Our Mandate

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC)

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was established by Security Council resolution  1373 (2001), which was adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States.

The Committee, comprising all 15 Security Council members, was tasked with monitoring implementation of resolution  1373 (2001), which requested countries to implement a number of measures intended to enhance their legal and institutional ability to counter terrorist activities at home, in their regions and around the world, including taking steps to:

• Criminalize the financing of terrorism

• Freeze without delay any funds related to persons involved in acts of terrorism

• Deny all forms of financial support for terrorist groups

• Suppress the provision of safe haven, sustenance or support for terrorists

• Share information with other governments on any groups practicing or planning terrorist acts

• Cooperate with other governments in the investigation, detection, arrest, extradition and prosecution of those involved in such acts; and

• Criminalize active and passive assistance for terrorism in domestic law and bring violators to justice.

The resolution also calls on States to become parties, as soon as possible, to the relevant international counter-terrorism legal instruments. 

In September 2005, the Security Council adopted resolution 1624 (2005) on incitement to commit acts of terrorism, calling on UN Member States to prohibit it by law, prevent such conduct and deny safe haven to anyone “with respect to whom there is credible and relevant information giving serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of such conduct.” The resolution also called on States to continue international efforts to enhance dialogue and broaden understanding among civilizations.

The Security Council directed the CTC to include resolution 1624 (2005) in its ongoing dialogue with countries on their efforts to counter terrorism.

In January 2024, H.E. Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations, was appointed Chair of the CTC. His bio can be found here. For a complete list of current Chairs and Vice-Chairs of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council, please consult document  S/2023/2.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)

Under resolution 1535 (2004), the Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to assist the work of the CTC and coordinate the process of monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).

CTED became fully staffed in September 2005 and was formally declared operational in December 2005. CTED’s mandate was extended until the end of 2025 by Security Council resolution 2617 (2021). 

CTED comprises some 40 staff members, about half of whom are legal experts who analyze the reports submitted by States in areas such as legislative drafting, the financing of terrorism, border and customs controls, police and law enforcement, refugee and migration law, arms trafficking and maritime and transportation security. CTED also has a senior human rights officer.

CTED is divided into two sections: an Assessment and Technical Assistance Office (ATAO), which is further divided into three geographical clusters to enable the experts to specialize in particular regions of the world, and an Administrative and Information Office (AIO).

In addition, five technical groups work horizontally across ATAO to identify issues and criteria for making assessments in their particular area of technical expertise and then disseminate these across the three clusters. The groups deal respectively with technical assistance; terrorist financing; border control, arms trafficking and law enforcement; general legal issues, including legislation, extradition and mutual legal assistance; and finally, issues raised by resolution 1624 (2005); as well as the human rights aspects of counter-terrorism in the context of resolution  1373 (2001).

Across AIO, there is also a quality control unit to improve the technical quality and consistency in language and format of CTED documents and a public communications and outreach unit to strengthen its outreach activities.

In support of the Committee’s work on resolution 1624 (2005), CTED has prepared reports (S/2006/737, S/2008/2, S/2016/50, S/2021/973) summarizing the responses submitted thus far by about half of the United Nations membership.

Download the factsheet About CTED. 

Security Council Resolutions

Here are the Security Council resolutions that guide our work.

General Assembly

Here are the General Assembly resolutions and reports that guide our work.