United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

UNODC's role in Terrorism Prevention

Terrorism Prevention Branch Brochure (pdf)

March 2008

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has for many years been addressing issues pertaining to international terrorism and related international cooperation. In 2002, the General Assembly approved an expanded programme of activities for the Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB) of UNODC. The expanded programme focuses on the provision of assistance to States, upon request, in the legal and related aspects of counter-terrorism, especially for ratifying and implementing the universal legal instruments against terrorism and for strengthening the capacity of the national criminal justice systems to apply the provisions of these instruments in compliance with the principles of rule of law. The counter-terrorism technical assistance delivered by UNODC also helps countries to comply with the requirements of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). In addition, the Branch's programme of work entails the provision of substantive input on related counter-terrorism issues to intergovernmental bodies, especially the Crime Commission, the Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly and the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. The Branch also provides specialized input on relevant counter-terrorism issues for the United Nations Secretariat wide initiatives and coordinates its activities with other entities and organizations.

Since 2002, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice have reiterated the mandates (pdf) of the Terrorism Prevention Branch in providing technical assistance to counter terrorism.

The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/288 of 8 September 2006, makes extensive reference to the work of UNODC, particularly its Terrorism Prevention Branch. The Strategy encourages UNODC to enhance its technical assistance. It encourages Member States to resort to the technical assistance delivered by UNODC.

UNODC possesses significant comparative advantages for delivering assistance in counter-terrorism. In particular, it combines a range of expertise in the related areas of crime prevention and criminal justice, rule of law, drug control, transnational organized crime, money-laundering, corruption and related international cooperation in criminal matters with operational field-level capacity.

In pursuance of its above mandates, the Terrorism Prevention Branch seeks to respond promptly and efficiently to requests from States for assistance in the legal and related aspects of countering terrorism.

The programmatic framework for UNODC's counter-terrorism work

Under the United Nations Strategic Framework for the period 2008-2009, UNODC facilitates policy-making on issues relating to drug control, crime and terrorism prevention and the ratification of, and compliance with, the related international legal instruments, complemented by its work in research and analysis and technical assistance.

The objectives and results that UNODC seeks to achieve in pursuance of its mandates are established under the UNODC Strategy for the period 2008-2011. For the theme of rule of law, main objectives include the promotion of "effective responses to crime, drugs and terrorism by facilitating the implementation of relevant international legal instruments". The result areas under the theme of rule of law are: "ratification and implementation of conventions and protocols"; "international cooperation in criminal justice matters"; "criminal justice systems - more accessible and effective"; and "terrorism prevention".

UNODC's counter-terrorism activities are pursued under a thematic programme on terrorism prevention, which is based on and corresponds to the above relevant elements of the United Nations Strategic Framework for the period 2008-2009 and the UNODC Strategy for the period 2008-2011. It also corresponds to the Security Council resolutions pertaining to counter-terrorism, especially Resolution 1373 (2001). The thematic programme provides the framework for UNODC to plan and deliver, in an effectively coordinated manner, integrated services in terrorism prevention that incorporate well the closely linked and cross-cutting aspects of crime and drug prevention, criminal justice and international cooperation, falling under the mandates and mission of UNODC.

Activities pursued under this thematic programme are complemented and supported by UNODC activities under other relevant thematic, regional and country programmes and the relevant elements of the Office's programme of work under the regular budget of the United Nations, especially of its Terrorism Prevention Branch (TPB).

UNODC's counter-terrorism technical assistance activities

The objective of the technical assistance activities of the Terrorism Prevention Branch is to strengthen the legal regime against terrorism and facilitate related capacity-building. The Branch does this by providing legal advice to States on becoming parties to the universal legal instruments relating to terrorism, by assisting States to incorporate their provisions into national penal codes, by providing training to criminal justice officials on the new laws and by providing other required assistance for strengthening the capacity of the national criminal justice system to implement effectively the legal regime against terrorism, in compliance with the principles of rule of law, and to participate effectively in international cooperation in criminal matters relating to terrorism. When requested, assistance is also provided in meeting the reporting obligations arising from the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Specifically, the five immediate objectives of the technical assistance activities of TPB are to:

- provide sustained assistance to requesting countries to achieve full and expeditious ratification of the universal legal instruments against terrorism;

- provide sustained assistance to requesting countries to develop and apply the domestic legislation required for implementing the provisions of the universal legal instruments against terrorism;

- provide sustained capacity-building assistance to requesting countries, especially through training of criminal justice officials, for strengthening the capacity of criminal justice systems for implementing the provisions of the universal legal instruments aganst terrorism;

- facilitate international cooperation in criminal matters pertaining to terrorism;

- strengthen collaboration on legal aspects of counter-terrorism between UNODC/TPB and relevant sub-regional, regional and international organizations, especially for delivering counter-terrorism legal assistance and enhancing counter-terrorism legal expertise.