The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) was established by General Assembly resolution 71/291 in June 2017, on the initiative of Secretary-General António Guterres. It is headed by an Under-Secretary-General who reports directly to the Secretary-General and sits on the Senior Management Group. The first USG was Vladimir Voronkov of the Russian Federation, appointed in 2017.
UNOCT has five core functions: providing leadership on General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates; enhancing coordination across the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact (which brings together over 40 UN entities, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization); strengthening delivery of capacity-building assistance to Member States; improving visibility and resource mobilisation for UN counter-terrorism work; and ensuring that countering terrorism is prioritised across the UN system.
The Office absorbed the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT), both previously housed in the Department of Political Affairs. UNCCT, originally funded by a 2011 contribution from Saudi Arabia, remains UNOCT's main capacity-building arm.
UNOCT operationalises the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by the General Assembly in 2006 (resolution 60/288) and reviewed biennially. It works alongside but is distinct from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which supports the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee established under resolution 1373 (2001). UNOCT focuses on programmatic delivery; CTED focuses on assessment of Member State implementation of Council resolutions.
Flagship initiatives include the UN Countering Terrorist Travel Programme (helping states use API/PNR data consistent with resolution 2396), programmes on preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism, victims of terrorism support, and counter-financing of terrorism work coordinated with the Financial Action Task Force. UNOCT also convenes the biennial UN Counter-Terrorism Week in New York, gathering Member States, civil society and practitioners. The Office is funded primarily through voluntary contributions, which civil society groups have criticised as creating donor-driven priorities.
Example
In June 2022, UNOCT hosted the third UN Counter-Terrorism Week in New York, during which Secretary-General Guterres convened Member States to review implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Frequently asked questions
UNOCT is a Secretariat office delivering capacity-building and coordination under General Assembly mandates, while CTED is the expert body supporting the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee and assesses Member States' implementation of Council resolutions like 1373 and 1624.
Keep learning