The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) assists the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) by carrying out the policy decisions of the Committee, conducting expert assessments of each Member State, and facilitating counter-terrorism technical assistance to countries.
Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC)
Guided by Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), the CTC works to bolster the ability of United Nations Member States to prevent terrorist acts both within their borders and across regions. It was established in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States.
While countering terrorism has been on the agenda of the United Nations System for decades, the attacks against the United States on 11 September 2001 prompted the Security Council to adopt resolution 1373, which for the first time established the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).
Five years later, all Member States of the General Assembly for the first time agreed on a common strategic framework to fight the scourge of terrorism: the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The Strategy is a unique instrument to enhance the efforts of the international community to counter terrorism along four pillars:
- Addressing conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism;
- Preventing and combatting terrorism;
- Building Member States’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the United Nations system in this regard;
- Ensuring the respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for countering terrorism.
Creation of United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT)
As suggested by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his report (A/71/858) on the Capability of the United Nations to Assist Member States in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre were moved out of the Department of Political Affairs into a new Office of Counter-Terrorism headed by an Under-Secretary–General.
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was established through the adoption of General Assembly resolution 71/291 on 15 June 2017.
