Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - foreign terrorist fighters

Counter-Terrorism Committee adopts updated Global Surveys of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions and Security Council resolution 1624 (2005), respectively, by Member States

AKHVEDELID — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:06:00 +0000

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On 2 November 2021, the Counter-Terrorism Committee adopted the updated edition of its Global survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions by Member States, which is based on the assessment of States’ counter-terrorism efforts by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). Since 2005, CTED has visited 117 Member States and completed a total of 181 comprehensive, focused, regional and follow-up visits.

Regarded as the most comprehensive analytical documents on counter-terrorism in the UN system, the Committee’s Global implementation surveys (GIS) consider where progress has been made and where gaps remain and identify where the international community might most usefully focus its efforts. The surveys also contain global assessments of Member States’ efforts across all major thematic areas addressed by the relevant resolutions. They are updated every few years.

The nature of the global terrorist threat has continued to evolve since the publication of the previous edition of the survey, in 2016, compelling Member States to adapt their policies and approaches to address new challenges and existing gaps in their counter-terrorism measures. Those challenges include the evolution of the foreign terrorist fighter (FTF) threat; the rising threat of terrorism in conflict areas; the emergence of new terrorist methodologies; the growing threat of terrorist attacks on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, along with the growing emergence of some transnational linkages between such terrorist groups and, most recently, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 1373 GIS is a global analysis of the implementation of counter-terrorism measures by all Member States, examined on a regional basis using consistent criteria as an analytical tool. This edition introduces for the first time selected regional spotlights on issues in particular regions that deserve special attention based on a risk-based approach to analysis and the findings of CTED’s recent assessment visits. At the conclusion of each regional subsection, the survey provides a summary of some of the priority recommendations that the Committee has made to Member States since the previous survey to strengthen their implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). CTED hopes that these recommendations will also be useful for other international organizations and bilateral donors working in the field of counter-terrorism.

The Committee also adopted the updated edition of its Global survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) by Member States. The 1624 GIS was prepared by CTED pursuant to the request of the Security Council, contained in its resolution 2395 (2017), that CTED update the previous survey (S/2016/50), issued in January 2016. It contains a detailed regional overview of the steps taken by States to implement Security Council resolutions aimed at countering incitement to commit terrorist acts, violent extremism, and terrorist narratives, focusing primarily on the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005), which calls on all States to prohibit by law incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts. According to CTED’s analysis, as of 1 March 2021, 112 States had expressly criminalized incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts in their national legislation (compared with a figure of “at least 76 States”, as of 1 November 2015).

The survey notes that two other Security Council resolutions are directly relevant to the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). Council resolution 2178 (2014), on the threat to international peace and security posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), contains a provision encouraging States to engage relevant local communities and non-governmental actors in developing strategies “to counter the violent extremist narrative that can incite terrorist acts”. It proposes that this can be achieved by addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism, which can be conducive to terrorism, including by “empowering youth, families, women, religious, cultural and education leaders, and all other concerned groups of civil society”. This approach has come to be known as countering violent extremism (CVE).

The survey also takes into account Security Council resolution 2354 (2017), on the threat to international peace and security posed by terrorist narratives spread by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as Daesh; Al-Qaida; and other terrorist groups. That resolution encourages States to develop programmes to counter terrorist narratives, stressing that States have the primary responsibility in countering terrorist acts and violent extremism conducive to terrorism and noting that counter-narrative efforts “can benefit through engagement with a wide range of actors, including youth, families, women, religious, cultural, and education leaders, and other concerned groups of civil society”.

An overview of the two surveys is available here.

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Heads of United Nations Counter-Terrorism Bodies conclude trilateral joint consultations with Spain and strengthen partnership to support victims of terrorism

BMUSONI — Thu, 14 Feb 2019 17:13:00 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

Madrid, 14 Feb 2019 – On Thursday, a high-level delegation composed of the heads of the main counter-terrorism bodies at the United Nations concluded high-level consultations in Spain at the invitation of the Government. The consultations sought to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and Spain to support victims of terrorism, and discuss common priorities such as Foreign Terrorist Fighters, countering/preventing violent extremism, aviation security, human rights, and civil society engagement.

The delegation to Madrid was jointly led by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT); H.E. Mr. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Peru to the United Nations serving as the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC); and Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).

The high-level delegation met with Mr. Josep Borell, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain; General Felix Sanz Roldan, Director of the National Intelligence Centre; Mr. Jesús Alonso Cristobal, Chief Prosecutor of the National Court (Audiencia Nacional) and other high-ranking officials of the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, as well as intelligence and law enforcement agencies. They also met with civil society organizations and victims of terrorism.

The delegation thanked the Government of Spain for its support towards international efforts to prevent and fight terrorism. “Spain is playing a critical role, especially with regard to supporting victims of terrorism, the Madrid Guiding Principles to address the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, the respect of human rights while countering terrorism and the participation of civil society in these efforts.”

At a ceremony paying tribute to the victims of terrorism in Spain and around the world, held at the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Voronkov said, “For decades, Spain has been leading the efforts of the international community to give a voice and recognition to victims. This has contributed significantly to the establishment of the International Day of Remembrance of/and Tribute to Victims of Terrorism on 21 August. This issue is at the heart of the agenda of the international community. Countries are eager to exchange good practices with Spain on the role of victims associations in strengthening the resilience of our societies in the face of the new challenges posed by transnational terrorism.”

The high-level delegation also participated in a roundtable on “The United Nations Response to the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Threat” at the International Affairs and Foreign Policy Institute (INCIPE). “During the Peruvian Presidency of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (2018-2019), we would like to highlight the nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism as one of the most pressing issues to be further discussed at the Committee’s upcoming thematic briefings in 2019,” said Ambassador Meza-Cuadra.

At a lecture on “The role of the UN in strengthening international cooperation against terrorism,” held at the Diplomatic School of Madrid, Mr. Voronkov and Ms. Coninsx stressed the multilateral dimension of the fight against terrorism and the unique convening power of the United Nations in this regard. “Since the emergence of the foreign terrorist fighters’ phenomenon, the 2015 Madrid Guiding Principles has been a useful tool for Member States in stemming the flow of FTFs, and the recently adopted Addendum will help countries address the emerging threats and challenges related to returning and relocating FTFs including the need to support victims of terrorism,” Ms. Coninsx emphasized during the meetings while also acknowledging Spain’s counter terrorism efforts.

During the visit, Mr. Voronkov and Ms Coninsx also discussed with several interlocutors the protection of critical infrastructure such as sports venues against terrorist attacks. In this context, they met with the Director of Security and the Director of Technology of Real Madrid C.F.

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For more information, please contact:

Laurence Gerard, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT),gerardl@un.org

Vijai Singh, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED),vijai.singh@un.org

Carlos Jimenez Renjifo, Desk Officer for Spain and Andorra, UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe (UNRIC), Brussels, jimenezc@un.org

Background

This joint high-level consultation was conducted within the framework of the joint efforts of UNOCT, CTC and CTED to reach out to Member States that are affected by terrorism and the FTFs phenomenon. The joint efforts also are conducted in accordance with Security Council resolution 2395 (2017), in which the Council underscored the need for the two entities to work closely together, within their respective mandates, to ensure balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

Mandated by the General Assembly, the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established in June 2017 to provide leadership to the implementation of General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates, to enhance coordination and coherence, and to strengthen the delivery of the United Nations counter-terrorism capacity building assistance to Member States. Mr. Vladimir Voronkov was appointed as Under-Secretary-General of the Office on 21 June 2017.

Established by the Security Council, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) is a Special Political Mission of the United Nations, tasked with assisting the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee in monitoring the effective implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant counter-terrorism resolutions. CTED conducts on site country assessment visits with Member States’ approval to identify progress made and remaining challenges in addressing threats posed by terrorists to international peace and security. The findings of the assessment visit also constitute the basis for the concerned technical assistance and capacity-building projects. Michèle Coninsx was appointed Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on 11 August 2017.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) was established by Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), which was adopted unanimously on 28 September 2001 in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States. The Committee, comprising of all 15 Security Council members, was tasked with monitoring implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), which requested countries to implement a number of measures intended to enhance their legal, institutional and operational abilities to counter terrorist activities at home, in their regions and around the world. On 1 January 2018, H.E. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Peru to the United Nations, was appointed Chair of CTC.

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New CTED Trends Report stresses challenges stemming from returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters

AKHVEDELID — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 05:55:00 +0000

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) today issued its latest Trends Report.¹ Titled “The Challenge of Returning and Relocating Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Research Perspectives,” the report outlines a number of issues United Nations Member States are facing related to foreign terrorist fighters.

The current wave of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) shows clear differences compared to previous waves. The present wave is larger, increasingly global, and more diverse in terms of age, gender, and experience in conflict zones. These differences make the potential challenges associated with returnees and relocators significantly greater, but also more complex. One key challenge for Member States is to establish which returning individuals may pose a threat, or act as facilitators for acts of terrorism, in the future.

Despite military progress and enhanced counter-measures by Member States, the fate and location of a large proportion of foreign terrorist fighters is uncertain. Identifying and locating these remaining FTFs remains a critical priority for the international community, and is a major focus of the measures included in Security Council resolution 2396 (2017).

This resolution calls on Member States to develop tailored prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration strategies, including programmes that address radicalization in prisons, or are focused on the needs of children associated with foreign terrorist fighters.

The complete CTED Trends Report is available here

For additional information, please contact Mattias Sundholm, CTED, at this email address, or +1-917-628-3531.

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CTED conducts follow-up visit to Greece

AKHVEDELID — Thu, 01 Feb 2018 06:21:00 +0000

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The visiting delegation with Greek authorities.

Acting on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a three-day follow-up visit to Greece from 30 January to 1 February 2018. The aim of the visit was to discuss Greece’s progress in implementing Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), and 2178 (2014), on stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs).

In welcoming the delegation, H.E Ambassador Dimitrios Paraskevopoulos, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the need for multilateral responses to the evolving terrorist threat and the crucial role to be played by the UN in this regard. He also stressed the need for comprehensive responses to terrorism that incorporated both preventive and repressive measures.

The visiting delegation with Greek authorities.
The delegation’s discussions with the Government focused on legislation and judicial practice, counter-financing of terrorism, law enforcement, border control, international cooperation, countering violent extremism that leads to terrorism, the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism, and the need for rule-of-law-based responses to terrorism.

Outside the capital, the delegation visited the island of Kos to assess border-management measures, including measures to stem the movement of FTFs.

The delegation welcomed Greece’s development of a draft national strategy for countering terrorism and violent extremism and discussed with the Government ways to ensure its effective implementation. The delegation also discussed measures taken by Greece to address domestic terrorism, prevent radicalization, and strengthen international and regional cooperation.

Greece reaffirmed its strong commitment to countering terrorism in all its aspects, including the phenomena of FTFs and FTF returnees, as well as abuse of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes, noted that its preparations for the visit had facilitated its review of measures taken in the area of countering terrorism and violent extremism, and reaffirmed its wish to continue its constructive dialogue with the Committee.

Mr. Ahmed Seif El Dawla, CTED Chief of Section and Head of Delegation, noted that Greece had made significant progress in its implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, despite the impact of the recent financial crisis and large-scale migrant influx. He also commended Greece for the high level of cooperation and engagement demonstrated during the visit.

The visiting delegation also included representatives of the European Police Office (Europol), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and UN Women.

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Major challenges remain, Executive Director of CTED tells Security Council in meeting on foreign terrorist fighters

BMUSONI — Tue, 28 Nov 2017 17:03:00 +0000

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Although Member States have made progress in many areas to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, major challenges still remain, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) told the Security Council in a meeting on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. In her first briefing to the Council, on 28 November 2017, ASG Coninsx provided a number of examples of existing gaps in the implementation of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014). Fewer than 60 States have so far introduced measures requiring airlines to provide advance passenger information (or API) – meaning that for over 100 Member States verifying the possible presence of a foreign terrorist fighter onboard an aircraft is very difficult. Furthermore, many States still require assistance in establishing the necessary connectivity between national databases and border posts.

In terms of the phenomenon of so-called lone actors perpetrating terrorist acts, ASG Coninsx stressed that they often have received support or resources from elsewhere, including via the Internet or social media. Terrorists are also increasingly using new technologies to transfer funds to such individuals.

“If we are to continue to make progress in promoting and implementing […] the resolution, we must continue to strengthen the partnerships between and among Member States, UN agencies, and partner organizations. Or, to put it another way: it takes networks to beat networks,” ASG Coninsx concluded.

Watch ASG Coninsx’ briefing to the Security Council here.

Watch the webcast of the entire meeting here.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee holds briefing on returning foreign terrorist fighters

BMUSONI — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 15:07:00 +0000

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As ISIL (Da’esh) continues to lose territory in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, it has moved into a new phase, marked in particular by the geographical dispersal of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), and by the increase in attacks carried out against critical infrastructure and civilian (“soft”) targets. In this regard the Chairman of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Egypt’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Amr Aboulatta, highlighted that the global terrorist threat is evolving in scale and complexity.

This creates additional challenges for law enforcement and judicial officers, including relating to the collection, preservation, and sharing of evidence obtained in conflict and post-conflict settings that is admissible in criminal courts. On 8 November 2017, the CTC held a well-attended informal open briefing that focused on legal issues and emerging challenges relating to the treatment and prosecution of FTFs, including returnees.

In the first session, a CTED expert and Queen’s Counsel Brigadier-General (retired) Kenneth Watkin underscored the importance of a law enforcement and criminal justice approach to countering terrorism, which is based on human rights compliant arrest and detention over the killing of a suspect. The speakers focused on the role of the military in evidence collection for the investigation and prosecution of terrorists who commit terrorist acts in conflict zones.

In the second session, CTED underscored the importance of effective border management, including the so-called 4th digital border of the Internet, including the Dark web. In countering this challenge, INTERPOL emphasized cooperation and preemptive action to ensure access to the right information at the right time, including by making full use of databases and biometrics at the disposal of States.

Thanking the Members of the Committee and UN colleagues for the warm welcome she had received, CTED’s new Executive Director, Assistant Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, stressed the need to prevent terrorist acts by fighting impunity and bringing terrorists to justice. She also highlighted the unique nature of CTED’s analytical work which draws on its assessments, broad network of partners, and in-depth knowledge of its experts.

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The XVI meeting of Heads of special services, security agencies, and law-enforcement organizations stresses threat posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters

BMUSONI — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 14:07:00 +0000

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Participants in this major global security forum focused on complex problems related to foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) returning from the conflict zones in Iraq and Syria and posing serious terrorist threat.

Mr. Aleksandr Bortnikov, Director of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB), reading out a statement on behalf of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that it was premature to expect that international terrorism would be quickly defeated.

“The main danger stems from returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) who set up underground terrorist networks upon their return to their countries of origin”, he said.

“In reaction to the military campaigns conducted in Syria and Iraq, terrorists are changing tactics and transferring their main forces to other States and other parts of the world”, he added.

Mr. Bortnikov was addressing the XVI Meeting of Heads of Special Services, Security Agencies and Law-Enforcement Organizations, hosted by the FSB in Krasnodar on 4 and 5 October 2017.

The Meeting was attended by over 330 delegates from 75 States and international organizations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the European Union.

Mr. Andrei Kovalenko, Head of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED)’s Administration and Information Office, who was delivering a statement on behalf of the Chair of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) stressed the vital role played by the Meeting.

“The Meeting plays a vital role in enhancing cooperation among special services, security agencies and law enforcement organizations from around the world in the global fight against terrorism”, he said.

He also recalled that Security Council resolution 2322 (2016), on international law enforcement and judicial cooperation in countering terrorism, was of direct relevance to the Meeting’s work.

He urged participants to raise awareness of the resolution’s provisions on strengthening intelligence cooperation, including by downgrading for official use intelligence threat data on FTFs and individual terrorists and provide such information to frontline screeners.

Mr. Kovalenko also briefed participants on the efforts of the CTC and CTED to strengthen public-private partnerships in preventing terrorist abuse of information and communications technologies (ICT).

The Meeting further dwelt on terrorist threats to international information security; countering radicalization, extremism and terrorist recruitment (including countering the spread of radical religious teachings in prisons and terrorist recruitment of individuals serving imprisonment terms); and security arrangements for major international events.

The participants reaffirmed the Meeting’s commitment to the creation of a united global counter-terrorism alliance of security intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, with the United Nations playing a central coordinating role.

They also reaffirmed their commitment to the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and to the relevant Council resolutions on terrorism.

The sharing of operational intelligence regarding international terrorist organizations and FTFs would be expanded, and steps would be taken to improve cooperation among security intelligence and law enforcement agencies, including through the UN, in preventing terrorist abuse of ICT.

The FSB’s International Counterterrorism Database should be fully utilized to create a universal counter-terrorism information environment.

The participants also issued a joint statement in support of Security Council resolution 2354 (2017) and the Comprehensive International Framework to Counter Terrorist Narratives endorsed by the resolution, as well as Security Council resolution 1624 (2005), on countering incitement to commit terrorist acts.

A Communique of the event can be downloaded here.

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