Statement by Director of the Department on the Issues of New Challenges and Threats Mr. Vladimir Tarabrin at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism
From the outset, I would like to thank the organizers for convening this Third Ministerial Meeting of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism. We appreciate your endeavours in promoting and coordinating international cooperation in this field and, as a Member of the Group, reaffirm our commitment to make every possible effort to contribute to its undoubtedly important work.
The adoption of the resolution on enhancing international cooperation to assist victims of terrorism (A/73/305) in 2019 has demonstrated solidarity of Member States with the victims. This document has extended the special measures enshrined in the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy (GCTS) like guarantees of access to justice for victims, as well as improving measures of criminal prosecution of terrorists and strengthening inter-agency cooperation in this sphere. We also commend the convening earlier this month the First UN Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism.
We strongly believe that the main component of countering terrorism activity should be certainty of punishment for the perpetrators. We call on all countries to fulfill their international obligations in line with “extradite of prosecute” principal enshrined in the GCTS.
My country unfortunately had first-hand experience of terrorist attacks and its consequences. Due to this we have elaborated and actively implement wide range of measures of victims’ support, including compensation of the damage. Special attention is paid to women and children. We permanently develop working mechanisms of governmental bodies in the sphere of suppressing, detection and investigation of terrorist-related crimes.
The relevance of assistance to victims of terrorism is hard to overestimate. Terrorist attacks take place on all continents. No one in the modern world is safe from this threat, regardless of citizenship, ethnicity, religion, or domicile. Recently there was a barbaric attack against the Russian embassy in Afghanistan. In a result dozens of civilians including our colleagues have been injured and killed.
It goes without saying that these acts can’t be justified. Terrorists must be punished. In the same time governments should support victims of terrorism and address their needs in rehabilitation.
We call all state-members on cooperation in this sphere. Due to this we’d like to express our readiness to consider the option of creating a voluntary fund to support victims of terrorism according to the first option proposed in the relevant Secretary General’s report. However additional detailed work will be required to develop modalities for the operation of such mechanism.
