Eduardo González
Next October, Vitoria-Gasteiz will host the international conference on victims of terrorism, sponsored by the United Nations and organized jointly by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), promoter of the meeting, and the City Council of the host city.
As reported yesterday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release, the conference will continue the first Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September 2022 at the United Nations headquarters in New York and in which Spain proposed the creation of a Fund United Nations Trustee. In addition, since 2021, Vitoria has hosted the Memorial Center for the Victims of Terrorism, dedicated to those affected by terrorism in Spain.
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, established on June 15, 2017 by decision of the United Nations General Assembly, has a headquarters in Madrid, inaugurated in June 2023 and focused on the protection of vulnerable targets, the prevention of violent extremism, the promotion and protection of human rights and support for victims of terrorism. The office also facilitates bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism and takes advantage of “Spain’s experience and good practices in the fight against terrorism, to help implement these programs in beneficiary countries,” according to the Government.
The creation of UNOCT was the first major institutional reform undertaken by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, following his report on the capacity of the United Nations to assist Member States in the implementation of the Global Strategy of the UN. UN against Terrorism. Since its birth it has been headed by the Russian Vladimir Voronkov as assistant secretary general of the United Nations for the fight against terrorism.
