Terrorism continues to pose a major threat to international peace and security and undermines the core values of the United Nations. In the Declaration of the High-Level Meeting on the Rule of Law, Member States condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes, as it constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. They also reaffirmed that all measures used in the fight against terrorism must be in compliance with the obligations of States under international law

[para. 26].

 

In addition to the devastating human cost of terrorism, in terms of lives lost or permanently altered, terrorist acts aim to destabilize governments and undermine economic and social development. In response to this threat, gradually over five decades of work, the international community has developed a common universal legal framework against terrorism. This framework is comprised of the 19 universal legal instruments against terrorism along with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. The Security Council has addressed terrorism in a number of resolutions, and has imposed sanctions and established counter-terrorism related subsidiary bodies. It has also established the Counter-Terrorism Committee. The activities of the UN in support of the efforts of Member States to counter terrorism are coordinated through the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

 

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