[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official website] urged [remarks] countries on Sunday to increase their efforts to counter the prevalent threat of terrorism [JURIST news archive]. At a second meeting of the advisory board of the UN Centre for Counter-Terrorism (UNCCT) [official website] in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Ban stated that nations have to work together to prevent and counter terrorism having a detrimental global effect. Ban mentioned the UNCCT Strategy [A/RES/60/288, PDF] is the “cornerstone of a truly global multilateral response” to terrorism. He also discussed ways to effectively enforce the strategy including collaboration among nations to implement the strategy, adoption of the strategy at regional levels where terrorism is prevalent and regionally-led responses were ineffective, and developing institutional and technical capacities at the national level. In addition to the main methods of implementing the strategy, Ban also mentioned the importance of creating a culture that is respectful to diversity and engages in inter-community relations.

The UNCCT Strategy was first introduced in 2006 after UN leaders failed to meet their goal of completing it in 2005 [JURIST report]. In 2011, a contribution agreement was signed between the UN and the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UN for the creation of UNCCT. Terrorism has become a concern around the world. In May, a Canadian resident pleaded guilty [JURIST report] for being involved in fundraising for a banned terrorist group. In March, the trial started [JURIST report] against the retired Turkish General Ilker Basbug [official website, in Turkish]. He was charged with terrorism. In January, a Norwegian court convicted [JURIST report] under the country’s anti-terror laws two men accused of planning an attack against a Danish newspaper.