The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review

A/RES/72/284View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 118 The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, published in 2017.

What other versions does this mandate have?

4 versions · 2012–2018

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2018	A/RES/72/284	The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review	8,861	34%Compare
2016	A/RES/70/291	The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review	7,070	43%Compare
2014	A/RES/68/276	The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review	3,431	43%Compare
2012	A/RES/66/282	The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review	1,697	–

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report · 2019

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2019	A/73/866	Options on ways to assess the impact and progress made in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by the United Nations system report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/72/284

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 subjects

Capacity Building Coordination Within UN System Counter-Terrorism International Cooperation Technical Cooperation Terrorism

What’s in this document?

85 operative paragraphs

Reiterates its strong and unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes;

Reaffirms the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy⁵ and its four pillars, which constitute an ongoing effort, and calls upon Member States, the United Nations and other appropriate international, regional and subregional organizations to step up their efforts to implement the Strategy in an integrated and balanced manner and in all its aspects;

⁵Resolution 60/288.

Stresses the importance of keeping the Strategy relevant and contemporary in the light of emerging new threats and evolving trends of international terrorism;

Affirms the importance of the integrated and balanced implementation of all pillars of the Strategy, recognizing the need to redouble efforts for even attention to be paid to and the even implementation of all the pillars of the Strategy;

Recognizes the principal responsibility of Member States to implement the Strategy, while encouraging the further elaboration and development of national, subregional and regional plans, as appropriate, to support the implementation of the Strategy;

Recalls the establishment of the Office of Counter-Terrorism in its resolution 71/291;

Calls upon States that have not done so to consider becoming parties in a timely manner to the existing international conventions and protocols against terrorism, and upon all States to make every effort to conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, and recalls the commitments of Member States with regard to the implementation of General Assembly and Security Council resolutions relating to international terrorism;

Recalls all the resolutions of the General Assembly on measures to eliminate international terrorism and the relevant resolutions of the Assembly on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism and all resolutions of the Security Council relating to international terrorism, and calls upon Member States to cooperate fully with the relevant bodies of the United Nations in the fulfilment of their tasks, recognizing that many States continue to require assistance in implementing these resolutions;

Stresses the significance of a sustained and comprehensive approach, including through stronger efforts, where necessary, to address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, bearing in mind that terrorism will not be defeated by military force, law enforcement measures and intelligence operations alone;

Also stresses that, when counter-terrorism efforts neglect the rule of law at the national and international levels and violate international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and refugee law, human rights and fundamental freedoms, they not only betray the values that they seek to uphold, but they may also further fuel violent extremism that can be conducive to terrorism;

Encourages Member States to engage with relevant local communities and non-governmental actors, where appropriate, in developing tailored strategies to counter the violent extremist narrative that can incite recruitment to terrorist groups and the commission of terrorist acts and to address the conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism;

Encourages Member States, United Nations entities, regional and subregional organizations and relevant actors to consider instituting mechanisms to involve youth in the promotion of a culture of peace, tolerance and intercultural and interreligious dialogue and develop, as appropriate, an understanding of respect for human dignity, pluralism and diversity, including, as appropriate, through education programmes, that could discourage their participation in acts of terrorism, violent extremism conducive to terrorism, violence, xenophobia and all forms of discrimination, also encourages Member States to empower youth through the promotion of media and information literacy by including youth in decision-making processes and considering practical ways to include youth in the development of relevant programmes and initiatives aimed at preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism, and urges Member States to take effective measures, in conformity with international law, to protect young people affected or exploited by terrorism or violent extremism conducive to terrorism;

Deeply deplores the suffering caused by terrorism to the victims of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and to their families, expresses its profound solidarity with them, and encourages Member States to provide them with proper support and assistance while taking into account, inter alia, when appropriate, considerations regarding remembrance, dignity, respect, justice and truth, in accordance with international law;

Acknowledges the importance of building the resilience of victims and their families as an integral part of a counter-terrorism strategy, and encourages Member States to include this aspect in their national counter-terrorism strategies, including by providing victims and their families with proper support and assistance immediately after an attack and in the long term and sharing on a voluntary basis best practices and lessons learned related to the protection of victims of terrorism, including regarding the provision of legal, medical, psychosocial or financial support;

Emphasizes that tolerance, pluralism, respect for diversity, dialogue among civilizations and the enhancement of interreligious and intercultural understanding and respect among peoples, including at the national, regional and global levels, while avoiding the escalation of hatred, are among the most important elements in promoting cooperation, in combating terrorism and in countering violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, and welcomes the various initiatives to this end;

Urges all Member States and the United Nations to unite against violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, encourages the efforts of leaders to discuss within their communities the drivers of violent extremism conducive to terrorism and to evolve strategies to address them, and underlines that States, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, religious bodies and the media have an important role to play in promoting tolerance and facilitating understanding, inclusive dialogue and respect for religious and cultural diversity and human rights;

Recognizes the difficulties faced by the international community in addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism, which can be conducive to terrorism, and urges Member States and the United Nations system to take measures, pursuant to international law and while ensuring national ownership, to address all drivers of violent extremism conducive to terrorism, both internal and external, in a balanced manner;

Also recognizes the importance of preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism and in this regard recalls its resolution 70/254 of 12 February 2016, in which it welcomed the initiative by the Secretary-General and took note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism,⁶ recommends that Member States consider the implementation of relevant recommendations of the Plan of Action, as applicable to the national context, encourages United Nations entities, in line with their mandates, to implement relevant recommendations of the Plan of Action, including by providing technical assistance to Member States upon their request, and invites Member States and regional and subregional organizations to consider developing national and regional plans of action to prevent violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, in accordance with their priorities and taking into account, as appropriate, the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action, as well as other relevant documents;

⁶See A/70/674.

Urges all States to respect and protect the right to privacy, as set out in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights⁷ and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,⁸ including in the context of digital communication, also while countering terrorism, in accordance with international law, in particular international human rights law, and to take measures to ensure that interferences with or restrictions on that right are not arbitrary or unlawful and are subject to effective oversight and to appropriate redress, including through judicial review or other legal means;

⁷Resolution 217 A (III).

⁸See resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.

Calls upon States, while countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism, to review their procedures, practices and legislation regarding the surveillance of communications, their interception and the collection of personal data, including mass surveillance, interception and collection, with a view to upholding the right to privacy, as set out in article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, by ensuring the full and effective implementation of all their obligations under international human rights law;

Stresses that it is essential to address the threat posed by narratives used by terrorists and that, in this regard, the international community should consider developing an accurate understanding of how terrorists motivate others to commit terrorist acts or recruit them, and develop the most effective means to counter terrorist propaganda, incitement and recruitment, including through the Internet, in compliance with international law, including international human rights law;

Notes that terrorists may craft distorted narratives that are based on the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of religion to justify violence, which are utilized to recruit supporters and foreign terrorist fighters, mobilize resources and garner support from sympathizers, in particular by exploiting information and communications technologies, including through the Internet and social media, and also notes in this regard the urgent need for the international community to globally counter such activities;

Stresses that States should consider engaging, where appropriate, with religious authorities and community leaders with relevant expertise, including in crafting and delivering effective counter-narratives and in countering narratives used by terrorists and their supporters, and also stresses that counter-narratives should aim not only to rebut terrorists’ messages but also to amplify positive narratives, provide credible alternatives and address issues of concern to vulnerable audiences who are subject to terrorist narratives;

Encourages civil society, including non-governmental organizations, to engage, as appropriate, in efforts to enhance the implementation of the Strategy, including through interaction with Member States and the United Nations system, and encourages Member States and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities) to enhance engagement with civil society in accordance with their mandates, as appropriate, and to support its role in the implementation of the Strategy;

Calls upon all Member States, given the complex global security context today, to highlight the important role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism, and urges Member States and United Nations entities to integrate a gender analysis on the drivers of radicalization of women to terrorism into their relevant programmes, to consider, when appropriate, the impacts of counter-terrorism strategies on women’s human rights and women’s organizations and to seek greater consultations with women and women’s organizations when developing strategies to counter terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism;

Recognizes the need for Member States to prevent the abuse of non-governmental, non-profit and charitable organizations by and for terrorists, and calls upon non-governmental, non-profit and charitable organizations to prevent and oppose, as appropriate, attempts by terrorists to abuse the status of those organizations, while reaffirming the need to fully respect the rights to freedom of expression and association of individuals in civil society and to freedom of religion or belief of all persons;

Reaffirms the need for enhanced dialogue and coordination among the counter-terrorism officials, including among law enforcement entities and financial intelligence units, of Member States to promote international, regional and subregional cooperation and wider dissemination of knowledge of the Strategy in order to counter terrorism, and in this regard recalls the role of the United Nations system, in particular the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), in promoting international cooperation and capacity-building as elements of the Strategy;

Calls upon all Member States, in accordance with their obligations under applicable international law, including the Charter, to deny terrorist groups safe haven, freedom of operations, movement and recruitment and financial, material or political support, which endanger national, regional and international peace and security, and to bring to justice or, where appropriate, extradite, on the basis of the principle of extradite or prosecute, the perpetrators of terrorist acts or any person who supports, facilitates or participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning or preparation of terrorist acts;

Urges Member States to provide full coordination and afford one another the greatest measure of assistance, in accordance with their obligations under international law, in criminal investigations or criminal proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts, especially with those States where, or against whose citizens, terrorist acts are committed, including obtaining evidence for the proceedings involving terrorist organizations, terrorist entities or foreign terrorist fighters, and recalls that all States must cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism on the basis of mutual legal assistance and the principle of extradite or prosecute, welcoming their efforts to elaborate on the existing extradition and mutual legal assistance mechanisms;

Calls upon Member States to prevent refugee status from being abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist acts, and also calls upon Member States to take appropriate measures to ensure, before granting asylum, that the asylum seeker has not planned, facilitated or participated in the commission of terrorist acts, while reaffirming the importance of protecting refugees and asylum seekers in accordance with States’ obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, refugee law and humanitarian law;

Urges Member States to ensure no tolerance for terrorism, regardless of the targets or motives, and reaffirms its call to refrain from organizing, instigating, facilitating, participating in, financing, encouraging or tolerating terrorist activities and to take appropriate practical measures to ensure that their respective territories are not used for terrorist installations or training camps or for the preparation or organization of terrorist acts intended to be committed against other States or their citizens;

Expresses concern over terrorist acts committed by lone terrorists in various parts of the world, acknowledges the specific challenges created by lone terrorists as they are difficult to detect, and recognizes the need to address this issue expeditiously;

Condemns the failure to take all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects against the effects of attacks when using civilian objects, in particular schools and hospitals, for military purposes such as launching attacks and storing weapons, and strongly condemns the use of civilians to shield military objectives from attacks;

Encourages Member States to consider better ways to cooperate to exchange information, assist one another, prosecute those who use information and communications technologies for terrorist purposes and implement other appropriate cooperative measures to address such threats;

Expresses concern at the increasing use, in a globalized society, by terrorists and their supporters, of information and communications technologies, in particular the Internet and other media, and the use of such technologies to commit, incite, recruit for, fund or plan terrorist acts, notes the importance of cooperation among stakeholders in the implementation of the Strategy, including among Member States, international, regional and subregional organizations, the private sector and civil society, to address this issue, while respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and complying with international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter, and reiterates that such technologies can be powerful tools in countering the spread of terrorism, including by promoting tolerance and dialogue among peoples and peace;

Recalls Security Council resolutions 2178 (2014) of 24 September 2014 and 2396 (2017) of 21 December 2017, and reaffirms the need to strengthen efforts to address the evolving threat of foreign terrorist fighters;

Calls upon Member States to strengthen cooperation at the international, regional, subregional and bilateral levels to counter the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, including through enhanced operational and timely information-sharing, recalling in this regard that Member States should notify the relevant authorities, in a timely manner, upon travel, departure, arrival or deportation of captured or detained individuals whom they have reasonable grounds to believe are foreign terrorist fighters, pursuant to Security Council resolution 2396 (2017), logistical support, as appropriate, and capacity-building activities, to share and adopt best practices to identify foreign terrorist fighters, to prevent the travel of foreign terrorist fighters from, into or through Member States, to prevent the financing, mobilization, recruitment and organization of foreign terrorist fighters, and to strengthen international and regional cooperation in information-sharing and evidence-gathering, and calls upon law enforcement and criminal justice authorities to better counter the threat of returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters, to counter violent extremism conducive to terrorism and radicalization to terrorism, to enhance efforts to implement deradicalization programmes and to ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in the supporting of terrorist acts or in providing funds to terrorists is brought to justice, in compliance with obligations under international law, as well as applicable domestic law;

Calls upon all States to use applicable international instruments to which they are parties, as appropriate, as a basis for mutual legal assistance and, as appropriate, for extradition in terrorism cases, and encourages States, in the absence of applicable conventions or provisions, to cooperate where possible on the basis of reciprocity or on a case-by-case basis;

Calls upon all Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law, to cooperate in efforts to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, including by preventing the radicalization to terrorism and recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters, preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters across their borders, including through enhanced border security and controls on issuance of identity papers and travel documents, disrupting and preventing financial support to foreign terrorist fighters and developing and implementing prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration strategies, taking into account gender and age dimensions, for returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters and their families, underscores in this regard the importance of a whole-of-government approach, recognizes the role that civil society organizations can play as they may have relevant knowledge of, access to and engagement with local communities, to be able to confront the challenges of recruitment and radicalization to terrorism, notes that children may be especially vulnerable to radicalization to violence and in need of particular psychosocial support, such as post-trauma counselling, while stressing that children need to be treated in a manner that respects their rights and protects their dignity, in accordance with applicable international law, and in this regard encourages all Member States to develop effective strategies to deal with returnees, including through repatriation, in accordance with relevant international obligations and national law;

Expresses concern that international networks have been established by terrorist organizations that facilitate the travel of foreign terrorist fighters to conflict zones, and calls upon all Member States to take appropriate measures to dismantle such networks, in accordance with their international obligations;

Also expresses concern at the increasing flow of international recruits to terrorist organizations, including foreign terrorist fighters, and at the threat that it poses for all Member States, including countries of origin, transit and destination, encourages all Member States to address this threat by enhancing their cooperation and developing relevant measures to prevent and tackle this phenomenon, including information-sharing, border management to detect travel, including through the implementation of obligations on the use of advance passenger information, passenger name record and biometric data, with full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, calls upon Member States to make effective use of the databases of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), as appropriate, by connecting to law enforcement, border security and customs agencies through their national central bureaux, requests Member States to help to build the capacity of other Member States, upon their request, to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters, notes in this regard that some Member States may require technical assistance and capacity-building support, and encourages the provision of assistance to help to address such gaps, and the consideration of the use of United Nations instruments, such as sanctions regimes, as well as cooperation;

Calls upon Member States to strengthen efforts to improve the security and protection of particularly vulnerable targets, such as infrastructure and public places, as well as resilience to terrorist attacks, in particular in the area of civil protection, and encourages Member States to consider developing or further improving their strategies for reducing risks to critical infrastructure from terrorist attacks, which should include, inter alia, assessing and raising awareness of the relevant risks, taking preparedness measures, including effective responses to such attacks, as well as promoting better interoperability in security and consequence management and facilitating the effective interaction of all stakeholders involved;

Expresses concern at the increase, in some regions, in incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking committed by terrorist groups, for any purpose, including with the aim of raising funds or gaining political concessions, notes that ransoms paid to terrorists are used as one of the sources of funding for their activities, including further kidnappings, calls upon all Member States to prevent terrorists from benefiting from ransom payments and political concessions and to secure the safe release of hostages, in accordance with applicable legal obligations, and encourages Member States to cooperate, as appropriate, during incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking committed by terrorist groups;

Recognizes the need to continue to take measures to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, in this regard encourages United Nations entities to cooperate with Member States and to continue to provide assistance, upon their request, in particular, to help them to fully implement their respective international obligations to combat the financing of terrorism, and encourages Member States to further build the capacity of their financial oversight and regulatory systems around the world in order to deny terrorists the space to exploit and raise funds, including by cooperating with the private sector through public-private partnerships with financial institutions and by taking into account the assessments thereof by relevant entities such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate;

Calls upon Member States to engage with domestic financial institutions and share information on terrorist financing risks to provide greater context for their work in identifying potential terrorist financing activity through multiple authorities and channels, including law enforcement, intelligence, security services and financial intelligence units, and also calls upon Member States to improve the integration and utilization of financial intelligence to more effectively counter the terrorist financing threats;

Also calls upon Member States to enhance their efforts in the fight against the financing of terrorism by addressing the anonymity of transactions and by tracing, detecting, sanctioning and effectively dismantling illegal money transmitters and tackling the risks associated with the use of cash, informal remittance systems, prepaid credit and debit cards, cryptoassets and other anonymous means of monetary or financial transactions, as well as to anticipate and address, as appropriate, the risk of new financial instruments being abused for the purpose of terrorist financing;

Recognizes the importance of sharing information within and between Governments to effectively counter the financing of terrorism, calls upon Member States, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2368 (2017) of 20 July 2017, to continue to exercise vigilance over relevant financial transactions and improve information-sharing capabilities and practices within and between Governments through multiple authorities and channels, including law enforcement, intelligence, security services and financial intelligence units, and also calls upon Member States to improve the integration and utilization of financial intelligence with other types of information available to national Governments in order to more effectively counter the terrorist financing threats posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities;

Calls upon all States to adopt such measures as may be necessary and appropriate, and in accordance with their obligations under international law, to prohibit by law incitement to commit a terrorist act or acts, prevent such conduct and deny safe haven to any persons with respect to whom there is credible and relevant information giving serious reasons for considering that they have been guilty of such conduct;

Calls upon Member States to collaborate in the pursuit of developing and implementing effective counter-narrative strategies, in accordance with Security Council resolution 2354 (2017) of 24 May 2017, and the comprehensive international framework to counter terrorist narratives,⁹ including those relating to foreign terrorist fighters, in a manner compliant with their obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law;

⁹S/2017/375, annex.

Calls upon all Member States to support international efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, urges all Member States to take and strengthen national measures, as appropriate, to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials, equipment and technologies related to their manufacture, and encourages cooperation among and between Member States and relevant regional and international organizations for strengthening national capacities in this regard;

Recognizes that improvised explosive devices are being increasingly used in terrorist activities, takes note of the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities) in this regard, and urges its further attention to the issue of improvised explosive devices in line with the mandates of the entities;

Recalls relevant United Nations resolutions, and reaffirms that Member States shall eliminate the supply of weapons, including small arms and light weapons, to terrorists, as well as prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in said weapons, including their diversion, to terrorists;

Calls upon Member States to establish or strengthen national, regional and international partnerships with stakeholders, both public and private, as appropriate, to share information and experience in order to prevent, protect against, mitigate, investigate, respond to and recover from damage from terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure facilities, and emphasizes the need for States able to do so to assist in the delivery of effective and targeted capacity development, training and other necessary resources, and technical assistance, where it is needed, to enable all States to develop appropriate capacity to implement contingency and response plans with regard to attacks on critical infrastructure and soft targets or public places;

Recognizes that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and its affiliates continue to pose a widespread challenge in the fight against terrorism, encourages Member States to integrate the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions regime, pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999, 1989 (2011) of 17 June 2011 and 2253 (2015) of 17 December 2015, into their national and regional counter-terrorism strategies, including by proposing for inclusion on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions list the names of individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, reminds Member States of their obligation to ensure that their nationals and persons in their territory do not make economic resources available to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, takes note of the significant contribution of the Office of the Ombudsperson, since its establishment, in providing fairness and transparency to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions regime, and stresses the need to continue efforts to ensure that procedures are fair and clear;

Encourages Member States and international and regional organizations to enhance knowledge of and support initiatives to address, in the design and implementation of global, regional and national counter-terrorism strategies, the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime;

Encourages all relevant international, regional and subregional organizations and forums involved in the fight against terrorism to cooperate with the United Nations system and Member States in supporting the Strategy and to share best practices, and calls for information-sharing, through appropriate channels and arrangements, on individuals and entities implicated in any type of terrorist activities, their tactics and modus operandi, supply of weapons and sources of material or any other form of support, specific crimes related to perpetration, planning or preparation of terrorist acts, narratives used by terrorists to mobilize resources and garner support from sympathizers, including by exploiting information and communications technologies, and on the ongoing international counter-terrorism cooperation, especially among special services, security agencies and law enforcement organizations and criminal justice authorities;

Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General entitled “Activities of the United Nations system in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy” and the annexes thereto¹⁰ and the efforts deployed by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), and underlines the importance of providing the resources necessary for the implementation of these projects;

¹⁰A/72/840.

Also takes note of the measures that Member States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations have adopted within the framework of the Strategy, as referred to in paragraph 51 of the report of the Secretary-General and considered at the sixth biennial review of the Strategy, on 26 and 27 June 2018, all of which strengthen cooperation to fight terrorism, including through the exchange of best practices;

Reaffirms the principal responsibility of Member States to implement the Strategy, while recognizing the need to enhance the important role that the United Nations, including the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), plays, in coordination with other international, regional and subregional organizations, as appropriate, in facilitating and promoting coordination and coherence in the implementation of the Strategy at the national, regional and global levels and in providing assistance, upon request by Member States, especially in the area of capacity-building;

Recognizes the work done and efforts made by the relevant United Nations bodies and entities and other international, regional and subregional organizations aimed at supporting, recognizing and protecting the rights of victims of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and urges them to step up their efforts to provide, upon request, technical assistance for building the capacity of Member States in the development and implementation of programmes of assistance and support for victims of terrorism;

Also recognizes the continued need to enhance the visibility and effectiveness of United Nations counter-terrorism activities, underlines the importance of enhancing counter-terrorism efforts undertaken by all relevant United Nations agencies and bodies in accordance with their existing mandates, and encourages the Office of Counter-Terrorism to continue its collaboration with those agencies and bodies while also ensuring overall coordination and coherence in the counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system, with a view to maximizing synergies, promoting transparency and greater efficiencies and avoiding duplication of their work;

Welcomes the efforts of the Office of Counter-Terrorism to increase its transparency, accountability and effectiveness in enhancing cooperation within the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), requests the Secretary-General to ensure that the Office is well organized, in order to achieve these objectives and to report on an annual basis on progress in this regard, including on transparency in the selection and funding of projects and their impact, as well as on the efficiency of shared funding arrangements, with a view to enabling a meaningful review of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture at the seventh biennial review of the Strategy, at the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly;

Takes note of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, a framework between the Secretary-General and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities) heads, which aims to strengthen a common-action approach to coordination and coherence in the work of the United Nations system to prevent and counter terrorism, and to strengthen support to Member States, at their request and in cooperation with relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, to identify and share best practices and help in capacity-building, in the implementation of the Strategy and relevant Security Council resolutions, while ensuring compliance with international law, including international human rights law and, where applicable, international humanitarian law, and looks forward to the periodic briefings by the Office of Counter-Terrorism to Member States on the activities of the Compact entities;

Recognizes the role of the regional organizations, structures and strategies in combating terrorism, and encourages those entities to enhance interregional dialogue and cooperation and consider using best practices developed by other regions in their fight against terrorism, as appropriate, taking into account their specific regional and national circumstances;

Encourages all Member States to collaborate with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and to contribute to the implementation of its activities within the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), including through the development, funding and implementation of capacity-building projects in order to mobilize a stronger and more systematic response to terrorism at the national, regional and global levels;

Notes with appreciation the activities undertaken in the area of capacity-building, including in the areas of countering the financing of terrorism, border control, maritime and aviation security, and preventing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, by United Nations entities, including the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), inter alia, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL, in coordination with other relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, to assist Member States, upon their request, in implementing the Strategy, and encourages the Task Force to ensure the focused delivery of capacity-building assistance, including in the framework of the Integrated Assistance for Countering Terrorism Initiative;

Recalls its resolution 72/194 of 19 December 2017, and notes with appreciation the ongoing work of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime to support Member States in their efforts to prevent and counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in the crime prevention and criminal justice context;

Calls upon the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, including its Terrorism Prevention Branch, to further enhance, in close consultation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate, its provision of technical assistance, upon request, for building the capacity of Member States to become party to and implement the international conventions and protocols related to counter-terrorism and relevant United Nations resolutions, including through targeted programmes and the training of relevant criminal justice and law enforcement officials, upon request, to develop their capacity to effectively respond to, prevent, investigate and prosecute terrorist acts, the development of and participation in relevant initiatives and the development of technical tools and publications, within its mandate;

Requests the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, whenever appropriate, to take into account in its technical assistance to counter terrorism, upon request, the elements necessary for building national capacity in order to strengthen criminal justice systems and the rule of law;

Stresses the need to continue to provide tangible capacity-building assistance to Member States in counter-terrorism matters, recognizes in this regard the need to contribute more resources for capacity-building projects, takes note of the implementation of the United Nations capacity-building implementation plan for countering the flow of foreign terrorist fighters by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities), and encourages Member States to provide financial and other assistance to the Task Force and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre needed for the effective delivery of the projects mentioned in that plan, in close consultation with Member States;

Calls for the enhanced engagement of Member States with the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities);

Requests the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities) to continue its positive efforts in interacting with Member States, and requests the Office of Counter-Terrorism to continue to provide quarterly briefings and to provide a periodic workplan, including the activities of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre, and to provide full transparency to all Member States on its work and programmes;

Encourages the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities to work closely with Member States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations to identify and share best practices to prevent terrorist attacks on potentially vulnerable targets, including critical infrastructure, and recognizes the importance of developing public-private partnerships in this area;

Underscores the role, within the United Nations, of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, including in assessing issues and trends relating to the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001, 1624 (2005) of 14 September 2005 and 2178 (2014), in accordance with its mandate and Council resolution 2395 (2017) of 21 December 2017, and in sharing information, as appropriate, with relevant United Nations counter-terrorism bodies and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, and calls upon the Office of Counter-Terrorism, all other relevant United Nations funds and programmes, Member States, donors and recipients to use expert assessments and recommendations of the Directorate as they design technical assistance and capacity-building efforts, including in furthering the balanced implementation of the Strategy across all four of its pillars, except when requested by the assessed Member States to keep selected information confidential;

Calls for greater coordination and coherence among the United Nations entities and with stakeholders, including donors, host countries and recipients of counter-terrorism capacity-building, including in developing and maintaining effective and rule of law-based criminal justice systems, and also calls for dialogue to be enhanced among all stakeholders, with a view to placing national perspectives at the centre of such capacity-building in order to strengthen national ownership, while recognizing that rule of law activities must be anchored in a national context and that States have different national experiences in the development of their criminal justice systems, taking into account their legal, political, socioeconomic, cultural, religious and other local specificities, while also recognizing that there are common features founded on international norms and standards;

Calls upon Member States and the United Nations entities involved in supporting counter-terrorism efforts to continue to facilitate the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as due process and the rule of law, while countering terrorism, and in this regard expresses serious concern at the occurrence of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as of international refugee and humanitarian law, committed in the context of countering terrorism;

Reiterates that, given their potential status as victims of terrorism as well as of other violations of international law, all children alleged to have, accused of having or recognized as having infringed the law, particularly those who are deprived of their liberty, as well as child victims and witnesses of crimes, should be treated in a manner consistent with their rights, dignity and needs, in accordance with applicable international law, in particular obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child,¹¹ and, bearing in mind relevant international standards on human rights in the administration of justice in this regard, urges Member States to take relevant measures to effectively reintegrate children formerly associated with armed groups, including terrorist groups;

¹¹United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, No. 27531.

Urges Member States to ensure that any measures taken or means employed to counter terrorism, including the use of remotely piloted aircraft, comply with their obligations under international law, including the Charter, human rights law and international humanitarian law, in particular the principles of distinction and proportionality;

Urges States to ensure, in accordance with their obligations under international law and national regulations, and whenever international humanitarian law is applicable, that counter-terrorism legislation and measures do not impede humanitarian and medical activities or engagement with all relevant actors as foreseen by international humanitarian law;

Reaffirms the primary responsibility of States to protect the population throughout their territory, and recalls in this regard that all parties to armed conflict must comply fully with the obligations applicable to them under international humanitarian law related to the protection of civilians and medical personnel in armed conflict;

Underlines the importance of multilateral efforts in combating terrorism and refraining from any practices and measures inconsistent with international law and the principles of the Charter;

Takes note of the initiative of the Secretary-General to convene the first-ever United Nations High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States, on 28 and 29 June 2018;

Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, no later than May 2019, a report containing concrete recommendations and options on ways to assess the impact of and progress in the implementation of the Strategy by the United Nations entities with a view to informing discussion among Member States in advance of the seventh biennial review of the Strategy, at the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly;

Also requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session, no later than February 2020, a report on progress made in the implementation of the Strategy, containing suggestions for its future implementation by the United Nations system, as well as on progress made in the implementation of the present resolution;

Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its seventy-fourth session the item entitled “The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy” in order to undertake, by June 2020, an examination of the report of the Secretary-General requested in paragraph 84 above, as well as of the implementation of the Strategy by Member States, and to consider updating the Strategy to respond to changes.

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

What subjects does this mandate have?

What’s in this document?

Table of contents