Aude Bono-VandormeCOPENHAGEN, 21 April 2021 – Addressing the closing session of the 2021 OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference today, Aude Bono-Vandorme, who serves as Deputy Head of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s French Delegation and Vice-Chair of its Ad Hoc Committee On Countering Terrorism, said that preventing terrorism must remain at the top of the international community’s agenda.
Countering terrorism, she said, is a very complex issue but it is a priority that is widely shared. She highlighted how the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how interconnected and fragile the world is, while also exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. The pandemic has enabled conditions through which terrorists and violent extremists can more easily spread their destructive ideologies and promote further divisions and radicalization, she said, noting that this trend must be countered through increased multilateral co-operation and by developing the role of parliaments.
“We have witnessed during the pandemic how the internet has been used by terrorists and extremists to call for new attacks and glorify terrorist acts,” Bono-Vandorme said. “In this regard, the OSCE PA can help shape consensus and foster new legislation in this field.” She highlighted the strong co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE’s executive structures, field operations, and other international organizations such as the UN, as an example of the potential for building necessary synergy in combating terrorism.
She also stressed the importance of exploring the intersection of terrorism with other serious threats such as organized crime, nuclear and bioterrorism, as well as so-called hybrid threats. Prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists and violent extremists must also remain a top priority, she said, while ensuring that responses are proportionate and human rights-compliant. At the same time, it is important to prioritize border security and timely information sharing and never to neglect the victims of terrorism.
“Participating States should enhance relevant policies and laws to provide adequate medical, psychological, economic and legal support to the victims, making sure that their needs are addressed and rights respected,” Bono-Vandorme said.
The two-day OSCE-wide Counter-Terrorism Conference was held under the theme “Reinforcing a Comprehensive Approach to Preventing and Countering Terrorism and VERLT in a Changing Landscape” and was organized by Swedish OSCE Chairpersonship with the support of the Action against Terrorism Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department.
