Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - Assessment Visit

Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts follow-up visit to Tanzania

AKHVEDELID — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 17:26:00 +0000

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The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a follow-up assessment visit on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to the United Republic of Tanzania from 19 to 23 August 2024.

The visiting delegation was led by Marc Porret, CTED Chief of Section for Africa, and consisted of CTED experts as well as experts from the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; the International Maritime Organisation; and the United Nations Development Programme. Tanzania’s delegation was led by Ambassador Noel Kaganda, Director, Department of Multilateral Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.

The visiting delegation met and held a constructive dialogue with a number of officials from various ministries and departments, including: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation; the National Counter-Terrorism Center; the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs; the Tanzanian Police Force; the National Prosecution Service; the Financial Intelligence Unit; the Tanzanian Prisons Service; the Tanzanian Ports Authority; and the Refugee Service. The delegation also visited Julius Nyerere International Airport as well as Dar es Salaam port, to view aviation and maritime security measures in practice.

The follow-up visit enabled the delegation to assess progress made by Tanzania in adopting measures to implement Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant Council resolutions. Country visits are one of the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s key channels to engage and conduct a constructive dialogue with Member States with a view to achieving effective implementation of the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions. The follow-up visit further enabled the delegation to assess the measures taken by Tanzania to implement the recommendations from the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s previous visit in 2006.

The human rights aspects of Tanzania’s counter-terrorism measures and the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism were also discussed. The delegation held separate meetings with the Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance, the Tanzania Shipping Agencies Corporation, the Southern African Development Cooperation (SADC) Regional Counter-Terrorism Center, and with representatives of civil society.

The visiting delegation commended Tanzania for the significant progress made since the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s previous visit, for its continued cooperation and for facilitating a constructive, in-depth dialogue between the visiting experts and their counterparts in Tanzania.

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The Maldives becomes eleventh Member State to brief the Counter-Terrorism Committee on developments since 2019 visit

AKHVEDELID — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 18:17:00 +0000

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On 15 August 2024, Colonel Amanulla Ahmed Rasheed, Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre of the Maldives virtually briefed the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). They are the eleventh Member State to brief the CTC following a visit.

The focus of Colonel Rasheed’s briefing was on the steps taken by the Maldives to implement the recommendations from the Committee’s 2019 assessment visit. Colonel Rasheed also presented the Maldives ongoing efforts in countering and preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the State.

In his intervention, Colonel Rasheed noted the actions taken by the Maldives to enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities, including in the area of legislation, capacity building for security and law enforcement, as well as community-based programmes aimed at promoting social cohesion and resilience.

Following the briefing, Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), reiterated CTED’s appreciation to the Maldives for its active engagement with the Committee and its Executive Directorate, highlighting some of the technical assistance projects CTED had facilitated - in collaboration with the Maldives - in follow up to the assessment. She also commended the Maldives for agreeing to make its visit report available, in full, to CTED's partner organizations via the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Compact Platform, which allows for the provision of technical assistance to be responsive to the identified needs.

Ambassador Ali Naseer Mohamed, Permanent Representative of the Maldives to the United Nations, underlined the Maldives’ ongoing commitment to the global fight against terrorism, echoing ASG Gherman’s remarks regarding the constructive cooperation between the Maldives, the CTC and CTED.

Members of the Committee welcomed the briefing and commended the Maldives for the measures it had taken to implement the Committee’s recommendations.

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CTED concludes follow-up visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan

AKHVEDELID — Fri, 24 May 2024 17:33:00 +0000

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From 20 to 24 May 2024, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), on behalf of the Committee, conducted an assessment visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan in follow-up to the comprehensive visit, which took place in 2016. CTED conducts these visits to assess Member States’ counter-terrorism efforts, including progress made, remaining shortfalls, and priority areas for technical assistance needs, as well as to identify terrorism-related trends and challenges and good practices employed in the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. So far, CTED has visited all Member States in Central Asia with some States visited more than twice.

Assessment visits remain one of the key channels of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) to engage and conduct constructive dialogue with Member States with a view to achieving effective and comprehensive implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism.

The visiting delegation was led by Mr. Ahmed Essmat Seif El-Dawla, CTED Chief of Section (Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East), and comprised a Senior Legal Officer, a Legal Officer, a Human Rights Officer, and an Associate Expert, as well as experts from the following United Nations bodies and international organizations: the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy in Central Asia (UNRCCA); the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (RATS SCO); the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (EAG); the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE); and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The visit enabled the delegation to assess progress made by Kazakhstan in adopting measures to implement Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), 2462 (2019), 2617 (2021), and other relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism.

During the visit to Kazakhstan, the expert discussions focused on counter-terrorism legislation and criminal justice responses to terrorism; international cooperation in criminal matters; measures taken to counter the financing of terrorism; law enforcement; border management; aviation security; measures to counter violent extremism conducive to terrorism; and implementation of national integrated and comprehensive strategy on countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. The human rights aspects of Kazakhstan’s counter-terrorism measures and the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism were also raised during the discussions.

The delegation also held separate meetings with the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the United Nations Country Team, experts from UNODC in Kazakhstan, as well as the head of the OSCE mission in Kazakhstan together with other OSCE experts. The delegation meanwhile held meetings with civil society organizations in the country and made on-site visits to Astana International Airport and the maximum-security Penal Colony No.29 in the Karaganda region.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts first visit to Malawi

BMUSONI — Tue, 07 May 2024 16:32:00 +0000

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Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a visit to Malawi from 22 to 26 April 2024. The assessment, which was a first for Malawi, covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and 2617 (2021).

CTED conducts these visits to assess Member States’ counter-terrorism efforts, including progress made, good practices, remaining challenges, and priority areas for technical assistance needs related to the effective implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions.

The visiting delegation was led by Mr. Marc Porret, CTED Chief of Section for Africa, and consisted of CTED experts on criminal justice, international and regional cooperation, financial law and practice, law enforcement and border control, and human rights. Experts from United Nations bodies and regional and international organizations were also part of the delegation, representing the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Organization for Migration (IOM); and the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG).

In accordance with the practice followed for the Committee’s previous visits, discussions also included the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, as well as human rights, refugee and humanitarian law aspects of counter-terrorism.

As an integral part of the official assessment, the delegation held meetings with representatives of civil society organizations, including a dedicated meeting with women-led civil society organizations, as well as separate meetings with the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office and the development partners community.

The delegation also conducted on-site visits to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, the one-stop border post between Malawi and Zambia, Monkey Bay Port, and held meetings with local government and traditional authorities of Mangochi Boma (close to the border with Mozambique).

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts first visit to the Republic of Chile

AKHVEDELID — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 02:34:00 +0000

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The visiting delegation with representatives of Chile at the maritime port of Valparaíso.

Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a visit to the Republic of Chile from 6 to 9 June 2023. Marking the first time Chile was assessed by the Committee, the visit covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), and 2396 (2017).

The delegation was led by Chief of Section for the Americas and Asia-Pacific, Ms. Elizabeth Joyce, and included CTED experts, as well as representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The assessment, which encompassed a number of meetings with the Government of Chile, enabled the delegation to measure progress made by Chile in terms of implementation of its counter-terrorism obligations. Thematic areas covered included terrorism threats; counter-terrorism legislation; criminal justice and international cooperation in criminal matters; financing of terrorism; countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism; and law enforcement and border management. The assessment also incorporated a site visit to Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport, and a visit to the maritime port of Valparaíso; the latter allowed the border management team, including an expert from IMO, to concentrate in some detail on Chile’s maritime security provisions.

In accordance with the practice followed for other visits by the Committee, discussions focused on the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism, as well as human rights aspects. As an integral part of the official assessment, the delegation also met with representatives of a wide range of civil society organizations and academia in Chile; this meeting was held at the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean headquarters (ECLAC).

Assessment visits are the most important means by which the Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts its dialogue with United Nations Member States. They further allow the visited State to update the Committee on their own assessment of the terrorism threats they face. In addition, the visits provide an opportunity for CTED to identify shortfalls in effective implementation of all relevant counter-terrorism resolutions, as well to learn first-hand about good practices that the Member State may have developed.

Additional photos of the visit can be found here.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts follow-up visit to the Republic of Korea

AKHVEDELID — Thu, 25 May 2023 13:44:00 +0000

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The visiting delegation, led by CTED Executive Director Natalia Gherman, during the opening session with representatives of the Government of the Republic of Korea in Seoul.

Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a visit to the Republic of Korea from 22 to 25 May 2023 in a follow-up to its first visit in 2009. The assessment covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), and 2396 (2017), and focused in particular on updates related to information and communications technologies (ICT). CTED met with the Government of the Republic of Korea, as well as with representatives of the private sector and civil society.

The delegation was led by Assistant Secretary-General and CTED Executive Director, Ms. Natalia Gherman, and included CTED experts, as well as representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

CTED’s Executive Director held bilateral high-level meetings with key counter-terrorism officials, including the Deputy Minister for Multilateral and Global Affairs, the Deputy Minister and Counter-Terrorism Human Rights Protection Officer, the Ambassador of International Security Affairs, the Head of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and the Chief of the Counter-Terrorism Intelligence Integration Centre of the National Intelligence Service. Executive Director Gherman also delivered opening remarks at a roundtable with the private sector and civil society organizations dedicated to the topic of ICT.

“CTED’s visit to the Republic of Korea allows us to build on an already strong relationship with the Republic of Korea, and we look forward to the many ways in which CTED and the Republic of Korea can share expertise and continue to work together on the common goals of preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism,” said Assistant Secretary-General Gherman after a series of high-level meetings with officials.

The visit enabled the delegation to assess progress made by the Republic of Korea since the Committee’s previous visit in 2009. Thematic areas covered included ICT, encompassing new and emerging trends and countering the use of ICT for terrorist purposes, as well as counter-terrorism legislation; criminal justice and international cooperation in criminal matters; financing of terrorism; law enforcement and border management, including aviation and maritime security; and the countering of violent extremism conducive to terrorism. In accordance with the practice followed for the Committee’s previous visits, discussions also included the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism and human rights aspects.
Assessment visits are the most important means by which the Committee conducts its dialogue with Member States. They allow Member States to update the Committee on their own assessment of the terrorism threat they face. In addition, the visits provide an opportunity for CTED to identify shortfalls in effective implementation of the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions, as well to learn first-hand about the good practices that Member States have in place.

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Greece becomes seventh Member State to brief the CTC on developments since 2018 follow-up visit

AKHVEDELID — Mon, 08 May 2023 13:06:00 +0000

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On 20 April 2023, a delegation from the Hellenic Republic of Greece briefed the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) on steps taken by Greece to implement the recommendations from the Committee’s 2018 follow-up visit, and provided updates on the evolving terrorist threats facing Greece. They are the seventh Member State to brief the CTC following a visit.

The delegation of Greece was introduced by Ambassador Antonios Papakostas, chargé d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of Greece to the United Nations, and included Greece’s Special Prosecutor for Terrorism and Organized Crime, representatives from the Counter-Terrorism Division of the Hellenic Police, and the Senior Legal Advisor to Greece’s Ministry of Justice.

Ambassador Papakostas underlined the importance which Greece attaches to its close and fruitful cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee, in the context of Greece’s active participation in multilateral counter-terrorism efforts. The delegation of Greece briefed the Committee on the legislative and operational measures which Greece had taken since the Committee’s visit, including in the areas of criminal justice, countering the financing of terrorism, border management, and international cooperation. The delegation also briefed the Committee on three terrorism investigations which had been undertaken subsequent to the Committee’s visit, and which illustrated the challenges Greece was facing and the measures it had taken in response, in cooperation with regional and international partners.

Members of the Counter-Terrorism Committee welcomed the briefing provided by Greece and the measures it had taken to implement the Committee’s recommendations, noting that this constituted good practice in follow-up to the Committee’s country assessments, which other Member States were encouraged to emulate.

Following the briefing, Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), reiterated CTED's appreciation to Greece for its active engagement with CTED and the Committee across a number of years. She recalled that during the assessment visit itself, the CTC delegation had been struck by the broad range of ministries and departments who were represented and participated actively in discussions. She noted that this active engagement had continued, and that in May 2022 Greece had shared with CTED detailed written observations, providing updates on the steps taken to implement the recommendations from the CTC visit, as well as helpful comments on the stocktaking package which had been prepared by CTED and transmitted to Greece after that visit. She underlined that CTED would continue to draw on these good practices in its engagement with other Member States.

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ASG Gherman leads focused on-site assessment visit to Spain

AKHVEDELID — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 19:09:00 +0000

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The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a focused on-site assessment visit on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to Spain from 24 to 28 April 2023.

The visiting delegation was led by Assistant Secretary-General, Ms. Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of CTED, and consisted of CTED experts as well as experts from the following United Nations bodies and international organizations: the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT); the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; the International Civil Aviation Organization; the International Organization for Migration; the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol); and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

The Executive Director held bilateral high-level meetings with officials from key offices working on counter-terrorism and attended a meeting dedicated to victims of terrorism. The delegation also met and held a constructive dialogue with a number of officials from various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Justice; the Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organized Crime; the General Commissariat of Information within the National Police; and the Information Headquarters of the Civil Guard. The delegation also visited Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas International Airport.

The visit enabled the delegation to assess progress made by Spain in adopting measures to implement Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant Council resolutions. Country visits are one of the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s key channels to engage and conduct a constructive dialogue with Member States with a view to achieving effective implementation of the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions.
The human rights aspects of Spain’s counter-terrorism measures and the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism were also discussed.
The delegation also held separate meetings with the Ombudsman’s Office and with representatives of civil society at the newly established UNOCT office in Spain.
The Executive Director of CTED commended Spain for its continued cooperation and for facilitating a constructive, in-depth dialogue between the visiting experts and their counterparts in Spain.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts first assessment visit to Benin

BMUSONI — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 22:23:00 +0000

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The delegation, led by CTED, conducted an on-site visit to the Akpro-Missérété Prison, and held discussions with the prison’s administration.

Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted its first country assessment visit to the Republic of Benin from 13 to 17 March 2023. The visit concluded the Committee’s hybrid assessment of Benin, following a visit in July 2021 conducted virtually due to travel restrictions related to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The assessment covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), and 2396 (2017), and included engagement with the Government of Benin.

The delegation — led by the CTED Chief of Section for Africa and including other CTED experts as well as representatives of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money-Laundering in West Africa and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel – conducted on-site visits to the Akpro-Missérété Prison, the Cardinal Bernardin Gantin Airport in Cotonou, the Port of Cotonou, the seat of the Court for the Repression of Economic Crimes and Terrorism, the Laboratory of the Technical and Scientific Police Service and the investigation laboratory of the Agency of Computer and Digital Systems. In accordance with Security Council resolution 2617 (2021), the delegation met with representatives of civil society organizations to discuss measures taken by Benin in the area of counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism (CVE) conducive to terrorism as well as the impact of Benin’s counter-terrorism measures on human rights.

Thematic areas covered during the visit included counter-terrorism legislation, criminal justice, and international cooperation in criminal matters; anti-money-laundering/countering the financing of terrorism; law enforcement; border management, including aviation and maritime security; and CVE conducive to terrorism. In accordance with the practice followed for the Committee’s previous visits, the discussions also included the gender dimension and the roles of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee conducts assessment visit to Jordan

BMUSONI — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:13:00 +0000

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Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a country assessment visit to Jordan from 6 to 9 March 2023.

Acting on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a country assessment visit to Jordan from 6 to 9 March 2023. The visit concluded the Committee’s hybrid assessment of Jordan, following a visit conducted virtually in October 2021 due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The assessment covered all relevant Security Council resolutions, including 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), and 2396 (2017), and included engagement with the Government of Jordan.

The delegation — led by the CTED Chief of Section for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, and including other CTED experts, as well as representatives of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) — conducted on-site visits to Queen Alia International Airport and the Military Centre on Counter Terrorism and Extremism. In accordance with Security Council resolution 2617 (2021), the delegation met with representatives of civil society organizations to discuss measures taken by Jordan in the area of counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism (CVE) conducive to terrorism.

Thematic areas covered during the visit included counter-terrorism legislation, criminal justice, and international cooperation in criminal matters; anti-money-laundering/countering the financing of terrorism; law enforcement; border management, including aviation and maritime security; and CVE conducive to terrorism. In accordance with the practice followed for the Committee’s previous visits, the discussions also included human rights aspects of Jordan’s counter-terrorism measures, as well as its incorporation of the gender dimension and the roles of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism.

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