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  1. Side Event on the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme

Side Event on the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme

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On the margins of the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) convened a briefing to current and potential donors of its “Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme”. The Programme was set up to promote, protect and respect the rights and needs of victims of terrorism, and to increase the capacity of Member States and civil society organizations to assist and support victims across the world.  New and sustained funding for the programme is needed to deliver on the commitments of the Global Victims Congress and scale the promising achievements of the initial stages of the programme. 

“Victims deserve dedicated and targeted support to ensure that their legal, physical, medical and psychosocial needs are met, their human rights are recognized and protected, and their access to justice and compensation is guaranteed. Our Global Programme seeks to achieve just that”, emphasized Mr. Raffi Gregorian, Deputy to the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism and Director at UNOCT, who moderated the side event.

The event showcased the work of the Global Programme, as well as firsthand testimonies of victims from Norway and Indonesia. “The power of connections between victims across borders is essential for us as victims, and also for the fight against terrorism and radicalization,” noted Ms. Lisbeth Royneland, President of the Norwegian National Support Group, who lost her daughter Synne in the domestic terrorist attacks of 22 July 2011. Mr. Sudirman Talib, who is a survivor of the Australian Embassy bombing in Jakarta in September 2004, stated “as a victim of terrorism and through my involvement in UNOCT programmes, I am building my knowledge and skills to counter the narrative of violent extremists, campaigning for global awareness on the role of victims of terrorism.”

Mr. Pascal Kober, Federal Government Commissioner for Persons Affected by Terrorist and Extremist Attacks Committed on National Territory of Germany, highlighted that cross-border victims faced complex challenges, including bureaucratic hurdles, different rights and legal frameworks, unknown foreign systems and language barriers. He emphasized the need to strengthen international collaboration and cooperation and noted that Germany was looking to the United Nations as a key partner to share best practices and support victims at the global level.

“We have a shared role in helping victims and survivors of terrorism to achieve justice and security,” noted Mr. Masood Karimipour, Chief of the Terrorism Prevention Branch at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He highlighted that UNODC was successfully working with UNOCT and other partners on addressing both challenges with notable results, including by partnering with civil society, victims, youth and women’s groups to build resilience at the community level to prevent the spread of violent extremism.

While Member States invest in preventing and responding to terrorist attacks as a security threat,  they do not always ensure adequate support to victims and their families, many of whom  continue to suffer long after a terrorist attack is over and are left with lifetime needs and intergenerational trauma.  

Launched in 2018 by the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme is led by the Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) of UNOCT in close partnership with victims, victims’ associations, Member States and other United Nations partners. The Global Programme is unique across the United Nations system in several ways:

  • It is the sole programme dedicated to promoting solidarity with victims of terrorism, raising awareness about their rights and needs, and building the capacity of Member States and civil society organizations to advance them effectively. 
  • It is deeply grounded in partnerships to ensure that we translate our global reach into local impact. Alongside Member States, civil society organizations -especially victims’ associations- are key partners in ensuring that the rights and needs of victims are met and upheld. 
  • It fosters the involvement of civil society and victims in a global campaign against terrorism through a rights-based, survivor-centred approach. It recognizes that victims should have the opportunity to play a decisive role in efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism by making their voices heard, if they wish to do so.

The Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme has an annual funding target of $2.4 million and is currently supported by Germany, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, and the United States. 

“We hope we have inspired you to partner with us under the Global Programme. After all, it is the responsibility and duty of us all – Member States, UN entities and civil society to ensure that victims’ concerns and needs are properly reflected and acted upon”, concluded Mr. Gregorian in his closing remarks.