Eduardo González
Last Tuesday, the Council of Ministers authorized a voluntary contribution of 250,000 euros to the United Nations Office to Combat Terrorism (UNOCT), corresponding to the year 2024, for the celebration of the second International Conference of Victims of Terrorism.
In September 2022, the First Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism was held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, promoted by Spain and UNOCT, coinciding with the United Nations ministerial week in New York.
During the event – which allowed member states and civil society organizations to share good practices in the matter and, at the same time, the victims’ stories to be heard – Spain proposed the creation of a United Nations Trust Fund and proposed the idea of establishing a Global Network of Associations of Victims of Terrorism. The Congress also addressed the adoption, by the United Nations General Assembly, of the First International Statute of Victims of Terrorism.
The second International Conference of Victims of Terrorism, which continues the aforementioned New York congress, will be held at the Vitoria-Gasteiz Congress Palace, Álava, on October 8 and 9 of this year, sponsored by the United Nations and organized jointly by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior, UNOCT, promoter of the meeting, and the City Council of the host city.
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was established on June 15, 2017 by decision of the United Nations General Assembly. The creation of the Office 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 against Terrorism. Since its inception it has been headed by the United Nations deputy secretary general for the fight against terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov. Madrid has had a delegation for a year.
