The first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism (“Global Congress”), organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), will be held from 8-9 September 2022 at the UN Headquarters in New York under the theme of “Advancing the Rights and Needs of Victims of Terrorism”. The Global Congress brought together more than 600 participants and will be the world’s largest and most diverse gathering of victims of terrorism, Member States, civil society, experts, academics and the private sector convened at this level.

The Global Congress was live-streamed on UN Web TV to ensure virtual participation for victims across the globe and allowed for a diverse audience of stakeholders with the aim of advancing the dialogue and engagement on a victim-centric approach. It was a valuable event and even watching online gave local victims an opportunity to see that they have not been forgotten.

“The Congress aims to encourage genuine interaction between victims of terrorism, associations of victims and Member States on key issues such as protection, remembrance and recognition, access to justice and support and assistance,” said Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary- General for Counter-Terrorism, on the occasion of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, which was commemorated on 21 August. “An important objective for the Congress is to place issues faced by victims of terrorism high on the international community’s agenda, by providing information, good practices and inspiration with the goal of enshrining the rights of victims of terrorism in domestic frameworks.”

It has given our members a renewed vision for ensuring that their rights and their experience is not forgotten.