Statement by Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism

Opening Session:

28 June 2018, 10.00 a.m.

AS DELIVERED

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good rainy morning. I would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you.

It is great to see such a packed hall. Over 270 Member States, international and regional organizations, civil society organizations and United Nations entities are participating in this Conference.

This includes 150 Member States, of which over 100 are represented by delegations from capitals.

In addition to this opening segment, the Conference comprises four thematic sessions reflecting the priorities of Member States for improving international counter-terrorism cooperation as well as a closing segment.

Each session will provide an opportunity to consider the practical implementation of relevant aspects of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which the General Assembly reviewed on 26 and 27 June 2018.

The first thematic session, which will start immediately in this Hall after the adjournment of the opening segment, will consider the theme: “Opportunities and challenges in strengthening international cooperation through the sharing of information, expertise and resources”.

The session will be chaired by Madame Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate of the United Nations.

The second thematic session, which will run from 3 to 6 p.m. today, will consider the topic: “Combatting the evolving threat from Foreign Terrorist Fighters”, and will be chaired by Mr. Jürgen Stock, Secretary-General of INTERPOL.

The third session will take place tomorrow morning from 10.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m., and will focus on the theme: “Strengthening global action to prevent violent extremism, including by engaging youth and preventing misuse of new technologies and the Internet by terrorists”. It will be chaired by Mr. Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme.

The fourth thematic session will be held tomorrow afternoon from 3.00 to 5.30 p.m. and will consider the theme: “Strengthening the role and capacity of the United Nations to support Member States to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”.

I will have the honour to co-chair this session with Madame Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, and Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

The four thematic sessions will all take place in this Hall and feature statements from Heads of delegations from Member States, international and regional organizations and United Nations entities.

Civil society representatives will have an opportunity to address the Conference during the thematic sessions tomorrow.

The Conference will conclude with a closing segment, which will take place tomorrow from 5.30 to 6.00 p.m. in this Hall, at which the Secretary-General Guterres will make closing remarks.

There will be interpretation in all six United Nations languages today, including during the lunch break. There will be interpretation during the scheduled times of the sessions tomorrow, but not during the lunch break or after 6.00 p.m.

To make maximum use of the limited time we have available for this Conference, I urge all speakers to kindly adhere to the time limit of four minutes for all statements.

To facilitate time management in this regard, we have installed a lighting system, by which a red light will start to blink when speakers are near the end of the allotted time.

Please also note that all statements will be made from the podium. United Nations staff will guide you to the podium.



If you need any assistance over the next two days, there is an information desk outside this hall where my staff will be ready to help you.

Last but not least, I would like to ask you to remain seated for the first thematic session, which will begin immediately and will be chaired by Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate of the United Nations.

The opening segment is now concluded.