Funding and donors

Resource mobilization is a top priority for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). 

With approximately 4% of the Office’s annual budget coming from the UN Regular Programme Budget, UNOCT is reliant on the generous contribution of donors to the United Nations Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism to finance its critical counter-terrorism activities and initiatives in support of and as requested by Member States.  

The UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism was established by the Secretary-General in 2009 under DPA. In line with General Assembly resolution 71/291 that established UNOCT in June 2017, the Trust Fund was transferred to UNOCT. The Trust Fund receives funding for UNOCT’s programme of work, providing technical assistance and capacity building support to Member States through the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) and the Special Projects and Innovation Branch (SPIB). The UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism is currently supporting global, regional and national projects around the world delivered by the UNCCT and SPIB as well as the policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Many of these projects are implemented jointly with other UN entities including UNDP, UNODC, UNESCO and OHCHR. 

The UNOCT has also received allocations from the Peace and Security Sub-Fund of the United Nations Peace and Development Trust Fund which is managed by the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG).

The majority of contributions received are earmarked and require co-funding, adding to the need to diversify the donor base to ensure sustainable and predictable funding for multi-year programmatic activities. As a result, the UNOCT continues to increase and diversify its financial resources. In 2018-2019, UNOCT received $33.2 million with the signature of 31 contribution agreements with Member States, including with three new donors (India, Finland and Russia). In the first half of 2020, UNOCT has received $5.3 million from six donors. 

By December 2019, 31 donors have contributed to UNOCT, through the UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism since its inception in 2009 and through allocations from the Peace and Security Sub-Fund managed by EOSG (China). 

Member States’ financial contributions have allowed UNOCT to expand its reach both geographically and thematically. The contributions reflects the growing interest and confidence of Member States in UNOCT’s operations across the globe. 

Terrorism represents a global threat. No country, big or small, is immune to the scourge of terrorist attacks or activities. UNOCT is uniquely position to gather the international community to join efforts against terrorism and support to victims. A contribution to UNOCT – regardless of the amount – sends and important message of support and unity against terrorism. UNOCT welcomes contributions from Member States to the UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism. These contributions can be both un-earmarked funds for the programmes identified here or earmarked for specific projects. UNOCT welcomes funding for project activities from multiple interested donors.

For contact on fundraising including project details, please contact: OCT-ResourceMobilization@un.org. 

Funding for UNCCT

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) relies exclusively on voluntary contributions for funding of its mandated activities. The UNCCT was established in 2011 through a voluntary contribution of $10 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following the recommendation in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/Res/60/288, Pillar II, para 9) ‘that the question of creating an international centre to fight terrorism could be considered, as part of international efforts to enhance the fight against terrorism’. In 2014, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia donated an additional US$100 million to help finance the work of the UNCCT. 

The General Assembly has encouraged Member States to collaborate with UNCCT, to provide resources and voluntary contributions to the Centre and to contribute to the implementation of its activities. In the Sixth Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in 2018 (A/Res/72/284), the General Assembly stressed the need “to continue to provide the tangible capacity building assistance to Member States in counter-terrorism matters,” and recognized in this regard “the need to contribute more resources for capacity building projects”. 

UNCCT continues efforts to obtain un-earmarked funding or co-funding for its various projects and initiatives, to diversify the donor base and ensure sustainable funding for multi-year projects.  This has so far allowed the Centre to cover a broader spectrum of its thematic and geographic areas, while maintaining the consistent and balanced implementation of the 5-Year Programme. 

We call on all Member States to consider providing voluntary contributions to UNCCT, through the Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism, to help with capacity-building projects in a number of priority areas, in particular strategic communications and other PCVE issues, information sharing on foreign terrorist fighters, border security and management, countering terrorist financing, cyber security, human rights, victims of terrorism, civil society and youth engagement, in support of the comprehensive and balanced implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. More information can be found here.

The received contributions have allowed UNCCT to increase its geographical reach and the scope of activities in Central Asia and South-East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, the G5 Sahel and CARICOM.

As of December 2019, of the overall hard pledges and contributions received to the Trust Fund for Counter Terrorism since its inception in 2009, and other allocations, extra-budgetary resources of $146.2million (62% of the total) were allocated to UNCCT programmes. 

Consolidated Multi-Year Appeal

One of the five functions of UNOCT as mandated by the UN General Assembly, is to improve the visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts. 

To enhance coordination, coherence and efficiency in resource mobilization across the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities, and to diversify and improve the predictability and sustainability of resources, UNOCT initiated the first consolidated  Multi-Year Appeal to donors in February 2019, in close coordination with Global Compact entities.

This donor appeal is unique in adopting an “All of UN” approach to resource mobilization and consolidates projects on counter-terrorism assistance across the UN system in need of new or additional funding. It presents a coordinated picture of resource needs to donors, with 60 global, regional and national projects from 10 Global Compact entities. 

While the Appeal does not intend to replace individual UN entities fundraising efforts, it does provide a platform to present an aggregated set of projects from across the UN system that require sustainable funding, and allows donors to allocate funding according to their defined priorities.