United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee

Combating terrorism and the use of fraudulent travel documents

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 EST

With most States now issuing machine-readable travel documents (MRTDs) to their citizens, these documents have become a global standard in preventing fraud and identity theft. Close to 100 States go a step further and issue electronic passports.

Committee and its Executive Directorate report on achievements

Mon, 16 April 2012 00:00:00 EST

Counter-Terrorism Committee Chairman Hardeep Singh Puri and CTED Executive Director Mike Smith on Monday 9 April 2012 briefed the UN membership on achievements over the past nine months. The Committee has been monitoring global counter-terrorism efforts for more than a decade, following the guidance of Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005). Its Executive Directorate, created in 2004, assists the Committee in its work.

Workshop promotes regional counter-terrorism cooperation in South Asia

Fri, 23 March 2012 00:00:00 EST

Countering terrorism effectively was the subject of the Fifth Workshop for Police Officers, Prosecutors and Judges in South Asia, held in New Delhi from 20 to 22 March 2012. The regional workshop was hosted by the Government of India, in association with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). The event was organized by the Washington, D.C.-based Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation (in partnership with the Observer Research Foundation) and funded by the Governments of India and Denmark.

Netherlands Counterterrorism Coordinator visits CTED

Fri, 24 February 2012 00:00:00 EST

The view that Member States should prioritize the development of comprehensive and integrated national counterterrorism strategies is one shared by Mr. Weixiong Chen, Deputy Executive Director of CTED, and Mr. Erik Akerboom, National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security of the Netherlands, who met in New York on 23 February 2012.

Committee hears of global coordination efforts from Russian security expert

Mon, 13 February 2012 00:00:00 EST

Speaking on behalf of the Meeting of Heads of Special Services, Security Agencies, and Law-Enforcement Organizations, Mr. Aleksey F. Kuzyura of Russia�s Federal Security Service briefed the Counter-Terrorism Committee on the Meeting�s practical contribution to the global counter-terrorism effort over the past decade. Since the first Meeting, participants had worked to help consolidate and coordinate security intelligence and law enforcement efforts around the globe, Mr. Kuzyura told the Committee on 2 February 2012. The Meeting also served to broaden interaction among national authorities and used existing mechanisms to that end.

Incitement to commit terrorist acts and violent extremism, the focus of regional workshop in East Africa

Fri, 09 December 2011 00:00:00 EST

Over recent years, incitement to commit terrorist acts, extremism and radicalization leading to violence have emerged as issues of serious concern to the international community. "The advocacy of extremist views poses a real danger to communities around the world," said Mike Smith, head of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), at a regional workshop on incitement and violent extremism held in Nairobi last week. Confronting the threat is difficult. "While acts of terrorism are brutally simple in their shocking destruction of innocent life, the processes that lead to acts of terrorism are often quite complex," said Mr. Smith. He added that understanding the factors conducive to terrorism could help States identify ways to prevent individuals from acting on their "deadly, horrific impulses."

CTED mission to Myanmar fosters dialogue and understanding on counter-terrorism

Tue, 06 December 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted its first comprehensive visit to Myanmar from 21 to 25 November 2011. The delegation visited Myanmar to monitor and promote the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1373 and 1624. Since 2005, CTED has completed 65 visits to Member States of the United Nations, including all 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Myanmar belongs to.

Preventing the illicit flow of money to fund terrorism

Mon, 05 December 2011 00:00:00 EST

Terrorists and organized criminal groups have turned to informal methods to move money across international borders in an attempt to circumvent anti-money-laundering and counter-financing of terrorism controls in the formal financial sector. One such method is to employ couriers to carry large sums of cash or monetary instruments (some of which may be the proceeds of serious criminal offences) across borders, thus avoiding audit trails and other detection methods employed by the formal financial sector. In many cases, the funds are used to support terrorist activities.

Effective counter-terrorism policies are based on "strict observance of human rights standards," says Special Rapporteur Ben Emmerson

Wed, 26 October 2011 00:00:00 EST

Ben Emmerson, the newly appointed Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, last week briefed the Counter-Terrorism Committee on his future work and outlined areas of common interest. At the Committee's meeting of 20 October 2011, Mr. Emmerson told members that he would focus during his tenure on the rights of victims of terrorism and the prevention of terrorism.

CTED presents global counter-terrorism survey

Fri, 7 October 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Global Implementation Survey (GIS) the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) released in September 2011 provides information on the state of counter-terrorism around the world as it relates to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373. CTED experts relied primarily on information submitted by Member States and partner organizations, reports of country visits, and regional workshops as the basis for the publication. The survey is divided geographically and focuses on the main thematic areas contained in resolution 1373.

Counter-Terrorism Committee urges States to "ensure zero tolerance to terrorism

Thu, 29 September 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee held a special meeting on 28 September to mark the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 and urged "all Member States to ensure zero tolerance towards terrorism and take urgent action to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." Representatives of Member States, UN entities, and other international and regional organizations shared their views on counter-terrorism during the day-long event at UN Headquarters in New York. Their opinions on progress made so far in the implementation of resolution 1373 and the future work of the Committee were captured in the outcome document the Committee approved at the end of its special meeting.

Counter-terrorism: 10 years of Security Council resolution 1373

Wed, 28 September 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee of the Security Council marks today the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1373 with a special meeting at UN Headquarters in New York. During the meeting, Member States, UN entities and other international and regional organizations will examine progress achieved so far in implementing the resolution and share views on future activities of the Committee.

More than international military cooperation needed to thwart terrorism, says NATO's G�bor Ikl�dy

Wed, 14 September 2011 00:00:00 EST

Terrorists often operate in small groups or as individuals, independently of their Governments and out of step with the majority of their fellow citizens. Defeating them requires more than armed forces. "We have to clearly understand that terrorist attacks cannot be deterred by the threat of military retaliation, nor will large-scale military operations be the most appropriate response to terrorism in most cases," said Ambassador G�bor Ikl�dy, Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Workshop Addresses Challenges of Prosecuting Terrorists

Mon, 25 July 2011 00:00:00 EST

When terrorists are prosecuted for their actions, often information gathered through the use of intelligence, informers or undercover operatives needs to be presented to the court to prove the case. The introduction of such evidence can prove challenging for many judicial systems and is just one reason why terrorism cases raise particular professional issues for prosecutors in many parts of the world.�With this in mind, the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), with support from the Governments of the United States of America and Turkey, drew�prominent prosecutors from around the world, to Ankara, Turkey for a workshop from 18 to 20 July 2011.�Along with representatives from regional and international organizations, the prosecutors discussed a range of challenges that criminal justice systems face in prosecuting terrorists while respecting the rule of law and human rights.

CTED and ASEANAPOL pledge to strengthen cooperation

Mon, 27 June 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the ASEANAPOL (Chiefs of Police of ASEAN member States) Secretariat have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in countering terrorism in the subregion of Southeast Asia. The two entities met for the first time on 13 June 2011 at the ASEANAPOL Secretariat in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Financing of terrorism in South-East Europe, the focus of regional workshop

Fri, 24 June 2011 00:00:00 EST

National law enforcement and financial intelligence experts from South-East Europe countries will participate in a regional workshop on countering the financing of terrorism to take place in Belgrade, Serbia, from 29 to 30 June 2011. The two-day event is organized by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative Center on combating trans-border crime (SECI Center) and the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Government of Serbia will host the event.

CTED holds regional workshop in Bhutan

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation held a regional workshop in Thimphu, Bhutan, from 24 to 26 May 2011 on effectively countering terrorism. Like previous events organized in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, the workshop in Bhutan sought to identify effective approaches that can be applied to South Asia and are grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law. Participants included senior police officers, prosecutors and judges from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

UNHCR's Erika Feller calls for better balance between security and refugee protection

Mon, 23 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

Refugees did not have a choice. They fled their homelands in search for protection from violence, war and persecution. Currently, there are 43 million uprooted people in the world, more than 11 million of whom are asylum seekers or refugees in need of humanitarian aid. Yet their plight is at times misunderstood. "It is an increasing fight to prevent refugees being mischaracterized as illegal immigrants, common criminals or, worse, potential terrorists in the minds of people and Governments," said Erika Feller, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Report of the Committee on practitioners' seminar sheds light on complexity of bringing terrorists to justice

Wed, 04 May 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Security Council report published in all official languages of the United Nations (S/2011/24) summarizes the conclusions of an international seminar organized by the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate (CTED) on bringing terrorists to justice. The seminar brought together 19 prominent counter-terrorism prosecutors from different regions of the world, as well as representatives of international, regional and subregional organizations. The report highlights the difficulties criminal justice systems face due to unusual and challenging case-management issues. Investigation methods, handling evidence and classified information, witness protection, the use of sophisticated technology and extradition are some of the issues prosecutors need to consider in proceeding with terrorism cases.

Counter-Terrorism Committee to hold special meeting in Strasbourg

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, with the support of the Council of Europe, will hold a special meeting on the theme "Prevention of Terrorism" from 19 to 21 April 2011 in Strasbourg, France. This will be the sixth special meeting in the Committee�s 10-year history. Special meetings, most of which have been conducted away from New York, give the Committee an opportunity to discuss various elements of the United Nations counter-terrorism framework with international, regional and subregional organizations. Representatives from more than 50 States and 40 organizations and entities will take part in the meeting in Strasbourg. The list also includes 7 experts drawn from civil society.

Securing the borders of the Maghreb and the Sahel

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

While States in the Maghreb and Sahel subregions of Africa struggle to manage thousands of kilometres of porous borders, organized criminals and terrorist groups try to exploit vulnerabilities and take advantage of the subregions' strategic location.

CTC adopts Plan of Action for the implementation of resolution 1624

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) adopted on 31 March a Plan of Action to assist Member Sates in the implementation of Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) on terrorist incitement and violent extremism.

CTED strengthens ties with South-East Asia regional training centre

Thu, 31 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

A CTED delegation visited the headquarters of the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) in Bangkok on 25 March 2011 to discuss opportunities for future cooperation. "We hope to establish closer relations between regional mechanisms and the United Nations", said Mr. Chen Weixiong, Acting Head of the CTED Assessment and Technical Assistance Office. "Regional training centres like ILEA have much to offer in terms of strengthening the capacity of States to counter terrorism", he added.

Regional efforts to prevent abuse of the non-profit sector for terrorism financing purposes

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

The first of a series of regional workshops on preventing abuse of the non-profit sector for the purpose of terrorism financing was held in Bangkok in March 2011. The event was designed for South and South-East Asian States and is part of a three-year global initiative led by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED).

CTC Chair: Cooperation with OAS to strengthen and expand further

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Hardeep Singh Puri, together with the Deputy Executive Director of CTED, Howard Stoffer, and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Jos� Miguel Insulza, agreed in a meeting in Washington D.C. on 17 March to continue to build on the �excellent cooperation� between their two institutional bodies.

OSCE Secretary General: Global and integrated response key to success in combating terrorism

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, briefed the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) yesterday on the regional organization's activities to counter terrorism and highlighted the importance of a global and integrated response. "The more closely we work together, the better our chances to identify terrorist trends and devise effective countermeasures," Ambassador de Brichambaut told the Security Council Committee.

Preventing abuse of the non-profit sector to finance terrorism

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) three-year global initiative to prevent abuse of the charitable sector for the purpose of terrorism financing was launched in London on 18 January by the British Minister of State for Security, Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones.

Ambassador of India to chair Counter-Terrorism Committee

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EST

On January 4, the Security Council elected the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, as the chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for the year 2011. Mr. Puri replaces the Ambassador of Turkey, one of five countries to finish its two-year term as a member of the Security Council in December.

Security Council extends CTED mandate for three years

Thu, 23 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Security Council extended on 20 December the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) as a political mission until the end of the year 2013. In its resolution, the Council also urged the expert body to continue assisting States in their efforts to prevent and combat terrorism. Created in 2004, CTED supports the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in monitoring the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), which deal with threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

CTED presents directory of good practices relevant to incitement to commit terrorist acts

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) presented on 16 December an international directory of good practices, codes and standards aimed at assisting Member States in the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1624 (2005), which requests States to prohibit and prevent incitement to commit terrorist acts. The directory is the first reference tool CTED distributes on incitement to commit terrorist acts, extremism and radicalization leading to violence, which are issues of serious concern to the international community.

Central Asia: Countering incitement and violent extremism, the focus of meeting in Tashkent

Fri, 19 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Experts from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan addressed the threat of incitement and violent extremism leading to terrorism at a regional seminar held in Tashkent from 9 to 10 December 2010. Organized by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Action against Terrorism Unit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), in association with the Government of Uzbekistan, the seminar brought together international, regional and national authorities to discuss effective strategies to prevent incitement to commit terrorist acts.

Counter-terrorism event highlights successes and challenges in bringing terrorists to justice

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 EST

Senior counter-terrorism prosecutors and experts from around the world shared their views and experience in bringing terrorists to justice at a seminar hosted by the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) from 1 to 3 December 2010 at UN Headquarters in New York.