25 years on: how the counter-terrorism agenda took hold at the United Nations
Over the last 25 years, counterterrorism has grown from a marginal concern into one of the United Nations’ most expansive policy agendas, involving over 40 UN entities, hundreds of staff, and significant financial and political investment.
This briefing traces how the UN counterterrorism architecture has evolved, examines how rhetoric within the Security Council has influenced institutional expansion, and identifies which Member States have driven shifts in language and emphasis.
It looks ahead to UN80 and the ninth review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) in 2026, setting out five priorities for UN Member States to champion. These include safeguarding human rights, strengthening transparency and oversight, resisting the inclusion of vague or politically charged new threat language, protecting progress on gender equality, and ensuring that civil society can participate freely and safely.
Read the full briefing here.
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