OSCE expands access to its technical guidance on the physical security of critical infrastructure: Release of official Turkmen version

On 29 and 30 June, the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat and the OSCE Transnational Threats Department launched the Turkmen version of their Technical Guide on Physical Security Considerations for Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Terrorist Attacks. The launch event was accompanied by a training course on enhancing the physical security of critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks, using the Technical Guide as a training aid. 

Developed under the OSCE’s Project PROTECT with support from Germany and the United States of America, the Technical Guide provides practical guidance to policymakers, critical infrastructure owners and operators, and security practitioners on enhancing the protection of critical infrastructure sites from terrorist attacks. The publication consolidates publicly available practices and examples from across the OSCE area and is designed to support stakeholders in developing security measures tailored to their specific risk environment. It was released in November 2025 in the English and Russian. The launch of the Turkmen language version of this Guide, initiated by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, is a testament to the Guide's growing value in OSCE participating States. 

A representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan presented the country's approach to protecting critical infrastructure, highlighting current practices, the national legislative framework and ongoing efforts to strengthen the security and resilience of critical infrastructure.

The training course brought together government officials responsible for critical infrastructure protection to strengthen their understanding of physical security principles and practices. Participants examined approaches to security system design as well as technical measures including perimeter protection, intrusion detection systems, security lighting, video surveillance, access control and security screening. During the event, participants explored practical ways to apply the Guide’s principles through security assessments, emergency planning, business continuity measures and training exercises.

“The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe serves as a vital pillar in global counter-terrorism efforts by actively strengthening the resilience and protection of critical infrastructure across its 57 participating States. Bearing in mind that security is not a task for a single agency or nation, we designed this training programme to build our collective resilience. It is our firm belief that this programme, together with the Guide, will strengthen inter-agency communication and help upgrade security protocols to more effectively protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks,” said William Leaf, Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

The event featured contributions from international experts and practitioners, as well as the Government of Kazakhstan, another key stakeholder in the OSCE’s Project PROTECT. A representative of the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the Committee of National Security of the Republic of Kazakhstan delivered a presentation on the country's approach to protecting critical infrastructure from terrorist threats. 

The event forms part of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat's project Building Capacity of Law Enforcement and Security Officials of Turkmenistan in Countering Transnational Threats Related to Organized Crime and Terrorism – 2026 and the OSCE's extrabudgetary Project PROTECT, which supports participating States in strengthening national approaches to protecting vulnerable targets from terrorist threats and other hazards. 

More information on Project PROTECT can be found here. 

The Technical Guide on Physical Security Considerations for Protecting Critical Infrastructure from Terrorist Attacks can be found here.