PRESIDENT of the 62nd Session
United Nations General Assembly

Main Issues

Implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

On 8 September 2006 the United Nations General Assembly adopted unanimously the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/RES/60/288). The Strategy was formally launched at a high-level meeting of the General Assembly on 19 September 2006. The Strategy reiterates strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and the underscores the resolve of the international community to strengthen global response to terrorism.
For the first time, all member states agreed on comprehensive, coordinated and consistent responses to counter terrorism at national, regional and international levels. The Strategy sets out a plan of action spelling out key areas action:

Measures to address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism
Measures to prevent and combat terrorism
Measures to build States’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the United Nations system in this regard, and
Measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism.

In his opening address to the 62nd Session of the General Assembly the President Srgjan Kerim told Member States that “reviewing the implementation of the Counter Terrorism Strategy is also a priority in this session. We need to ensure that as an organization, and within our national jurisdictions, that we are properly prepared.”

The Strategy envisioned that the General Assembly should assess the progress made in the implementation of the Strategy in two years' time. A mid-term stock-taking meeting was held on 4 December 2007, with briefings from Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and interventions from Member States.

On 21 May 2008, the CTITF gave an informal briefing on the activities of its working groups.The President appointed Ambassador Gert Rosenthal, Permanent Representative of Guatemala to the United Nations as a facilitator to consult with Member States on the outcome of the General Assembly review meeting.

The General Assembly met on 4 and 5 September in order to review, for the first time, the two years' implementation efforts. The meeting concluded with the unanimous adoption of the resolution A/RES/62/272. The President's press conference on the meeting can be found here.

More information on the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy as well as other activities of the General Assembly and the United Nations system can be found at the United Nations Action to Counter Terrorism.

PRESIDENT'S LETTER

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the meeting of the General Assembly on the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 4 September 2008. (15 July 2008)

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the appointment of a facilitator for consultations with Member States on the outcome of the plenary meeting on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 4 September 2008. (29 May 2008)

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the follow-up informal briefing by the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force on 29 May. (23 May 2008)

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations transmitting Working Group summaries prepared by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force for the briefing on 21 May 2008. (16 May 2008)

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding an informal briefing by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. (7 May 2008)

Letter to all Permanent Missions and Permanent Observer Missions to the United Nations regarding the informal meeting of the General Assembly on the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 4 December 2007and Provisional Programme. (21 November 2007)