Programme Description
The Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Threats against Vulnerable Targets responds to a call by Member States, including through the General Assembly and the Security Council, to enhance United Nations support to Member States to address gaps and challenges in protecting vulnerable targets, which include critical infrastructure and ‘soft’ targets.
The Programme aims at identifying, gathering, and sharing good practices to understand, prevent and counter terrorist threats against vulnerable targets, including urban centres and major touristic venues, religious sites, as well as the threat posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) through the production of knowledge products such as modular guides to identify good practices, tools and resources.
The Programme is being implemented by UNOCT in partnership with the the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and in consultation with INTERPOL. Additionally, the Programme partners in its different activities and initiatives with international and regional organizations, civil society and the private sector, UN entities of the Counter-Terrorism Coordination Global Compact, as well as other relevant stakeholders. The Programme is funded by the State of Qatar.
Programme Objectives
- Identifying
and sharing policies and good practices to understand, prevent and counter
terrorist threats against vulnerable targets;
- Strengthening
Member States’ capacity to develop comprehensive and collaborative strategies
including through public-private partnerships;
- Providing, upon request, tailored capacity-building to prevent, protect, mitigate, investigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks.
Programme Deliverables
- Modular Guides and Repository of Good Practices
The Programme collects and disseminates good practices and thematic guidelines on policies, mechanisms, and tools to enhance the protection of vulnerable targets in accordance with human rights. Additionally, good practices on the protection of vulnerable targets across the world are gathered in this platform through a repository of good practices.
- Tailored National Action Plans or “Roadmaps”
The Programme supports requesting Member States to identify priorities and needs through specialized consultations, which lead to designing collaborative and comprehensive approaches and recommendations, gathered in “roadmaps” or national plans of action to protect vulnerable targets. In this context, public-private partnerships and the involvement of civil society are promoted.
- Operational Trainings
The Programme supports the implementation of the above-mentioned “roadmaps” by providing operational training courses to beneficiary Member States in areas such as vulnerability/risk assessment, information sharing, investigation and crisis response and recovery.
- E-learning
The Programme on the protection of vulnerable targets is developing e-learning courses which will be available on this platform. (coming soon)
- Mentoring services
The Programme provides mentoring services to beneficiary Member States to support the development and implementation of strategies and standard operating procedures.
- Global network of experts on vulnerable targets protection
The Programme is developing a global network of experts on vulnerable targets protection aimed at providing a dedicated space for relevant officials and stakeholders from Member States to exchange information and good practices, and develop synergies.
