Responding to Transport-related Terrorist Offences



In a global context, illegal acts against aircraft, ships, their passengers, cargo or crew, airports and sea ports, with the intent to directly or indirectly influence a government or group of individuals, represent an alarming threat.

To respond to this growing threat to maritime and aviation security, an effective legal regime against terrorism becomes an essential step in the development of a strategy to counter maritime and aviation terrorist attacks. However, the provisions contained in the maritime and aviation-related conventions and protocols have not been systematically incorporated into the domestic legislation of many States, undermining the abilities of the national criminal justice systems to effectively prosecute and adjudicate unlawful acts committed against the safety of air and maritime navigation, fixed platforms located on the continental shelf, and acts of violence against persons onboard an aircraft, vessel or a fixed platform. Moreover, the capacity of criminal justice officials to implement these provisions needs to be further strengthened given that, in many countries, judges and prosecutors lack specialized expertise in maritime and aviation-related terrorism.

UNODC supports Member States by providing technical assistance on the ratification, legislative incorporation and implementation of all the universal legal instruments related to terrorism, including the most recent conventions and protocols related to maritime and aviation security, adopted in 2005 and 2010 respectively. UNODC also provides capacity building assistance to provide criminal justice officials with the specialized expertise required to handle cases involving maritime and aviation-related terrorism.