EU Statement - 9th Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Briefing to Member States

EU Statement - 9th Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Briefing to Member States

4 March 2026, New York - Statement on behalf of the European Union and its Member States by H.E. Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, at the Briefing to Member States on the 9th Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

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Mr / Madam Chair,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The Candidate Countries North Macedonia, Montenegro*, Serbia*, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and Georgia, and the EFTA country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Armenia, and Monaco, align themselves with this statement.

We would like to thank the co-facilitators, Finland and Morocco, for taking up the important task of facilitating the 9^th Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). We also thank the Secretary-General for the report on the progress of the implementation of the Strategy published on 27 February.

Counter-terrorism remains at the forefront of the EU's efforts to promote international peace and security. The threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism - in all their forms and irrespective of their origin - continues to pose a major risk to all of us. It remains fast-evolving, transnational, and deeply interconnected with geopolitical instability and rapid technological advances.

ISIL/Da'esh, Al-Qaida and their affiliates continue to represent the most significant international terrorist threat, including through their expanding presence in the Sahel and other parts of Africa, as well as their continued activity in Afghanistan and Central Asia, Syria and Iraq, and beyond.

At the same time, we are witnessing the growing mobilisation of individuals and lone actors inspired by transnational terrorist and violent extremist narratives, including online ecosystems, which directly affects societies in all regions of the world, including in the European Union. This underlines our common interest in and the continued importance of international cooperation in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. The GCTS constitutes the central framework shaping and guiding our collective efforts.

Let me outline three general priorities for this review, in which the EU and its 27 Member States will engage as a group:

First: The GCTS, as it stands today, provides an effective and carefully calibrated foundation for multilateral counterterrorism. It reflects two decades of sustained intergovernmental consensus and collective commitment among Member States on how to address terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, and continues to serve as the cornerstone of multilateral counterterrorism cooperation.

Preserving the comprehensive and balanced nature of the Strategy across all four pillars - which include its human rights-based, rule of law-driven, gender-responsive, and prevention-oriented approach, as well as meaningful engagement with civil society and victims of terrorism - is essential to maintaining its credibility and long-term effectiveness.

As underlined in the Secretary-General's report, these elements are not peripheral to the Strategy; they constitute its core strength. Effective counterterrorism succeeds not in spite of human rights, respect for the rule of law, and a sustained focus on prevention. On the contrary: experience has demonstrated time and again that it succeeds because these very principles - which, let us not forget, are in and of themselves an anathema to terrorists - enhance its legitimacy, sustainability, and long-term impact.

Second: We approach this review as an opportunity for Member States to further strengthen international cooperation and enhance the Strategy's impact, considering today's evolving threat environment.

We see scope for targeted refinements that respond to emerging challenges, including developments related to new technologies, and that further strengthen effective implementation, transparency and accountability, in ways that reinforce the Strategy's overall coherence and effectiveness.

Third: An inclusive and transparent process will be key to achieving a strong and broadly supported outcome that continues to underpin multilateral counterterrorism cooperation.

Moreover, it is important that the Strategy - and our collective efforts - remain grounded in an objective and evidence-based understanding of current and emerging challenges.

The European Union and its 27 Member States will engage in the spirit of cooperation, with the clear objective of ensuring a consensual outcome that builds upon the Strategy's core strengths and reinforces its practical impact.

We will provide further details on our priorities in our written submission and look forward to engaging constructively with the co-facilitators and all other delegations, taking into account the views expressed in today's discussion.

I thank you.

1. ^ North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.