Fifth dialogue between the European Union and the United Nations on the fight against terrorism
On July 11, 2023. The European Union and the United Nations held a meeting as part of their annual counter-terrorism talks. The event provided an opportunity to discuss issues related to changing the existing level of security in the context of the conduct of terrorist attacks, as well as to create a strategic framework for action and preventive initiatives.
During the meeting, representatives of the organizations discussed their experiences in counter-terrorism, particularly referring to the area of Africa (West Africa, East Africa), Central Asia, as well as the Middle East. On the basis of discussions undertaken by the EU and the UN in June of this year, reference was made to topics related to the causes of the development of terrorism, which include racism, xenophobia, religion and worldview beliefs. In addition, the discussion includes strategic policy developments undertaken in the past year, pointing out the need to include human rights and the rule of law in the global counter-terrorism effort. The involvement of civil society, the scope of which can be used for preventive measures against terrorism and the development of extremism, also proved to be an important aspect in this matter. The meeting also stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the EU and the UN on the operation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF), which was established in 2022.
The event was attended by a number of actors including the United Nations Office for the Suppression of Terrorism (UNOCT), the European External Action Service, the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service, as well as the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTED) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).