Mr. Chairman,

I wish to express Italy’s sincere appreciation for this special meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on the Tenth Anniversary of the Adoption of Security Council Resolution 1373.
This is much more than a formal commemoration. It is a unique opportunity  for the entire membership to have an in-depth discussion about what has been achieved in the last ten years and the future orientation and actions of the UN counterterrorism system.
Resolution 1373 (2001) maintains its crucial importance today at both the political and operational levels. It is the first comprehensive multilateral response to global threats to international peace and security that were brought into a dramatic new relief by the 9/11 attacks. On that awful day we realized that to deal effectively with an unprecedented terrorist threat three crucial requirements had to be met:
a) effectively dealing with non-state actors;
b) improved international cooperation and shared capabilities to tackle new transnational challenges; 
c) acknowledgement of the indelible link between human, national and international security.     
Fighting terrorism requires a comprehensive approach including diplomatic initiatives, law enforcement activities, judicial responses, reintegration and rehabilitation measures, and cultural and soft-power instruments. No long-term success can be achieved without a campaign on the terrain of ideas and values. We must fight terrorism without compromising full respect for human rights and rule of law. This is a lesson that Italy learned three decades ago and we are proud of having defeated domestic terrorism without invoking emergency rule. These elements are the backbone of the 1373 Resolution and the core of the CTC and CTED mandates. The ten-year anniversary is a good moment to take stock and look forward.

Mr. Chairman,

In the previous sessions, other speakers described progresses achieved in implementing Resolution 1373 and building capacity at the national, regional and international levels. I would like to make just a few remarks on three main elements of our common commitment for the years to come: first, on the Committee’s expert assessment activities; second, on the scope and dimension of CTC responses to member States’ technical assistance needs; third, on the coordination of CTC’s efforts with the overall counterterrorism activity developed by the UN system and other informal multilateral initiatives.

In resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), the Security Council requested that States report to the CTC on the steps taken to implement these resolutions. Italy commends the Committee for establishing a fruitful dialogue with Member States to help each one raise its national counter-terrorism capacities and foster international cooperation. The CTC country reports and Global Surveys represent one of the world’s largest bodies of information on the counter-terrorism capacity. Today, a more pro-active approach is needed. We have been focusing too much on reaction, when what we really need today is pro-action. To be successful we must improve our capability for the timely detection and understanding of the new trends and new possible responses.  Building on its achievements, the Committee should progressively lift the bureaucratic aspects of the ongoing dialogue with member States, making this exercise more informal and dynamic. With the consensus of the interested States, the Committee could seek regular opportunities to exchange ideas and information on the local characteristics of the terrorist threat, national counterterrorism measures, and specific technical assistance needs. These informal exchanges could benefit from the proximity of the Permanent Missions and, when opportune, be extended to regional groups and organizations. In this respect, Italy is pleased to see that  Resolution 1963 (2010) encourages discussion with Member States, with their consent, of the possible development of comprehensive and integrated national counter-terrorism strategies.

Mr. Chairman,
Our security borders no longer coincide with our geographic frontiers: they are often located countries, even continents away. The distinction between consumers and producers of security has blurred: we all have to do our part to contribute to both sides of the equation. Hence, capacity building to grant stability and promote governance in critical areas must be at the top of our agenda.
For Italy this is not just a priority: it is the heart of our political vision, the true added value we contribute to international efforts. Our complete set of programmes in the fields of rule of law, institution building, and training for judges, prosecutors and lawyers, makes us leaders in the field of training in a wide spectrum of areas like Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, and West Africa. In some of these regions we have observed close links between terrorism and other destabilizing factors, in particular transnational organized crime.
We must break up the partnership of convenience between these threats. Technical assistance actions and programs should integrate these links and this broader dimension, at both the geographic and strategic levels. In the future CTC can play an even stronger role in this regard.

Mr. Chairman,

The CTC should consider ways and means to strengthen its relations with coordinating initiatives and bodies, within and outside the UN system.
Italy salutes CTED’s fruitful participation in the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) working groups established in the framework of the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Italy also salutes the Secretary-General’s recent establishment of a United Nations System Task Force on Transnational Organized Crime and drug trafficking, co-chaired by DPA and UNODC. It represents for CTC an opportunity to foster more meaningful and effective coordination in promoting technical assistance programs consistent with the need to address, in some regions, the existing links between TOC and terrorism. In this regard, capacity-building initiatives for Sahel and West Africa or in Central Asia could represent a test-case for the International Community.
Today we have new informal multilateral initiatives to strengthen civilian-led international counterterrorism cooperation, such as the Global Counter-terrorism Forum. The CTC and its Executive Directorate should continue their commitment to building  new partnerships, enhancing institutional capacity where it is most needed, and developing practitioner networks.
Last but not least, CTC could also play a crucial role in defining and promoting possible institutional adjustments of the UN counterterrorism structures aimed at strengthening coordination and synergies among the UN bodies while reinforcing a visible external representation of the UN counterterrorism system.