The Parliamentary Assembly works to advance counter-terrorism efforts in the OSCE region.

With a focus on cross-dimensional aspects of security – incorporating the political-military, economic and environmental, and the human dimensions – the PA has sought to support OSCE participating States’ efforts to develop effective and human rights-compliant responses to violent extremism, adopting over over 20 resolutions dealing with the issue since 2001.

To bring increased focus to its counter-terrorism efforts and strengthen the contribution of OSCE parliamentarians in addressing violent extremism and radicalization, in July 2017 the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly established the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism.

Take a look at our PDF factsheet detailing the composition and mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism. 

Through a wide range of initiatives (e.g. official visits, international conferences, expert meetings, resolutions, surveys, informal exchanges, etc.) the Ad Hoc Committee has:

• Strengthened parliamentary engagement on counter-terrorism and identified several thematic areas where parliaments could add value.
• Developed innovative policy guidance on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism (2018 Berlin Resolution) and on addressing the threats stemming from the return & relocation of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (2019 Luxembourg Resolution).
• Contributed to the timely implementation of the international counter-terrorism framework, and in particular of key international obligations on border security and information sharing (i.e. API/PNR/Biometrics) stemming from UNSCR 2396 through parliamentary oversight.
• Improved coordination with the OSCE governmental structures and built solid partnerships with the United Nations (e.g. UNOCT) and other interparliamentary assemblies (e.g. PAM, PACE & IPA-CIS).
• Advocated for inclusive, effective and human rights-compliant counter-terrorism responses.

Mandate of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism: 

• Advance OSCE PA’s efforts in the field of countering terrorism with a special emphasis on cross-dimensional issues, explore innovative approaches in the OSCE region and report back to the President and the Standing Committee;
• Consider terrorism trends in the OSCE region and develop forward-looking policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the role of the OSCE and supporting participating States' efforts to develop effective and human rights-compliant counter-terrorism responses;
• Promote inter-parliamentary dialogue and the exchange of best practices and lessons learned on issues related to countering terrorism;
• Work closely with the OSCE executive structures and with relevant external partners on issues related to countering terrorism to improve the visibility and impact of the OSCE's action;
• Promote the follow-up to OSCE PA recommendations in the field of countering terrorism.

Composition of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism:

• Kamil Aydin (Türkiye), Chair
• Emanuele Loperfido (Italy), Vice-Chair
• Marc Veasey (United States of America), Vice-Chair
• Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė (Lithuania)
• Paula Cardoso (Portugal)
• Tsogtbaatar Damdin (Mongolia)
• Maria Karapetyan (Armenia)
• Pia Kauma (Finland)
• Sverre Myrli (Norway)
• Jevrosima Pejović (Montenegro)
• Ricardo Tarno (Spain)
• Attila Tilki (Hungary)
• Madeleine van Toorenburg (Netherlands)

The OSCE PA's Counter-Terrorism Work

Below you may find the official resolutions, publications, reports, speeches, press releases and videos highlighting the OSCE PA's counter-terrorism work.

Resolutions and Publications

• RESOLUTION - Resolution on Artificial Intelligence and the Fight against Terrorism - adopted at the 31st Annual Session, Bucharest, 29 June to 3 July 2024
• PUBLICATION - Parliamentary Handbook on Promoting the Implementation of UN Security Council 1373 (2001) on Countering Terrorism – May 2024
• RESOLUTION - Wagner Group Terroristic Nature and Actions - adopted at the 30th Annual Session, Vancouver, 30 June - 4 July 2023
• RESOLUTION - Victims of Terrorism - adopted at the 29th Annual Session, Birmingham, 2-6 July 2022
• PUBLICATION - Model Legislative Provisions to Support the Needs and Protect the Rights of the Victims of Terrorism - 2022
• PUBLICATION - OSCE PA Publication on Strengthening Border Security and Information Sharing in the OSCE Region – October 2019
• PUBLICATION -The Role of Parliamentarians in Nexus with the Criminal Justice Sector in Countering Terrorism - A Handbook for Parliamentarians and Criminal Justice Practitioners- 6 August 2019
• RESOLUTION - Resolution on the Challenges Related to Returning and Relocating Foreign Terrorist Fighters - adopted at the 28th Annual Session, Luxembourg, 4-8 July 2019
• RESOLUTION - Resolution on Preventing and Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism and Radicalization that Lead to Terrorism - adopted at the 27th Annual Session, Berlin, 7-11 July 2018

Official visits

• REPORT –  Report on Official Visit of OSCE Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to Türkiye, 6-7 May 2024
• PRESS RELEASE – OSCE PA’s counter-terrorism committee visits Türkiye to build synergies in fighting violent extremism – 7 May 2024
• REPORT – Report on official Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to Switzerland, 21-22 March 2023
• PRESS RELEASE – Terrorism still high on the agenda: OSCE PA counter-terrorism committee visits Switzerland to discuss new trends and legislation – 22 March 2023 
• PRESS RELEASE – OSCE PA members pay tribute to 22 July 2011 victims in Norway, stress need for effective counter-terrorism strategies – 15 January 2020
• REPORT – Report on official Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to Norway – 14-15 January 2020
• PRESS RELEASE - Challenges posed by radicalization and minors returning from conflict zones focus of OSCE PA visit to France – 8 February 2019
• REPORT – Report on official Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to France – 7-8 February 2019
• PRESS RELEASE - In meetings in Washington, OSCE PA’s Voridis says that effective counter-terrorism strategies require co-ordinated action across the OSCE area  – 7 December 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Building co-operation between OSCE PA and UN on counter-terrorism focus of Voridis’s visit to New York– 3 December 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Prevention, information-sharing and parliamentary engagement in counter-terrorism the focus of OSCE PA visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina – 7 June 2018
• REPORT - Report on the Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to Bosnia and Herzegovina – 5-8 June 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Counter-terrorism efforts focus of OSCE parliamentary visit to Belgium – 8 February 2018 
• REPORT - Report on the Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to Belgium, 7-9 February 2018 – 16 March 2018
• PRESS RELEASE Reinforcing counter-terrorism co-operation discussed in Ad Hoc Committee’s meetings at OSCE and UNODC– 14 November 2017
• REPORT - Report on the Visit of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism to the OSCE and UNODC, Vienna – 12-14 November 2017
• PRESS RELEASE - Mediterranean engagement and counter-terrorism focus of OSCE PA delegation’s visit to Morocco – 20 October 2017

Other activities

• PRESS RELEASE – OSCE PA stresses the key role of legislation and education in preventing violent extremism at the 2024 Internet Governance Forum in Riyad – 18 December 2024
• PRESS RELEASE – OSCE PA hands over the Presidency of the UN Coordination Mechanism on Counter-Terrorism after two years of successful engagement – 6 December 2024
• PRESS RELEASE – Under OSCE PA leadership, legislators from across the globe discuss preventing and countering the use of AI by terrorists at policy dialogue in Rome – 5 December 2024
• PRESS RELEASE – Youth at forefront of counter-terrorism and peacebuilding efforts, OSCE PA representatives say at Doha Forum – 27 November 2024
• REPORT – Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Kamil Aydin – 2 October 2024
• REPORT –  Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Vice-Chair Kamil Aydin – 2 July 2024
• PRESS RELEASE – OSCE parliamentarians discuss counter-terrorism strategies with their peers from across the globe in Istanbul – 9 May 2024
• REPORT – Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka – 23 February 2024
• REPORT – Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka – 18 November 2023
• PRESS RELEASE - OSCE Parliamentary Assembly re-elected to lead parliamentary efforts in the field of counter-terrorism - 04 October 2023
• REPORT – Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka – 3 July 2023
• REPORT – Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka – 25 November 2022
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka - 5 July 2022
• PRESS RELEASE - OSCE parliamentarians call for increased support to victims of terrorism at high-level conference in Rome - 08 June 2022
• PRESS RELEASE - OSCE PA’s Lopatka speaks about role of parliaments at event launching model legislation on rights of terrorism victims - 04 February 2022
  PRESS RELEASE - OSCE PA’s Lopatka urges strengthening parliamentary engagement on counter-terrorism at UNOCT conference 28 – 31 March 2022
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka - 25 February 2022
• PRESS RELEASE - Afghanistan concerns raised at OSCE PA counter-terrorism meeting - 17 February 2022
• PRESS RELEASE – Building counter-terrorism capacities of international parliamentary assemblies is crucial, OSCE PA’s Lopatka says in Doha – 14 December 2021
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka - 3 November 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - Legislators, experts work on human rights-compliant policies for prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of FTFs in South East Europe - 15 October 2021
• REPORT - Report by the Chair of the OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Reinhold Lopatka - 6 July 2021
• REPORT - Hearing on Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Foreign Terrorist Fighters - the Kazakh Experience - 18 May 2021
• REPORT - 2021 Chairpersonship OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference - 20-21 April 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - PA’s Bono-Vandorme addresses OSCE counter-terrorism conference, urging international community to remain focused on violent extremism - 21 April 2021
• SPEECH - CCT Vice-Chair Aude Bono-Vandorme remarks at the 2021 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference - 21 April 2021
• REPORT - OSCE PA - PAM Joint Session “Assessing the Terrorist Threat and Efforts to Prevent Violent Extremism” - 15 April 2021
• SPEECH - CCT Chair Reinhold Lopatka address to the IPA-CIS Plenary Session - 15 April 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - Inter-parliamentary conference addresses evolving nature of terrorist threats during COVID-19 pandemic - 15 April 2021
• REPORT - Report by CCT Chair Reinhold Lopatka to the Standing Committee at the Winter Meeting - 24 February 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - Counter-terrorism work and co-operation with international partners in focus at meeting of OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee - 18 February 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - CCT Chair Lopatka addresses high-level event on challenges of the post-territorial ISIL context - 16 February 2021
• PRESS RELEASE - Recent attacks underline need for a unified response to continued terrorist threat, OSCE parliamentarians say in counter-terrorism meeting - 25 November 2020
• PRESS RELEASE - Parliamentarians, experts and officials from UN and OSCE meet online to discuss counter-terrorism in an era of pandemic - 5 June 2020
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Reinhold Lopatka - 27 April 2020
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism delivered by CCT member Reinhold Lopatka for the Winter Meeting - 20 February 2020
• SPEECH - Keynote Address of Reinhold Lopatka, OSCE PA Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism, at the Regional High-Level Conference on “Foreign Terrorist Fighters – Addressing Current Challenges” – 11 February 2020
• PRESS RELEASE - OSCE PA report on border security and information sharing seeks to enhance counter-terrorism co-operation– 15 October 2019
• REPORT - Report of the Co-Chair of the CCT, Lisa Chambers, to the Marrakech Autumn Meeting - 5 October 2019
• PRESS RELEASE - President Tsereteli appoints new Co-Chairs of OSCE PA’s Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism – 1 August 2019
• REPORT - Report of the Chair of the CCT to the plenary at the Luxembourg Annual Session – 8 July 2019
• PRESS RELEASE OSCE PA’s Voridis and Chambers address UN Security Council on parliamentary counter-terrorism efforts – 2 July 2019
• PRESS RELEASE - With high-level OSCE PA participation, St. Petersburg conference explores parliamentary dimension of counter-terrorism – 18 April 2019
• PRESS RELASE - Parliamentary Assembly’s counter-terrorism work highlighted at OSCE-wide conference in Bratislava – 25 March 2019
• REPORT - Report of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Makis Voridis for the Winter Meeting –  22 February 2019
• PRESS RELEASE - Voridis presents Parliamentary Assembly’s recommendations on counterterrorism to OSCE Security Committee, builds co-operation ahead of Ministerial Council– 12 November 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Chair of Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Makis Voridis discusses OSCE PA recommendations on foreign terrorist fighters at Vienna conference – 1 November 2018
• REPORT - Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism: Comprehensive Overview of Activities Implemented in the Period July 2017 – July 2018
• REPORT - Report of the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Makis Voridis to the OSCE PA Standing Committee meeting, Berlin – 7 July 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - At OSCE counter-terrorism conference in Vienna, OSCE PA Special Representative Kovalev urges increased co-operation and innovative measures – 24 May 2017
• PRESS RELEASE - Countering the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon requires greater parliamentary involvement, say Ad Hoc Committee members at Rome OSCE conference – 10 May 2018 
• SPEECH - Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Makis Voridis at the OSCE-wide conference The Reverse Flow of Foreign Terrorist Fighters, Rome – 10 May 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Protections against cyber threats must build trust and uphold fundamental freedoms, say OSCE parliamentarians at Lisbon conference – 8 May 2018
• SPEECH - Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Makis Voridis at the International Conference Digital Resilience of a Democratic State, Lisbon – 8 May 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - At OSCE Security Committee, Ad Hoc Committee Chair Voridis outlines PA’s counter-terrorism work and identifies priorities for international community– 16 April 2018
• SPEECH - Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Makis Voridis at the OSCE Security Committee, Vienna – 16 April 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Ad Hoc Committee member Ignacio Cosido participates in counter-terrorism event in Malta– 28 March 2018
• REPORT - Report by Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Makis Voridis to the OSCE PA Winter Meeting – 23 February 2018
• PRESS RELEASE - Promotion of human rights an essential component of counter-terrorism, OSCE PA’s Birchall says at Milan Forum – 28 November 2017
• SPEECH -Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Member Ana Birchall address at Milan Forum for Parliamentary Action in Preventing Violent Extremism and Mass Atrocities, Milan – 28 November 2017
• SPEECH - Remarks by Ad Hoc Committee on Countering Terrorism Chair Makis Voridis at the OSCE Security Committee, Vienna – 13 November 2017
• SPEECH - OSCE PA Vice-President Azay Guliyev (MP, Azerbaijan) addresses 62nd Pugwash Conference on Science & World Affairs on ISIS – 27 August 2017
• PRESS RELEASE -Annual Session opens in Minsk with calls for greater OSCE ambition, counter-terrorism body agreed to by parliamentarians – 5 July 2017
• PRESS RELEASE - Conference in St. Petersburg highlights role of international parliamentary diplomacy in combating terrorism – 28 March 2017
• PRESS RELEASE - At start of Central Asia visit, Special Representative Muttonen calls for unity in struggle against violent extremism – 31 May 2016

Videos

Former Chair Makis Voridis discusses the OSCE PA's counter-terrorism work in Marrakech on 4 October 2019:

Former Chair Abid Qayyum Raja discusses the work of the CCT in Luxembourg on 7 July 2019:

Former Chair Makis Voridis (Greece) speaks about the role of parliamentarians in counter-terrorism efforts at the OSCE PA's Annual Session in Berlin on 8 July 2018:

 Makis Voridis's video address to the UN Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee on 2 July 2019: