Counter-Terrorism Committee holds open briefing on Addendum to the guiding principles on foreign terrorist fighters (2018)

BMUSONI — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 10:18:00 +0000

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In order to raise awareness and strengthen the understanding of the Addendum to the Madrid Guiding Principles, the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) held an open briefing in New York on this theme on 22 February 2019. A practical tool to assist Member States in stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), the Madrid Guiding Principles were identified at a Special meeting of the Committee 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 – and did so in December 2018.

“While several of the world’s deadliest terrorist organizations, including ISIL, have been weakened, and the number of FTFs returning and relocating is lower than expected, the threat they pose can at any time be exacerbated by a number of persistent factors. Returning and relocating FTFs could spread the threat of terrorism to new territories and increase conflicts. The release of convicted FTFs from prison may also continue to present long-term challenges. Family members accompanying or associated with FTFs, including women and children, may also require long-term rehabilitation and reintegration assistance. Although Member States have made progress in addressing these challenges, many of the conditions that were conducive to the emergence of the FTF phenomenon remain in place,” said H.E. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations and Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. “Continued implementation of the Madrid Guiding Principles and the Addendum could play a significant role in addressing these threats,” he added.

The open briefing was well attended.

The open briefing touched on the need to address radicalization and recruitment to terrorism, including through risk-assessment tools, and intervention and prison programmes. These are areas new to Member States and to which the Addendum offers specific and much-needed guidance. There are also Guiding Principles related to children and children’s rights in several areas, including watchlists & databases, biometric identification, and prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration (PRR) strategies.

“The Madrid Guiding Principles and the Addendum contain detailed and specific guidance to ensure that the relevant tools and strategies are deployed and implemented in a manner that is compliant with domestic law and international obligations,” said Assistant Secretary-General, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Michèle Coninsx.

The Addendum, which contains 17 new Guiding Principles in addition to the 35 contained in the document agreed to in Madrid, is available in all UN languages and can be accessed here.

Additional information:

Agenda for the open briefing.

CTED PowerPoint presentation on 2018 Addendum to the guiding principles on foreign terrorist fighters. Download

More photos from the meeting can be found on CTED’s Flickr.

Front Page Article:

Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee adopts Addendum to principles on foreign fighters

AKHVEDELID — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 18:36:00 +0000

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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.

Front Page Article:

Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - Addendum to the Madrid Guiding Principles

Counter-Terrorism Committee holds open briefing on Addendum to the guiding principles on foreign terrorist fighters (2018)

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Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee adopts Addendum to principles on foreign fighters

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