I thank you, Chair. Malta welcomes the convening of this meeting and joins others in congratulating the Executive Director, Ms. Natalia Gherman and her team, on CTED's 20th anniversary. Malta recognizes CTED's vital role in assisting Member States in strengthening their national capacities to prevent and combat terrorism in full respect of international law and human rights. Drawing from our experience working closely with CTED, we would like to express our gratitude for the role it has played in supporting and assisting Malta in implementing key measures. We value CTED's tailored technical recommendations and cooperation that has allowed for exchanges on challenges and best practices, leading to the strengthening of our counter-terrorism framework. Earlier this year, Malta hosted the International Conference on National and Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategies, which brought together a wide range of Member States, regional organizations, United Nations entities and civil society. This brought participation enabled a substantive exchange of perspectives and best practices. The conference resulted in the adoption of the Valetta Principles, a set of 42 non-binding recommendations designed to guide Member States and regional bodies in developing effective, legitimate and sustainable counter-terrorism strategies. Building on the Bogota Principles, these recommendations promote a whole of government and whole of society approach, practical cooperation and robust oversight. The Valetta Principles reflect a strong consensus on the need for inclusive and practical counter-terrorism frameworks, and we are confident that these recommendations will provide useful guidance for future global counter-terrorism efforts. As a testament to Malta's steadfast commitment to its role as custodian of the Valetta Principles, together with CTED, we co-organized a high-level side event during the High-Level Week, which provided a platform to advance dialogue on the practical implementation of the Valetta Principles and to encourage their uptake by the international community. The panel of experts highlighted the importance of adapting the principles to national contexts, addressing radicalization, particularly among youth and marginalized groups, strengthening institutional frameworks, and fostering peer-to-peer learning and capacity building. The discussion also underscored the value of international cooperation, the need for strong accountability mechanisms, and the importance of engaging civil society and local communities in building resilience. In closing, Chair, I would like to once again thank CTED for its invaluable support and close cooperation. Malta fully supports CTED's priorities, including the prevention of violent extremism, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the promotion of women's participation in counterterrorism policymaking. We welcome the recent CTED evaluation visit and the subsequent report, and will provide our feedback within the prescribed nine-month timeframe. We encourage all Member States to join Malta and CTED in championing the Valetta Principles and working together to build a safer and more resilient international community. We remain committed to continue collaborating closely with CTED and the CTC in the future. Thank you.


I thank the representative of Malta and I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines, followed by Tunisia. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chair, Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, the Philippines congratulates the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on this 20th anniversary. We commend the Chair and the leadership of CTED for convening this timely discussion on the evolution and future of our collective counter-terrorism efforts. For two decades, CTED has been a pillar of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. Through its assessments, guidance, and facilitation of technical assistance, it has helped Member States implement Security Council resolutions in a balanced and rights-based manner, fostering a culture of dialogue and shared responsibility. For the Philippines, CTED engagement has been instrumental. Following CTED's visit in 2019 and 2020, we acted on the 67 recommendations identified through the process. This informed our key reforms, including the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act, and the establishment of a Fusion Center to enhance inter-agency coordination. They also guided the Philippines delisting from the FATF grey list earlier this year, an affirmation of stronger safeguards against terrorism, financing and financial crimes. Building on this partnership, the Philippines, together with CTED and the Kingdom of Morocco, co-organized the cross-regional exchange on countering terrorism last September. The event drew lessons from Southeast Asia and West Africa and highlighted how South-South and cross-regional cooperation can strengthen resilience and translate good practices into action. In 2021, the Philippines had the honor of briefing the Counter-Terrorism Committee on our progress. We emphasized that CTED assessments are not compliance exercises, but opportunities to refine strategies and address gaps. Excellencies, as we look ahead, we share CTED's call for continued adaptation to emerging threats. Terrorist groups are exploiting new technologies such as unmanned aircraft, systems, cryptocurrencies, and artificial intelligence to radicalize, recruit, and finance operations. CTED's initiatives such as the Abu Dhabi and Algeria's guiding principles provide valuable tools in addressing these challenges. As ASEAN Chair in 2026, the Philippines will prioritize regional stability, digital resilience, and counter-terrorism cooperation. We will look to ensure that regional initiatives complement global efforts and uphold the rule of law, human rights and international humanitarian law. Mr. Chair, as CTED marks 20 years of service, the Philippines reaffirms its commitment to a global response that is inclusive, adaptive and grounded in partnership. We look forward to continuing our cooperation with CTED and the Committee toward a safer and more resilient world for all. Thank you.


I thank the representative of the Philippines and I now give the floor to the representative of Tunisia followed by the EU.


Please.


Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. On behalf of the European Union, I would like to extend our sincere congratulations to CTED on reaching two decades of dedicated service within the UN counter-terrorism architecture. From the EU standpoint, CTED's role is central. Terrorism is a global cross-border threat. Since its establishment at the Security Council resolution 1535, CTED has become the principal body assisting the Counter-Terrorism Committee in assessing Member States' implementation of resolution 1373. And subsequent obligations. Over those years, CTED has conducted more than 200 assessment visits to over 120 Member States, including many EU Member States, building a unique body of knowledge on good practices and gaps and supporting capacity building and international cooperation. Importantly, CTED has consistently integrated human rights, the rule of law and international law into its work. That approach fully aligns with the EU's conviction that counter-terrorism is only effective when firmly anchored in human rights and international law. Our cooperation with CTED has been longstanding and constructive. We value the regular exchange of expertise, mutual support in capacity building and joint work on normative frameworks, including the Global Counterterrorism Forum's Brussels Memorandum on Oversight and Accountability. We look forward to deepening cooperation further, including through the GCTF. Looking ahead, the UN reform process presents an opportunity and a responsibility to ensure that the UN counter-terrorism architecture remains fit for purpose. The EU is open to reform that strengthens coordination, streamlines delivery and avoids duplication, while at the same time enhancing transparency and accountability to ensure that all UN counter-terrorism efforts fully comply with the fourth pillar of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. But reform must not dilute functional independence, nor erode specialized mandates such as CTED. Bodies like CTED must remain structurally and operationally independent with their expertise and credibility preserved. In that spirit, we welcome CTED's reflections today on the evolving threat landscape and on how we can best support it to preserve and strengthen this cornerstone of global counter-terrorism efforts. Thank you very much.


I thank you for those remarks. I now give the floor to the representative of Ecuador to be followed by Japan. Gracias, Señor Presidente.


Thank you, Mr. Chair. Since its inception following Resolution 1535 of the Security Council, CTED has been pivotal in supporting Member States in the implementation of counter-terrorism resolutions. In this statement, I wish to underscore the first visit that CTED undertook to my country that was in October of 2023. That visit allowed for a technical and political dialogue about Ecuador's progress and challenges in terms of terrorism. The final report of that visit was something that reflected the Ecuador staunch commitment to the Security Council resolutions and to the defense of the rule of law. This report will serve as a basis to strengthen the fight against transnational organized crime and its ties with terrorism. These are all threats which erode democratic institutions, render citizen security fragile and undermine sustainable development. Consequently, Ecuador views it crucial that the United Nations system as a whole step up its support to Member States. It is not sufficient to conduct assessments or issue diagnoses. We must see timely technical assistance, effective judicial cooperation, intelligence exchange, the strengthening of institutions and adequate resources provided so that countries can implement the recommendations which arise from CTED. CTED was created 20 years ago and now it symbolizes the effectiveness of multilateralism in action. However, the threats we are today facing are more complex, interconnected and ever-changing than ever before. Consequently, CTED must adapt to new realities, maintaining its ability to respond to emerging phenomena. These include the use of digital technologies by terrorist groups, online radicalization and increasingly robust ties between terrorism and transnational organized crime. It is vital that CTED work in close coordination with other UN system entities that fight terrorism, as well as organized crime and the root causes of both. We must promote synergies, avoid overlaps and guarantee that we adopt the comprehensive, coherent and person-focused approach.


Thank you. I thank the representative of Japan and I now give the floor to the representative of Germany, followed by Cuba. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, at the outset, allow me to thank the Chair of the CTC for organizing this important event and to express my appreciation to the panelists for their valuable contributions. Let me also extend our warmest congratulations to CTED on its 20th anniversary. Since its establishment, CTED has become an indispensable pillar of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. Colleagues, terrorism remains a grave threat to international peace and security, demanding global cooperation with the United Nations at its core. Germany is proud to be among the major contributors to the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. We firmly believe that counter-terrorism must address root causes such as poverty, inequality and weak governance while protecting human rights. Germany is deeply concerned about the rapid increase of terrorist attacks in Africa, in particular in the Sahel region. That is why we place a strong focus on this region in our capacity-building efforts on countering terrorism. As co-chair of the West Africa Capacity Building Working Group within the Global Counterterrorism Forum, together with Algeria, we actively contribute to the fight against terrorism. We are committed to supporting African-led counterterrorism capacities, including AFRIPOLE, for example, by organizing workshops on new technologies for fighting terrorism and organized crime. We also support African civil law enforcement and military capacities through our enable and enhance initiative. Given the transnational nature of terrorism, we are actively involved in the integrated border security mechanism project, and we also support initiatives like the African Union border program to address cross-border terrorism. As this year's chair of the Peacebuilding Commission, we are working to foster integrated long-term strategies for strengthening peace and governance, which are essential components of a sustainable counterterrorism approach. Let me close by emphasizing that CTED's analytical work remains a cornerstone for the UN's counterterrorism efforts. We deeply value its expertise and look forward to continuing our close and constructive cooperation in the years ahead. I thank you.


Thank you for those remarks. I now give the floor to the representative of Cuba, followed by Morocco. Senor Presidente.


Have been planned and organized from the territory of the United States with the support, protection and financing of the government of that country. The fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations requires that we adopt a comprehensive approach and it requires international cooperation on the basis of the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and of international law. We condemn any and all actions aiming to encourage support, finance or shield any act, method or practice that is terrorist in design or intention. These acts should not be justified by the invoking of any religion, nationality or belonging to ethnic group. The rejection of terrorism is a pillar of Cuba's foreign policy as endorsed by our constitution. We continue to be exemplary in our conduct in terms of how we tackle this global problem, including as a state party to the 19 international conventions related to this issue. Terrorism cannot be eradicated while we continue to see double standards prevail alongside manipulation, political opportunism, and selectivity when it comes to tackling it. Cuba's inclusion by the U.S. government on its arbitrary and unilateral list of states allegedly sponsoring terrorism makes it clear that there is political manipulation of the struggle against this scourge. The UN global counterterrorism strategy will be reviewed in 2026 by the General Assembly. It reaffirms the central role that this organ must play in coordinating global efforts to implement it. There is an urgent need to resume negotiations on a General Convention on International Terrorism. This convention should fully encompass all facets of this phenomenon, including acts in which there are states directly or indirectly involved. This would be a significant, meaningful contribution to efforts aiming genuinely to eliminate terrorism. I thank you.


I thank the representative of Cuba for those remarks, and I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco to be followed by Norway. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


The Kingdom of Morocco welcomes the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and pays tribute to its key role in implementing relevant Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism. We would like to extend our congratulations to ASG Natalia Gherman and her team, as well as to all those who have served within CTED over the years. My delegation appreciates the opportunity to take part in this important exchange and to reflect on two decades of CTED's valuable work in advancing our collective efforts to prevent and counter terrorism. My remarks today will be articulated in four points. First, Morocco values its longstanding and constructive cooperation with CTED. Our country was among the first states assessed by CTED on behalf of the Committee in 2005, followed by a first follow-up visit in 2013 and the second in June 2019. Second, Morocco commands seated analytical and policy contributions, notably its briefing to the Security Council and its involvement in the development of guiding principle and policy frameworks. Third, Morocco continues to actively promote international, regional, and cross-regional cooperation. It regularly hosts training programs and expert discussions on various aspects of counter-terrorism. Most recently, during the high-level week, Morocco co-organized with the Philippines and seated a cross-regional dialogue on countering terrorism insights from Southeast Asia and West Africa. The Kingdom also takes pride in hosting the UNOCT Program Office for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa, based in Rabat, which has become a regional hub of excellence for capacity building and training for African member states. Fourth, to address the persistent threat of terrorism, the Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its counterterrorist priorities, which focus on preventing radicalization, reinforcing the rule of law, promoting moderate religious teachings, addressing socioeconomic vulnerabilities, and ensuring that reintegration and deradicalization programs are effective. Accordingly, Morocco implements a national counterterrorism strategy based on four complementary dimensions: security and judicial, religious and cultural, social and economic, and reintegration and deradicalization. In conclusion, Morocco reiterates its unwavering commitments to effective and inclusive multilateralism in the fight against terrorism, grounded in international law, human rights, and the promotion of peace and tolerance. The Kingdom stands ready to continue supporting the CTED and seated in our shared pursuit of a world free from terrorism. I thank you.


I thank the representative of Morocco and I now give the floor to the representative of Norway to be followed by the League of Arab States and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean.


Mr. Chair, on behalf of Norway, I would like to congratulate CTED on its 20th anniversary. We express our appreciation to CTED for the important work done over the past two decades. CTED has continued to develop its expertise and to assess and respond to emerging issues, trends and developments in terrorism and counter-terrorism. Norway highly values CTED's consistent attention to human rights and gender considerations in counter-terrorism, reinforcing the importance of balanced rights-compliant measures in accordance with Security Council resolutions. Norway welcomes the recent follow-up assessment visit by CTED, conducted from 19 to 20 June 2025 on behalf of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee. The visit offered an invaluable opportunity to review Norway's progress in implementing key counter-terrorism measures in line with Security Council resolutions 1373 and other relevant resolutions. We express our sincere appreciation to CTED and to the specialists from the International Maritime Organization and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for their professionalism, expertise and constructive engagement throughout the preparations during the visit and in the follow-up. The delegation engaged in comprehensive and constructive dialogue with representatives from a broad range of Norwegian ministries and agencies, covering multiple thematic areas under numerous Security Council resolutions. We greatly valued the professional and collaborative exchanges between national practitioners and CTED experts. The delegation's separate consultations with civil society representatives were much appreciated, underscoring CTED's commitment to inclusive and broad-based dialogue. Norway looks forward to continuing its close cooperation with CTED and the Committee and remains committed to advancing comprehensive rights-respecting counter-terrorism efforts. Congratulations again and thank you.


Thank you very much. I now give the floor to the representative of the League of Arab States to be followed by PAM, the Parliamentary Assembly.


Representative of the League of Arab States

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I wish to congratulate CTED and its leadership on its 20th anniversary. I wish to thank CTED as well as Algeria for chairing the CTC and for providing support to Member States and regional organizations in capacity building and the development of regional and national counterterrorism strategies and the strengthening of their capacity to implement relevant Security Council resolutions. The League of Arab States recognizes the importance of what was mentioned by Pakistan on continuous occupation, including the effects of Israeli occupation of our peoples in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, as well as continuous efforts for forced displacement and attacks against Christian and Muslim holy sites by the far-right Israeli government. We stress the need for the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility urgently to take a strong stance on this very important question. The League of Arab States attaches great importance to the use of terrorist groups of modern technologies, including AI and its applications, which now poses an additional risk jeopardizing the security and stability of states. We stress the need for concerted efforts to bridge gaps that are exploited by terrorist groups to conduct cyber and military attacks. We wish to laud the current communication with CTED on the holding of the upcoming bilateral regional meeting in Cairo on the strengthening of regional and national capacities in the implementation of counterterrorism strategies based on the Vetting Principles which were adopted during the International Conference jointly held by Malta and CTED last March, which was a supplement to the Algeria Principles and supported regional and national counterterrorism strategies and which focused on the establishment of robust capacities and secretariats equipped with resources and adequate technology to implement regional and national counterterrorism strategies. This echoed the efforts made by the LAS, as well as our Secretariat, and our ad hoc ministerial councils, including the Council of Arab Ministers of the Interior. The 28th Conference of Counterterrorism Officials, which was held in Tunisia this month, took stock of the progress made by Arab states in counterterrorism, especially in addressing emerging challenges confronting the Arab region, namely the use by terrorist groups of modern technologies such as AI, unmanned aircraft systems, and digital currencies, in addition to strengthened interlinkages between terrorism and terrorist groups. We focused during this conference on the need for integrating such challenges and regional coordination and cooperation mechanisms established with the United Nations to address these challenges. The LAS hopes that the coming meeting to be held with CTED will constitute an additional practical step that will pave the way to bilateral periodic regional consultations to exchange expertise and assessments on current legislative and security developments to identify regional and national needs for technical and institutional capacity building amongst member states. Thank you, Mr. Chair.


I thank the representative of the League of Arab States for those remarks. The representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Very nice to see you in the chair. It's on. I start again. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Guterres, very nice to see you chairing this meeting and thank you, Executive Director. We have had such good cooperation. I'm very pleased to be here. So, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, PAM, extends its warm congratulations to the Executive Director, Ms. Natalia Gherman, and the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, CTED, on the 20th anniversary. We also thank all the experts and officials who gave excellent briefings this morning. Since its inception, PAM has devoted much effort to counter-terrorist activities, being the first of the international organizations to agree on a working definition of terrorism. These efforts have been recognized by the international community. And last year, PAM was elected Chair of the UN Mechanisms for Parliamentary Assemblies on Counter-Terrorism. PAM, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and CTED enjoy a long-standing and solid partnership and cooperation. PAM's Centre for Global Studies is strongly committed to assisting and advancing this mission. PAM and CTED are currently working together to explore how artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are being exploited by terrorists, as well as how to monitor and prevent the malicious use of spyware. PAM and CTED will co-host side events during the General Assembly, the next UN Counter-Terrorism Week in 2026 and within the framework of the Internet Governance Platform, IGF, in 2027. Next year it will be PAM's turn to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The success of the Assembly would not have been possible without the fruitful collaboration with CTED. In order to further strengthen our cooperation, it is my pleasure to invite the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and Ms. Guterres to participate in the 20th plenary session of PAM to be held on May 20-26 in Port of Montenegro. I hope you will be able to come. Thank you.


I thank the representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean for those remarks. There are no more speakers inscribed on the list for this Q&A session. And in true UN tradition, hardly any questions were posed. But we had a very substantive exchange of views. I now give the floor back to the chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, His Excellency, the permanent representative of Algeria. Thank you, Mr. Jadun. Thank you, all the participants for their intervention. I now invite Ms. Natalia Gherman, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of CTED, to deliver closing remarks after this rich participation of Member States.


Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman

Thank you. Thank you very much, dear Mr. Chair. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, allow me to begin again by thanking His Excellency Ambassador Amr Benatya and his very able team for steering our work in the Counter-Terrorism Committee for already two years. For the steadfast leadership as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. My gratitude also goes to our distinguished Vice-Chairs of the Committee for moderating our today's discussions, but very importantly for their valuable support to the work of the Committee and to the activity of CTED. I also wish to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to all the Committee members, the panelists, and indeed to all participants for the valuable contributions that had enriched today's discussions. The open briefing has provided us with an opportunity to reflect on the work of CTED as well as its unique ability to support Member States encountering terrorism. Dear colleagues, distinguished participants, your insights have reinforced our shared commitment to strengthen collective action against one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. I believe we can all agree that counterterrorism is not merely about security. It is about safeguarding the values that unite us: peace, justice, human rights and dignity. In entering our third decade, CTED remains committed to strong cooperation as we address current and emerging challenges and build a safer, more secure and resilient future for all. Thank you.


I thank you. I will now deliver very short closing remarks as Chair of the CTC. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, I wish to thank all participants for their valuable contribution and reflection as we commemorated CTED's 20th anniversary. Today's discussion has underscored the continued importance of the work of both the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its subsidiary bodies in monitoring, promoting and facilitating Member States' implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. I wish to take this opportunity to express the Committee's appreciation to all Member States, as well as international, sub-regional and regional organizations, United Nations entities, civil society organizations, academia and the private sector for their steadfast support to the work of the Committee and CTED throughout the years. In conclusion, I wish to thank Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of CTED, and her team for their dedicated commitment to advancing the Committee's mandate. Can I add something? Thanking the interpreters, the sound engineers and the Secretariat for their valuable assistance. Thank you. Today's open briefing is adjourned. Thank you.