Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - UNODC

Counter-Terrorism Committee holds second informal meeting on counter-terrorism technical assistance needs for Iraq

BMUSONI — Wed, 31 May 2017 16:13:00 +0000

On 31 May 2017, the Counter-Terrorism Committee held a second informal meeting on the counter-terrorism-related technical assistance needs of the Republic of Iraq. The aim of the meeting was to follow-up with implementing partners and Iraqi officials on progress achieved since the first informal, held in March 2016, which focused on the 16 priority technical assistance needs identified during the Executive Directorate’s (CTED) visit to Iraq on behalf of the Committee.

The meeting gathered Members of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, representatives of Iraq and over a dozen other Member States, as well as UN entities and international and regional organizations, including the 1267 Committee Monitoring Team, ICAO, UNMAS, UNODC, UN Women, the IMF, the World Bank, the European Union, NATO, and the Global Center on Cooperative Security.

Chairman of the Committee, H.E. Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, highlighted the importance of cooperation in order to achieve tangible results and to counter terrorism in all its forms. “The presence of Da’esh, Al-Qaida, and other terrorist groups continues to test the limits of Iraq’s resources, as the authorities struggle to prevent acts of terrorism; to investigate attacks and prosecute alleged perpetrators; and cooperate with regional and international partners, particularly on matters relating to foreign terrorist fighters. The support of the international community thus remains crucial,” Ambassador Aboulatta said.

In the meeting, all implementing partners voiced their endorsement of the Counter-Terrorism Committee assessment on priority counter-terrorism related technical assistance needs for Iraq, and outlined how they are putting these to good use in the planning and implementation of their assistance.

“I wish to command Iraq for all their efforts in countering the threat posed by Dae’sh and being amongst those in the forefront in fighting this terrorist group. Indeed, Iraq has introduced a number of measures to enhance its legislative and law enforcement framework in line with the international best codes and standards on counter-terrorism. Still, much work remains to be done and Iraq needs our support, stressed the Executive Director of CTED, Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde, in his closing remarks. He further noted that Da’esh has been increasingly resorting to the use of civilians as human shields: “Here, I wish once again to pay my deepest respects to Iraqi citizens who have sacrificed their lives in fighting for a free, united Iraq. Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.”

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts follow-up visit to Senegal

BMUSONI — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 09:18:00 +0000

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From 27 to 29 March 2017, the Counter-Terrorism Committee – represented by its Executive Directorate (CTED) – conducted a follow-up visit to Senegal. The aim of the official visit was threefold: To (1) monitor the implementation by Senegal of recommendations made following the Committee’s 2009 visit; (2) monitor the implementation by Senegal of relevant requirements of Security Council resolutions 1624 (20015), 2178 (2014), and 2322 (2016); and (3) identify new technical assistance needs and areas in which Senegal might benefit from technical assistance to meet its obligations pursuant to the resolutions mentioned above, as well as good practices that might be shared with other Member States.

Led by Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of CTED, Mr. Jean-Paul Laborde, the delegation was composed of experts from CTED, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the 51�Թ� Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC/TPB). A representative of the 51�Թ� Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) also joined the visit.

During the visit, the Executive Director met with the Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior and Public Safety, le Délegué général aux renseignements, the Attorney General, the President of the Supreme Court, the Counter-terrorism judicial unit . The delegation also visited the Port and the Airport of Dakar, as well as a border post, “Diama,” on the border with Mauritania. Members of the delegation further engaged with the 51�Թ� Resident Coordinator, the UN Country Team, and donors.

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The European Union, UNODC, and CTED partner to support Nigeria to manage individuals associated with Boko Haram

BMUSONI — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 21:58:00 +0000

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How can a country effectively prosecute, rehabilitate, and reintegrate former terrorists? This is a challenge for several Member States of the 51�Թ�. In the case of Nigeria, it is most pressing with respect to persons associated with Boko Haram – be they suspects, offenders, or individuals who have surrendered. In response to a request from the Nigerian Office of the National Security Advisor, the 51�Թ� Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the 51�Թ� Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), with funding from the European Union, held high-level and technical consultations on this theme in Abuja from 13 to 15 December 2016.

Bringing together experts from Member States that have faced similar challenges, the consultations included representatives of Algeria, Kenya, Sri Lanka, and South Africa who shared good practices and lessons learned. Also experts from international organizations participated. Nigerian officials, representing 31 entities including from the six most affected states, highlighted progress achieved and challenges remaining in implementing a criminal justice-based approach to the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of former members of Boko Haram.

As a result of these consultations, Nigeria identified the need to further clarify its goals for a successful criminal justice framework, including developing an effective prosecution strategy and robust criteria for pursuing alternative rehabilitation and reintegration approaches.

The consultations were part of an ongoing EU-Nigeria-UNODC-CTED partnership project funded by the European Union. Applying human rights-compliant criminal justice measures, the project aims to support Nigeria to bring terrorists to justice and to prevent further acts of terrorism. It focuses on strengthening the capacity of Nigerian criminal justice officials to effectively investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorism cases, in accordance with the rule of law.

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North-East Asian nations meet to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation

BMUSONI — Thu, 26 Nov 2015 22:29:00 +0000

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Representatives, judges, prosecutors and police officers from China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia and the Republic of Korea attended a workshop, held at the 51�Թ� in Bangkok from 21 to 23 October 2015, to discuss issues relating to effective methods for countering terrorism through closer cooperation.

The workshop, facilitated by CTED, was the first ever such regional workshop held for the countries of North-East Asia, and was aimed at identifying areas of common interest and closer cooperation at the practitioner level.

The relevant Security Council resolutions affirm that terrorism in all forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, stress the need to ensure that counter-terrorism remains a priority on the international agenda, and call for closer international cooperation to deal with new terrorism threats and challenges.

The Bangkok gathering provided an opportunity for participants to exchange views on recent trends in terrorist typologies, proliferation financing, and case studies on combating money-laundering and terrorism financing. Participants welcomed the opportunity to interact and expressed the desire to continue their discussions with a view to strengthening regional cooperation.

CTED was supported by relevant UN departments, the expert group of the of the Security Council “1540 Committee”, UNODC/TPB and INTERPOL, as well as donor States and independent resource experts.

A similar process in South Asia has brought together around 300 senior judges, prosecutors, and police officials from all countries of the South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), as well as practitioners from Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The process has involved 10 workshops, held over a seven-year period, aimed at promoting dialogue and cooperation among counter-terrorism experts of the region.

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South Asia: Working towards international cooperation in terrorism prevention

BMUSONI — Tue, 26 May 2015 16:03:00 +0000

In order to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts at the national and regional levels, the 51�Թ� Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Government of Nepal, and the 51�Թ� Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in March 2015 organised a workshop for South Asian countries on ‘Strengthening International Cooperation in Criminal Matters with a Focus on Terrorism Cases’ in Kathmandu, Nepal. Bringing together high-level policy-makers and criminal justice experts and officials from all eight SAARC countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka) and beyond, the workshop provided an opportunity for the sharing of experiences in the area of international and regional cooperation in criminal matters. Experts from INTERPOL and the Commonwealth Secretariat presented their respective cooperation mechanisms, including case work and live examples. Each national delegation provided the workshop participants with information on their existing national legislative frameworks and mechanisms for international cooperation with a particular focus on mutual legal assistance and extradition. While acknowledging the need for such formal mechanisms, workshop participants also underlined the importance of establishing and using ways of informal cooperation.

The workshop – which was conducted under the UNODC global project “Strengthening the legal regime against terrorism,” with financial support from the United States of America – served as a platform for reflection as to the identification of possible gaps and required amendments to existing frameworks.

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