The Â鶹APP Office of CounterTerrorism (UNOCT), together with the co-facilitators of the ninth review of the Â鶹APP Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Permanent Representatives of Finland and the Kingdom of Morocco to the Â鶹APP, held a briefing for Member States on 4 March 2026, at Â鶹APP Headquarters in New York. The briefing focused on preparations for the ninth review and introduced the report of the Secretary-General mandated by the General Assembly on the activities of the Â鶹APP system in implementing the Strategy (). Chaired by Mr. Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT, the meeting brought together representatives from over 95 Member States and more than 10 entities of the Â鶹APP Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.
Mr. Alexandre Zouev underscored the significance of the year 2026, which marks both the ninth review and twentieth anniversary of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as the Fourth Counter-Terrorism Week at the Â鶹APP, scheduled for 29 June¨C2 July 2026, against the background of the Secretary-General¡¯s UN80 Initiative. He highlighted the need for the Strategy to remain comprehensive in its approach, balanced across its four pillars, and anchored in the Charter of the Â鶹APP and international law.
Reflecting on the evolution of the threat, Mr. Zouev pointed to the spread of terrorism in parts of Africa as a cause for alarm for all Member States. Noting that the situation remains fragile in the Middle East, he called on Member States to take responsibility for their own nationals with suspected links to terrorist groups and to bring them to justice in line with international law. Besides the challenges and opportunities presented by technological developments in the context of counter-terrorism, he observed that human rights concerns persist in some contexts regarding legislation and measures against terrorism that are not consistent in their formulation or application with international law.
The briefing also included remarks by the co-facilitators of the review process. H.E. Ambassador Elina Kalkku, Permanent Representative of Finland to the Â鶹APP, emphasized the importance of preserving the long-standing unity among Member States and maintaining the Strategy as the central multilateral framework for global counter-terrorism cooperation. She also referred to the emphasis in the Pact for the Future on coordinated multilateral responses to emerging global threats. Ms. Kalkku stressed that counter-terrorism measures must remain fully consistent with international law and respect for human rights, pointing out that they are essential for the legitimacy and effectiveness of counter-terrorism efforts. She also emphasized the importance of engaging civil society organizations and victims of terrorism as partners. Ms. Kalkku noted that the existing Strategy provides a solid framework and basis for updating.
H.E. Mr. Hilale, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Morocco to the Â鶹APP. stressed the commitment of the co-facilitators to leading the review process in an inclusive and transparent manner, ensuring that all stakeholders can engage and contribute meaningfully toward the consensual adoption of a resolution by the General Assembly for the review Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Mr. Hilale presented the roadmap for the review process, including the holding of thematic, expert-level consultations on human rights, youth and victims of terrorism, consultations with entities of the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, and a civil society town hall in March. He further informed that three rounds of informal consultations are planned for April, May and June, with adoption of the resolution expected to take place on 1-2 July during Counter-Terrorism Week. Mr. Hilale encouraged Member States to approach the ninth review as an opportunity to reaffirm their commitment to multilateral cooperation and expressed confidence that Member States can reach a consensus outcome reinforcing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy as a symbol of global unity against terrorism.
During the interactive segment, Member States reaffirmed their support for implementing the Strategy and advancing the ninth review process. They outlined priorities such as addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism, preventing and countering violent extremism, and tackling the nexus between terrorism and organized crime. They also emphasized the need to focus on threats posed by the use of emerging technologies and to strengthen international legal frameworks.
Several Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact entities highlighted their support and recommendations for Member States in implementing the Strategy, including the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
The briefing was broadcast on UN WebTV and can be viewed at the following link: .
