The United Nations Adopts Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy was adopted by United Nations Member States at their General Assembly on 8 September 2006. The strategy is in the form of a Resolution and an annexed Plan of Action. The annexed Plan of Action details measures to prevent terrorism and to build States' capacity to prevent terrorism. The Plan of Action includes references to chemical terrorism and to the mission of the OPCW in preventing such illicit use of chemicals through the Organisation’s implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The relevant passages are excerpted below:

Plan of Action (…)

• Measures to prevent and combat terrorism

We resolve to undertake the following measures to prevent and combat terrorism, in particular by denying terrorists access to the means to carry out their attacks, to their targets and to the desired impact of their attacks: (...)

5. To strengthen coordination and cooperation among States in combating crimes that might be connected with terrorism, including drug trafficking in all its aspects, illicit arms trade, in particular of small arms and light weapons, including man-portable air defence systems , money laundering and smuggling of nuclear, chemical, biological, radiological and other potentially deadly materials. (...)

13. To step-up national efforts and bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international co-operation, as appropriate, to improve border and customs controls, in order to prevent and detect the movement of terrorists and to prevent and detect the illicit traffic in, inter alia, small arms and light weapons, conventional ammunition and explosives, nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons and materials, while recognizing that States may require assistance to that effect. (...)

17. To invite the United Nations to improve co-ordination in planning a response to a terrorist attack using nuclear, chemical, biological or radiological weapons or materials, in particular by reviewing and improving the effectiveness of the existing inter-agency co-ordination mechanisms for assistance delivery, relief operations and victim support, so that all States can receive adequate assistance. In this regard, we invite the General Assembly and the Security Council to develop guidelines for the necessary co-operation and assistance in the event of a terrorist attack using weapons of mass destruction. (...)

• Measures to build States' capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the United Nations system in this regard (...)

9. To encourage the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to continue their efforts, within their respective mandates, in helping States to build capacity to prevent terrorists from accessing nuclear, chemical or radiological materials, to ensure security at related facilities, and to respond effectively in the event of an attack using such materials.

PR58 / 2006

Categories: OPCW and the UN