27 December 2018, the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) formally adopted Addendum to the so-called Madrid Guiding Principles. Designed as a practical tool to assist Member States in stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), the original principles were identified at a Special meeting by the CTC held in Madrid in July 2015. In light of important developments since, including the adoption by the Security Council of its resolution 2396 (2017) that focuses on returning and relocating FTFs, the Committee saw a need to update these principles.
“I welcome today’s adoption, by the Counter-Terrorism Committee, of the Addendum,” said H.E. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, and Chair of the CTC. “I also wish to thank my fellow CTC members, including those that are soon to leave the Council, for their constructive and collegial efforts in negotiating and eventually reaching this agreement.”
The adoption of the Addendum followed extensive consultations with a broad range of stakeholders, including through an exchange with civil society representatives, a Chair’s briefing to the wider membership of the United Nations, input from academia, and a Special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee that included engagement with international and regional organizations, as well as with practitioners and experts, to better understand how to address the challenges from the constantly evolving phenomenon.
“The Addendum marks an important milestone in our collective efforts to tackle the complex threat that FTFs represent, as highlighted by the Security Council,” said United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Michèle Coninsx. “CTED remains determined to do everything in our capacity to assist the Committee in its monitoring of the effective implementation of all relevant resolutions.”
The Addendum can be accessed here.