UN COUNTER-TERRORISM TRUST FUND (Syllabus: GS Paper 2– IR)
Context: Recently, India contributed $5,00,000 to the UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund, reaffirming its unwavering commitment to the global fight against terrorism.
United Nations Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund
- Establishment: 2009 by the Secretary-General.
o Transferred to the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) in 2017.
- Objectives: To enhance the capacities of member states in eastern and southern Africa to combat issues related to the financing of terrorism and to prevent the movement and travel of terrorists.
- India's Contribution Focus: Primarily support UNOCT's global programs, notably the Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Countering Terrorist Travel Programme (CTTP).
- Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism: It is a prospective treaty designed to outlaw all types of international terrorism and prevent terrorists, their backers, and financiers from obtaining funds, weapons, and safe locations.
UN Office of Counter-Terrorism
- Establishment: 15 June 2017 through the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution.
- Functions: The five primary functions of UNOCT are as follows:
o Lead the implementation of counter-terrorism mandates from the General Assembly across the UN system, under the Secretary-General's authority.
o Enhance coordination and coherence among entities of the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact to ensure balanced execution of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
o Enhance the provision of UN counter-terrorism capacity-building aid to Member States.
o Enhance visibility, advocacy, and resource mobilization for UN counter-terrorism endeavors.
o Ensure that counterterrorism is prioritized throughout the UN system and that efforts to prevent violent extremism are firmly grounded in the Strategy.
