Ahead of a review of the so-called Madrid Guiding Principles on foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), the Permanent Mission of Qatar and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) jointly organized a briefing related to this theme. Held at the United Nations in New York on 4 December 2018, the discussion offered participants involved in the Doha Forum on returning FTFs – organized in Qatar on 30-31 October 2018 – as well as partners of CTED’s Global Research Network an opportunity to brief the wider UN membership on this topic.
The importance and timeliness of the briefing was highlighted by David Scharia, Chief of Branch, CTED, who underscored how it related to UN Security Council resolution 2396 (2017) with its focus on returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters. He also stressed that it is the same resolution that requests of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, supported by CTED, to review the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles in light of the evolving threat of FTFs, particularly returnees, relocators, and their families. This review was to be the focus of a Special meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, to be held on 13 December 2018 (more information on the latter is available here).
Other speakers at the briefing included H.E. Alya bint Ahmed Al Thani, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, as well as Executive Director of the Soufan Center Meredith Stricker, Director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University/Fordham Law Karen Greenberg, Professor of Communication at Georgia State University Mia Bloom, Executive Director of Muflehun Humera Khan, foreign policy, security, and strategic communications specialist Adrian Shtuni, and Political Affairs Officer with CTED Farah Kasim.
The event featured the screening of an excerpt of ISIS, tomorrow. The lost souls of Mosul, a clip especially made for the joint briefing by film maker Francesca Mannochi.
More photos of the event are available through CTED’s Flickr account