According to a new report by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), entities involved in counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism (CVE) efforts across the world share significant concerns relating to the impacts of COVID-19 and responses to it, with more than two-thirds of respondents believing that COVID-19 has made counter-terrorism and CVE more challenging. The report, “The impacts of the pandemic on terrorism, counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism,” also identified potential long-term impacts and emphasized the importance of human rights and continued resourcing for projects and programmes moving forward.
This analysis has been informed by CTED's dialogue with Member States – including during hybrid assessment visits conducted on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee – and with international and regional organizations. This information has been combined with data collected through a unique survey of 49 CTED partners from across the UN, civil society, academia and the private sector, which gathered their views on the potential long-term impacts of the pandemic. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the findings of the survey and CTED's analysis across key thematic issues and across different regions.
Since publishing its previous analytical paper on the issue in December 2020, CTED has continued to monitor and evaluate COVID-19's relevant impacts. The latest report will feed into a virtual Arria- Formula meeting on 16 June 2021, focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international efforts to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism. The meeting is being organized by Tunisia in cooperation with Estonia, France, Ireland, Kenya, Niger, Norway, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the United Kingdom and Viet Nam. Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of CTED, will be briefing the meeting.
A quick overview of the report is available here; and you can download the full report here.