International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, 21 August 2021
The fourth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism took place on 20 August 2021. It occurred twenty years after the 9/11 attacks and during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected people around the world. The pandemic continued to have a huge impact on victims of terrorism, as it has denied them the healing benefits of social connectedness and peer support, the ability to attend in-person memorial events, exacerbated the effects of their earlier trauma, or resulted in a loss of yet another loved one.
The theme of the International Day was “Connections”, as victims have had to find creative ways to stay connected while being isolated from each other, their families, friends, and communities during the pandemic. It was important for the international community to connect and stand in solidarity with victims, for Member States to connect to learn from each other and share good practices, ensuring that victims' needs are met, and their rights upheld.
An online high-level event entitled ‘Surviving Terrorism: The Power of Connections’ was held with the participation of the United Nations Secretary-General Mr. António Guterres and featured testimonies from victims of terrorism and closing remarks from Under-Secretary-General Mr. Vladimir Voronkov.
A short film “Surviving Terrorism: The Power of Connections” was launched, which featured testimonies of victims and survivors of terrorism from across the world reciting a collective ode and sharing why connections are important. This was followed by an interactive webinar discussion featuring victims and victims’ associations to discuss the importance of connections and how to strengthen the rights and needs of victims.
This event was organized in collaboration with the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism.