NEWSWORTHY
1 March 2010
"International Counterterrorism Policy in the Obama Administration: Developing a Strategy for the Future," Remarks by Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, International Peace Institute, New York, NY
Read more.
22 February 2010
"UN Joins Forces with Private Sector to Tackle Terrorist use of Internet," UN News Centre
Read more.
28 January 2010
"UN Task Force looks at legal aspects of curtailing Internet terrorism," UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, Brussels
Read more.
13 January 2010
"The Obama Administration's Counterterrorism Policy at One Year," Remarks by Daniel Benjamin, Coordinator, Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, CATO Institute, Washington, DC
Read more.
11 January 2010
"Obama, tras los pasos de Bush," Interview by Olga Imbaquingo, El Comercio, Interview of Center's Senior Analyst Jason Ipe (En español)
Read more.
17 December 2009
"Security Council Amends United Nations Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Regime, Authorizes Appointment of Ombudsperson to Handle Delisting Issues," Security Council, Department of Public Information, New York
Read more.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Center launches project on "Implementing the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy in North Africa"
Events
Workshop on Building Capacity in the Area of Counterterrorism in West Africa in the Framework of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy 16-17 February 2010 | The Sheraton Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria  On 16-17 February 2010, the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, with support from the government of Denmark, co-hosted a workshop on "Building Capacity in the Area of Counterterrorism in West Africa in the Framework of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" which took place in Abuja, Nigeria. This project is the sixth component of a broader effort by the Center to enhance implementation of the UN Strategy in different regions around the globe, which includes past projects on southern and East Africa as well as a concurrent assessment of North Africa. The goal of this meeting, and the larger project of which it is a part, is to identify and prioritize the unmet counterterrorism and related capacity needs of countries in West Africa across the four pillars of the UN Strategy and strengthen counterterrorism related cooperation among states in West Africa and between the region and the United Nations.To see the agenda click: English or French To see the discussion paper click: English or French |
Workshop on Raising Awareness of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Among Civil Society in Southeast Asia 18-19 November 2009 | The Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia The Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation and Nahdatul Ulama (NU), with support from the governments of Germany and Sweden, co-hosted a workshop in Jakarta on 18-19 November 2009 to raise awareness of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy among civil society in Southeast Asia and explore the possibilities for greater civil society participation in efforts to implement the global framework in a manner that reflects the local contexts, needs, and priorities across the region. Participants in the workshop included representatives from civil society from across Southeast Asia working on an array of issues related to the implementation of the UN Strategy. The workshop aimed to build on the rich contributions of civil society to furthering human security in Southeast Asia and lay the foundations for the development of a civil society network related to the issues covered in the UN Strategy.Click here to read the meeting summary. Click here to read the background paper. Press Coverage: “Civil Societies Discuss Ways to Combat Terrorism in Southeast Asia,” Sujadi Siswo, Channel NewsAsia, 20 November 2009 (Link to Video) "Gov't Told to Give Space to Civil Society in Combating Terrorism," Jakarta Post, 18 November 2009 "The UN and Civil Society's Role in Countering Terrorism," Abdul Wahid Maktub and Alistair Millar, Jakarta Post, 18 November 2009 "War Against Terror in Southeast Asia," Rommel Banlaoi, Jakarta Post, 18 November 2009 |
Recent Publications
 "Developing Regional Counterterrorism Cooperation in South Asia,"West Point CTC Sentinel December 2009 - By Alistair Millar Description: In light of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai and numerous terrorist attacks since, this article looks at the pressing need and prospects for developing a regional approach to intelligence sharing, law enforcement, and other forms of counterterrorism cooperation in South Asia. It highlights some of the challenges to developing effective regional counterterrorism cooperation in South Asia by looking at the counterterrorism efforts of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). It argues that South Asian states and their external partners need to move beyond well intended statements to focus on building practical counterterrorism cooperation at the technical level. Specifically, it recommends the establishment of a new regional counterterrorism forum for cooperation, with the necessary expertise and mandate to provide training and implement related counterterrorism capacity building efforts in South Asia, arguing that building the capacity of, and trust between, law enforcement and judicial officials and other technical counterterrorism practitioners in the region and could lead to higher levels of political cooperation against terrorism. Download the PDF |
| The G8's Counterterrorism Action Group: A Stock-Taking and the Need For Reform - November 2009 More than eight years after the 11 September 2001 attacks, the need for more effective multilateral coordination and cooperation among the increasing number of counterterrorism donors remains significant. The G8’s Counterterrorism Action Group (CTAG), established at the Evian summit in 2003, continues to offer the best available opportunity for donors to coordinate their efforts and for strategic thinking among major donors about engaging in different countries or regions, assessing the effectiveness of capacity-building assistance to date, and fine-tuning approaches going forward. This paper, prepared on behalf of Canada, the incoming CTAG president, takes stock of the group’s efforts to date and identifies a number of reforms, both short and longer-term, which CTAG members should consider adopting to enhance the group’s effectiveness. Download the PDF |
 Policy Brief - Global Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1540: An Enhanced UN Response is Needed October 2009 - By Eric Rosand This policy brief examines the work of the United Nations to promote implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which is aimed at preventing weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery from getting into the hands of non-state actors. It argues that the capacity of the United Nations to promote implementation of the resolution, in particular that of the Security Council’s 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts, should be strengthened and provides specific recommendations for how that should be done. Download the PDF |
 Countering Terrorism in South Asia: Strengthening Multilateral Engagement - May 2009Horrific acts of terrorism, such as the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, underscore the regional nature of the terrorist threat in South Asia and point to the need for greater cooperation within the region to address it. This report explores ways to strengthen such cooperation, with a particular focus on the role that regional bodies and the United Nations can play in that regard. It urges the United Nations to build on the international community’s solidarity in the wake of recent attacks in the region to forge stronger engagement between the United Nations and South Asia on counterterrorism and within the region itself. Download the PDF |