UNODC's Technical Assistance Activities

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UNODC's Global Project on Strengthening the Legal Regime against Terrorism provides the overall framework for delivering technical assistance to countries. It functions as a continuing 'rolling' project, with global, sub-regional and national components. It is regularly revised and up-dated to ensure continued relevance of all elements and integrate new initiatives in response to new requirements. The project's overall objective is to support Member States in achieving a functional universal legal regime against terrorism in accordance with the principles of the rule of law.

The scope of assistance provided through this project has been broadening, in terms of its geographical reach, the number of States receiving assistance and the substantive content of the assistance provided. Increasingly more attention is being paid to implementation assistance, as more States ratify the universal instruments.

Project activities address:

1. legislative drafting assistance to incorporate universal provisions into national legislation;
2. strengthening the institutional structures necessary for cooperation in counter-terrorism and the related international cooperation;
3. providing advice on extradition and mutual legal assistance requests;
4. providing advice on international cooperation mecha­nisms, both to speed up the process and to achieve com­pliance with international standards;
5. training national criminal justice officials on new legislation, international cooperation and rule of law in terrorism issues;
6. development and updating of technical assistance tools and substantive publications for facilitating the implementation of the universal legal instruments. Continued attention is given to ensure adequate follow-up to initial technical assistance provided to countries and sustainability of impact.

Between October 2002 and December 2006, assistance was provided to some 125 countries through the project, of which more than 100 received direct assistance through country missions and consultations, and others received indirect assistance through 32 subregional and regional workshops and related activities organized under the project. Over 4,600 national officials haven been provided with substantial briefings or training on the ratification and implementation requirements. These workshops have provided opportunities for countries from the same region to compare progress, learn from each other and harmonize legislative efforts. The workshops have produced final documents focusing on the follow-up technical assistance needs of participating States with regard to the ratification and implementation of the universal anti-terrorism instruments.

Specific national action plans have also been developed jointly with governments, and legislative drafting workshops have been organized to study the provisions of the instruments and to make recommendations to ministers regarding ratification, as well as implementation of the legislation, including the provisions of the universal legal instruments relating to terrorism, and the requirements of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). UNODC staff have also provided assistance to States to complete reports to the Counter-Terrorism Committee in response to Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). The Office has also strategically placed terrorism prevention experts in a number of regions to support and follow up assistance activities. 

 

Technical Assistance Tools and Substantive Publications

In order to further assist Member States understand the provisions contained in the universal instruments, draft new legislation which complies with the requirements in the universal instruments, and enhance international cooperation to fight terrorism, UNODC has developed a number of technical assistance tools, such as the Legislative Guide to the universal anti-terrorism conventions and protocols, checklists for the universal anti-terrorism conventions and Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), and a Guide for the legislative incorporation and implementation of the universal anti-terrorism instruments (See technical assistance tools).

 

Result and impact of technical assistance work

Member States, with which TPB has conducted technical cooperation activities since 2002, undertook an estimated 353 new ratifications of the universal anti-terrorism instruments. Whereas in January 2003 when the global project started, only 26 countries had ratified all first 12 universal instruments, as of end December 2006, 85 countries have ratified all of them. In the same way, in January 2003, whereas 98 countries had ratified only 6 or less of the first 12 instruments, as of end December, that number has been brought down to 32. Some 35 countries have new or revised counter-terrorism legislation in different stages of adoption. The capacity of national criminal justice systems of some 100 countries has been strengthened to implement the legal regime against terrorism, through the training of some 4,600 criminal justice officials from these countries.