Participants in the workshop.
The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) took part in a workshop on the protection of “soft” targets against terrorist attacks, held in Tokyo on 24 and 25 April 2018 by the United States and U.S.-APEC Technical Assistance to Advance Regional Integration (US-ATAARI), under the auspices of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Counter-Terrorism Working Group.
The workshop brought together representatives of Governments, international organizations, and private industry to discuss regional terrorist threats against public spaces and the challenges involved in protecting them, as well as to share knowledge, experiences, and good practices.
CTED briefed participants on Member States’ implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, noting in particular that the adoption of resolution 2341 (2017) had marked the first time that the Council had specifically addressed the need to protect critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks, including by developing or strengthening risk-reduction strategies.
The resolution called on States to assess, and raise awareness of, the risks; take preparedness measures (including the development of effective responses); promote interoperability in security and consequence management; and facilitate effective interaction among all stakeholders.
Moreover, Council resolution 2396 (also adopted in 2017) highlighted the need to establish and strengthen national, regional, and international partnerships with public and private stakeholders.
CTED also informed participants about its development of a compendium of good practices on the protection of critical infrastructure. The compendium was being developed under the auspices of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Working Group on the Protection of Critical Infrastructure, including Vulnerable Targets, Internet, and Tourism Security, and would be presented to Member States in June 2018.
Participants noted the need to map the initiatives and guidance currently available in this area.