On 4 November 2021, the Counter-Terrorism Committee held a special meeting to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the Committee’s establishment.
“Together, we aim to serve the people around the world who continue to look to the Security Council for moral and normative leadership in the fight against terrorism; to push for justice and the realization of victims’ rights, and encourage holistic and people-centred responses that help break the cycles of violence; to anchor counter-terrorism efforts in human rights and the rule of law and gender equality; and to safeguard civic space and principled humanitarian action”, said Ms. Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet to the United Nations Secretary-General, delivering remarks on the Secretary-General’s behalf.
The all-day event, held in the Economic and Social Council Chamber, United Nations Headquarters, New York, began with a minute of silence to commemorate the victims of terrorism.
Participants then discussed progress made and remaining challenges in the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism.
The landmark resolution 1373 (2001) was adopted by the Council on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the terrorist attacks carried out in the United States on 11 September 2001.
The resolution defined a broad counter-terrorism mandate for the international community and established the Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor States’ implementation of its provisions.
This unanimous recognition by the Security Council of the severe threat posed by terrorism to international peace and security was a pivotal moment in the international community’s response to terrorism.
“The Committee is at the forefront of monitoring the performance of Member States, by conducting, through CTED, country assessment visits. Since 2005, 181 visits have been conducted by CTED on behalf of the Committee to 117 Member States,” said H.E. Mr. Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tunisia to the United Nations and Chair of the Committee.
Since 2001, the United Nations has been at the heart of the global effort to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
The Council has taken the leading role in guiding the evolution of the approaches required to address the threat of terrorism. Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) is the foundation upon which the Council’s active counter-terrorism framework is built and continues to provide the basis for further developments in countering terrorism.
During the plenary session, Mr. Max Boon delivered a statement about how his life had been dramatically changed in 2009 when he lost both of his legs, and almost his life, in a suicide bombing carried out in Jakarta, Indonesia.
“Today I would ask you to continue your work to strengthen legal frameworks and support for the rights of victims of terrorism”, said Mr. Boon.
“And, when aiming to empower victims in CVE [countering violent extremism]-related endeavours, to do so through independent platforms and civil society organizations. This not only retains victims’ credibility amongst the target audience, but also helps protect victims from possible secondary victimization. It is essential to prevent victims from feeling that fulfilment of their rights is conditioned on their participation in national CVE efforts”, he added.
During the first session, representatives of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) presented key findings from the updated versions of the Global surveys of Member States’ implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions, and resolution 1624 (2005), respectively.
“CTED has a remarkable and unique capacity for such global analysis, which rests on a firm foundation of consistent monitoring based on asking the same questions of all Member States. Updated over time, it also allows the CTC and – in the global implementation survey the public at large – to see progress in implementation,” said Ms. Elizabeth Joyce, CTED Chief of Section.
Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) was a further landmark resolution, which addressed the issue of incitement to commit acts of terrorism.
“Our latest count is that 112 out of the 193 Member States of the United Nations have now criminalized incitement to commit terrorist acts”, said Mr. Edward J. Flynn, CTED Senior Human Rights Officer.
“Most other States have provisions targeting incitement to criminal activity more generally. Thus, legal measures that serve to implement the first paragraph of resolution 1624 now exist in the great majority of countries around the world”, he added.
The first session also included speakers from the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism of the Organization of American States, the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.
The second session focused on “International cooperation, including relationships with key international and regional organizations and United Nations bodies, highlighting steps taken and further steps required to facilitate and build Member States’ capacity to counter terrorism and violent extremism".
The speakers included representatives of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, the European Commission, and the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), noted that several UN agencies and organizations had taken part in the 232 meetings organized by the GCTF since its creation and had actively contributed to the drafting and revision of 40 good practice documents developed by the Forum.
During the third session, participants discussed ways to define the nature of multilateral actions in the next decade with a view to enhancing their impact and sustainability.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Ms. Pramila Patten, Under-Secretary-General and Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Mr. Tonderai Chikuhwa, the Special Representative’s Chief of Service, described the ways that sexual violence is used as a tactic of terrorism.
“Developments over the course of the past eight years have demonstrated that the targeting of women, girls and boys for sexual violence that accompanies the rise of violent extremism is not ancillary or incidental, but widespread, systematic and integrally linked with the strategic objectives of extremist groups”, she said.
Other speakers included representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Development Programme, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Global Center on Cooperative Security, and the International Peace Institute.
In her closing statement, Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of CTED, said, “We must continue to be aware that two decades of counter-terrorism have taught us a key lesson: any comprehensive whole-of-society counter-terrorism strategy must aim to tackle the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and be gender- sensitive and anchored in respect for human rights and the rule of law”.
Assistant Secretary-General Coninsx was also the guest at the noon briefing earlier in the day.
The Committee issued an outcome document, read by the Chair, upon the conclusion of the special meeting.
The concept note for the special meeting can be found here.
The agenda is available here.
The outcome document is available here.
Photos from the open meeting are accessible here.
Part 1 of the webcast is available here.
Part 2 of the webcast is available here.
Additional information about the CTC’s 20th anniversary is available here.
A summary of the meeting is available here.
Remarks and presentations shared by invited speakers:
Plenary session:
• H.E. Mr. Tarek Ladeb, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Tunisia to the United Nations and Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee
• Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)
Session I: Progress made and remaining challenges in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism
• Ms. Elizabeth Joyce, CTED Chief of Section: key findings from the Global Survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions by Member States
• Mr. Edward J. Flynn, CTED Senior Human Rights Officer: key findings from the Global Survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) by Member States
• Ms. Alison August Treppel, Executive Secretary, Organization of American States/Inter-American Committee against Terrorism (OAS/CICTE)
Session II: International cooperation, including relationships with key international and regional organizations and United Nations bodies, highlighting steps taken and further steps required to facilitate and build Member States’ capacity to counter terrorism and violent extremism
• Mr. Raffi Gregorian, Deputy to the Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
• Mr. Masood Karimipour, Chief, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Terrorism Prevention Branch (UNODC/TPB)
• Mr. Odd Reidar Humlegard, Special Representative of the Office of the International Criminal Police Organization to the United Nations
Session II (continued): International cooperation, including relationships with key international and regional organizations and United Nations bodies, highlighting steps taken and further steps required to facilitate and build Member States’ capacity to counter terrorism and violent extremism
• Mr. Olivier Onidi, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission (pre-recorded)
• H.E. Mr. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations, Co-Chair of Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF)
Closing session:
• Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)PDF
• Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)PDF
Remarks and presentations shared by Member States and organisations can be found here:
• Japan
• Greece
• United Republic of Tanzania
• The Netherlands
• Italy
• Portugal
• Argentina
• Senegal
• State of Qatar
• Ecuador
• Ghana
• International Maritime Organization
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
• Republic of Korea
• Norway
• Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Republic of Cuba [EN] [ES]
• Costa Rica on behalf of GRULAC
• El Salvador
• United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability Against Da’esh/ISIL Crimes (UNITAD)