Director-General/Executive Director
Under-Secretary-General Voronkov,
Distinguished Co-Chairs of the Group of Friends,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I am honoured to join the Group of Friends at this important event which recognizes our collective commitment to supporting victims of terrorism.
Terrorism inflicts deep physical and psychological scars on its victims.
On innocent bystanders, who were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
On children, who are robbed of their families and their hopes for the future.
On women and girls, who too often suffer sexual and gender-based violence.
And on communities, torn apart by the toxic, hateful rhetoric and violence propagated by terrorist groups.
By putting a face to these victims, we enable them to reclaim their sense of self and to rebuild their lives.
Earlier this year in Iraq, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime launched an awareness-raising campaign titled “Victims’ Voices, Silencing Terrorism,” showcasing the resilience of victims.
In Iraq, we also partnered with civil society to provide holistic psychological and legal support, to help over 120 victims rebuild their lives and facilitating their access to justice.
More broadly, we are assisting Member States to ensure that their legislation enables a victim-centered approach, and to provide support according to the specific needs of victims.
Last year, in collaboration with UNOCT and the International Parliamentary Union, we launched new model legislative provisions, which emphasize victims’ rights to compensation, recognition and remembrance, as well as the protection of their privacy throughout criminal proceedings.
Through our STRIVE Juvenile project, we are addressing the treatment of child victims, delivering technical assistance to over 40 countries.
UNODC will also be publishing a study at the end of the year on children’s association with terrorist groups. Based on field research in Indonesia, Iraq and Nigeria, the study highlights the need for multi-sectoral responses to prevent and respond to the recruitment and exploitation of children by terrorist groups.
And we have trained over 600 policymakers and criminal justice practitioners in 24 countries on incorporating gender dimensions into criminal justice responses to terrorism.
We are proud to have collaborated with our partners, including UNOCT, UN Women, OHCHR and others, to approach counter-terrorism through a gender-sensitive lens and ensure no one is left behind.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let us put victims and survivors at the centre of our efforts to counter terrorism, and work towards a world where justice, compassion, and solidarity triumph over despair. Thank you.