti-Drug Strategy for 2018-2023. The sides exchanged views on the development of anti-drug cooperation within the framework of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and cooperation with international and regional organizations in the field of combating terrorism.

Thus, the RATS and the ATC maintain close cooperation with the member countries. Comparing with the ATC, the cooperation between the RATS and the specialized agencies of the member countries is not deep enough.On the one hand, openness within RATS significantly affects the cohesion and sense of belonging to the organization, which, to a certain extent, increases the complexity of cooperation. On the other hand, the serious problems in the ATC, which the center for combating terrorism itself is facing, strengthen the desire of various members of the countries to cooperate more actively under the leadership of Russia. The ATC and its State members have achieved more significant results in counterterrorism cooperation than regional antiterrorist structures. RATS should borrow more from the internal advantages of ATC cooperation to improve its internal mechanisms.

Comparative analysis of cooperation in the fight against terrorism between RATS and ATC

RATS and ATC are regional international anti-terrorist organizations. Although they have much in common in terms of goals, scope, and objects of cooperation, there are also significant differences between them, including development priorities, prevailing countries, and the potential for crisis cooperation.

The two institutions have different priorities in developing cooperation in the field of combating terrorism. After three stages of expansion until January 2025, RATS has become the largest, with the largest area and huge potential among all integrated regional anti-terrorist organizations. The organization has achieved some success in the field of security, politics and culture before the expansion of membership, but problems with the orientation of the organization and its self-awareness hinder the effective prospects for security cooperation between the participating countries. After the accession of India, Pakistan, Iran and Belarus, changes took place within the RATS, the balance of supply and demand for regional public security products changed, which requires a change in the approach to security cooperation to new models ^{[13, pp. 108-109]}.Therefore, it is necessary to determine the priority direction for the development of cooperation between this institution in the fight against terrorism.

The priority area of RATS development is: 1. Improving the legal framework of regional anti-terrorist institutions.The Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism (hereinafter The "Convention") only defines fundamental issues; at the practical level, there are not enough appropriate legal mechanisms, which weakens the effectiveness of the Convention. Existing forms of cooperation in the field of legal security are limited, and there is a lack of assistance in criminal justice. Global migration is currently on the rise, cross-border movement is becoming the main feature of terrorism, and joint actions by countries are needed to take effective measures and strengthen legal support for international criminal justice cooperation. 2. Strengthening anti-terrorism exercises to enhance the ability to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. Although the RATS are important counter-terrorism units in the region, they do not have their own specialized anti-terrorist forces. We can take advantage of the ATC's experience by creating professional combat and special units for rapid response to terrorist threats, conducting regular anti-terrorist exercises to increase the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism. 3. Strengthen the fight against terrorism on the Internet. Terrorism brainwashes a large number of young people through videos, e-books and other means, as well as publishes action plans on the Internet and calls for the purchase of weapons. Therefore, the RATS should pay more attention to Internet counteraction to terrorism, increasing its ability to counter terrorist activities by creating a common database on combating terrorism and developing laws on combating Internet terrorism.

ATC priority areas of anti-terrorist cooperation: 1. Coordination of anti-terrorist actions of the relevant departments of the CIS countries. Turning initiatives into actions is an important aspect of improving the quality of the fight against terrorism. Due to the different national conditions and the complex regional situation, there are obstacles to coordinating the actions of the ATC, and it is necessary to increase the effectiveness of cooperation between the participating States. 2. Information exchange and staff training. The data obtained by the Center for Combating Terrorism has been collected, classified and analyzed. Their results are mainly publications such as the special issue of the Information Bulletin of the ATC of the CIS Member States, the monthly guide to the analysis of the "State and trends of the situation under the influence of international terrorist organizations." In recent years, more than 300 employees of the security agencies of the CIS member states have received specialized on-demand training. The formation of the curriculum and the improvement of the training center contribute to an adequate analysis of terrorist threats and scientific forecasting on the part of employees.

The two organizations have different leading countries in the fight against terrorism. Although the participants of both organizations overlap, the main countries and the development potential of the two organizations differ. The RATS have a large number of participating countries, the main of which are still two large states - China and Russia. The ATC is influenced by historical and geopolitical factors, and Russia is the leading country in this organization.After the expansion of the SCO, the RATS, which have centers in Central Asia, are actually organizations for cooperation within this region, which are led by China and Russia. Both countries play a key role in this organization. Although India is also a regional power in South Asia, it joined the organization relatively recently, and in a short time it will be difficult to establish equal influence with China and Russia. The author believes that in the near future China and Russia will remain the dominant countries and will continue to develop regional multilateral coordination structures. Since the very beginning of its creation, the ATC has been working under the influence of specialized Russian authorities. Although Russia consists of various countries in the region, it has a special influence both politically, economically and militarily. In addition, all members of the counterterrorism center receive support and influence from Russia in areas such as counterterrorism methods, personnel training, and financing. Russia is the only ATC member country with global military power.Thus, from a practical point of view, Russia is the leading country among the members of the ATC ^{[2, pp. 80-81.]}.

The two organizations have different potential for developing cooperation in the field of countering terrorism. Since its establishment, the RATS has gone from the original "Five Shanghai Countries" to the current ten member states. In terms of military power, besides Russia, there are also China, India and Iran, which are constantly strengthening their armed forces. With the growth of total national power, China has become the second largest economy in the world, and India's economy also holds a leading position internationally. After the expansion, RATS became an international organization with potentially significant resources in the form of population, economic influence and area. Despite the fact that the entry of new members will be accompanied by various problems, such as conflicting interests, organizational identity and lack of institutions, in general, it can be said that with the changing situation of the RATS there is a huge potential for cooperation. As the number of CIS member states decreased, Turkmenistan withdrew from the CIS in 1995; Georgia withdrew from the CIS in 2009; and Ukraine left the Commonwealth in 2014, which weakened the power of the anti-terrorist center to a certain extent. The importance of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the RATS for counterterrorism cooperation is growing, which makes the development of an antiterrorist center unlikely.

Summarizing the shortcomings of the SCO RATS and the CIS ATC will contribute to improving the mechanisms of anti-terrorist cooperation between the two structures, increasing the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism, strengthening regional security and stability, and developing international cooperation.

The disadvantages of the SCO RATS are mainly in the following aspects: firstly, the legal system is not perfect, although there is a guiding document "Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism", but at the practical level there are not enough specific legal provisions. Secondly, the mechanisms of anti-terrorist cooperation are not effective enough; the RATS includes many member States with different interests and needs, but the consultation mechanism is immature, which makes it difficult to coordinate differences between member States; there are not enough specialized anti-terrorist units, and the effectiveness of anti-terrorist exercises is limited to the extent that they cannot respond quickly to terrorist attacks. threats in practice; Thirdly, insufficient internal cohesion and weak organizational identity: due to the increase in the number of member States and the diversity of interests, the internal cohesion and identity of the organization are weak, which affects the coordination and unity of anti-terrorist cooperation.

The disadvantages of the CIS ATC are: firstly, the reduction in the number of member states, for example, the withdrawal of Georgia and Ukraine, which weakened the overall strength and influence of the ATC; secondly, a unified military force, only Russia is a major military power among the ATC member states, and other member states have limited military potential. Therefore, the development of anti-terrorist forces is slow; thirdly, there is the problem of external competition due to the geographical location and membership of the two organizations. Thirdly, there is the problem of external competition related to the geographical and membership duplication of the two organizations, which leads to an irrational expenditure of resources and ambiguity in the jurisdiction of the two organizations.

Implications for optimizing RATS anti-terrorist cooperation

Against the background of the ongoing threat from the three radical forces, the RATS and the ATC in the region and the maintenance of stability.The two organizations have their advantages, but changes in the terrorism situation in the region may lead to an overlap of powers between the RATS and the ATC, which may lead to unclear jurisdiction, duplication of resources and increased costs for counterterrorism. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the cooperation of the RATS at the international, regional and institutional levels in accordance with the changing environment for the further development of these bodies on the way to maturity.

First, we should actively use the role of leading countries and strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Within the framework of regional cooperation, the leading country plays a key role in the development of regional organizations, whose main task is to provide public products for cooperation in combating terrorism at the stage of its creation ^[17].For example, the role of Germany and France as representatives in the integration process of the European region is a typical example.Russia plays an important role in two organizations, RATS and ATC, on the ground. As one of the most influential naval states in the world, Russia actively promotes cooperation between the two organizations in the field of anti-terrorist activities at the international and regional levels, which will significantly increase the effectiveness of the fight against terrorism. China has also made a significant contribution to the development of RATS. The new security concept promoted by China has become an important guiding principle of multilateral cooperation to ensure security in the fight against terrorism and presupposes the pursuit of joint security through mutually beneficial cooperation^{[10, p. 21]}. China and Russia, acting as the leading countries of the RATS, not only bear the main costs of ensuring its orderly operation but they also provide an agenda for cooperation in the fight against terrorism and financial support. Other member countries need the assistance of the major Power in such areas as the participation of combat units, the use of weapons, information analysis and staff training. Therefore, the key to increasing the effectiveness of the RATS is the use by large States of their comprehensive advantages and strengthening their leadership positions in various areas of the fight against terrorism, which is an important guarantee of effective counteraction to the terrorist threat.

Secondly, a clear definition of key areas of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, taking into account the interests of the various participating countries. The number of member countries of both organizations has changed, the number of RATS has increased and the number of participating countries in the ATC has decreased. Taking into account the changing number of members of the organization, the accents of cooperation within the institute also need to be adjusted accordingly. It is necessary to increase the internal cohesion and effectiveness of the anti-terrorist organization, strengthening its identification based on the actual interests of each member State. At the same time, taking into account the interests of various Member States, there may be a situation of generalization of the agenda within the organization, which will negatively affect its construction. In the future, cooperation between counterterrorism agencies will focus on combating three main threats: the illegal smuggling of drugs, weapons, ammunition and explosives; the prosecution of international organizations of criminals, illegal immigration and traffickers; as well as the withdrawal of money from corruption and economic crimes ^[7].

Thirdly, to clearly define the jurisdiction of the RATS in the field of counter-terrorism cooperation. A clear definition of security competencies for both the region and various countries makes it possible to effectively meet the needs and provide the necessary anti-terrorist public goods. In the area of counter-terrorism, the participating countries have a variety of internal structures, with some anti-terrorist units subordinated to public security systems, while others are subordinated to the Government or national intelligence organizations. Such a dispersed management structure leads to a lack of unity. Different countries have different authority settings, which means that when solving problems, it is necessary to adhere to the authority of the relevant departments. If the case goes beyond the competence of any government agency in the country, then finding a solution will require going through a complex coordination process. This process has significantly reduced the effectiveness of cooperation in the field of combating terrorism and has become a serious problem for international anti-terrorist cooperation. Strengthening the integration of internal functional bodies, while preventing illegal interference and manipulation by the RATS and the major Powers of the region to protect the sovereignty of the participating countries. As part of our counterterrorism strategy, we advocate multilateral cooperation and carefully build a wide and diverse network of counterterrorism partners. This is aimed at strengthening the global fight against terrorism, while at the same time it is necessary to remain in a state of heightened vigilance in order to prevent possible attempts by some forces to use counter-terrorism to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and violate their state sovereignty. To achieve coordinated cooperation between various organizations, countries and international organizations on counter-terrorism issues, in order to achieve a mutually beneficial situation. Since its establishment, the RATS has established effective cooperation with strategic partners in the field of regional cooperation, such as the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as UN structures related to the fight against terrorism. In order to adapt to the ever-changing security environment and effectively counter the challenges of terrorism, the organization plans to deepen internal reforms based on the existing foundation.Specific measures include defining counterterrorism powers, optimizing the legal framework, promoting coordinated interaction between various organizations, and creating a supportive organizational culture for long-term stability and cooperation. These reforms are aimed at creating a more effective, coordinated system for countering terrorism, providing a stable foundation for the global anti-terrorist battle, and ensuring the ability to more effectively combat terrorist acts in the future.

Conclusion

Based on an analysis of the goals, functions, and member countries, RATS and ATC have a lot in common. The actions of the two organizations to combat terrorism effectively provide the foundations for maintaining peace and stability in the region. The experience of the RATS and ATC over the years shows that these two institutions make a significant contribution to the formation of global and regional security systems. Firstly, the establishment of the two institutions reflects the political will of the leaders of the Member States; secondly, the two institutions have received recognition from the international community; thirdly, both institutions have developed approaches to combating terrorism and are striving to unify the legislation of the participating countries in this area; fourthly, each institution is improving a single database on terrorism and its sponsors, which will increase the effectiveness and capabilities of the fight against terrorism; fifth, under the framework of each institution, all Member States take active measures to prevent and eliminate international terrorist organizations and act together.

When comparing the cooperation between the RATS and the ATC, it is found that all of them are widely involved in international cooperation both with the participating countries and with their members. However, a number of problems may arise within such close partnerships, including potential competitive actions, inefficient allocation of resources, uncertainty of liability, and lack of clarity in defining jurisdiction. The author argues that in the context of increasing globalization and the growing challenge of terrorism, these two organizations should significantly strengthen cooperation in countering terrorism with all types of partners (including, but not limited to other institutions, regional structures, governments, and even different countries) in their internal structures. At the same time, stimulating internal reforms of the legal system is an extremely important step to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of counter-terrorism operations, which will lay the foundation for improving anti-terrorist capabilities.