Opening remarks at the Victims of Terrorism Programme Launch in the Philippines

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Dear representatives of the Government of the Philippines, representatives of Civil Society Organizations, development partners and UN colleagues,

Terrorism has unfortunately been with us in various forms across ages and continents. Modern terrorism is being waged on an entirely different scale and unpredictability. No country can claim to be immune.

Terrorism is fundamentally the denial and destruction of human rights, and the fight against terrorism will never succeed by perpetuating the same denial and destruction.

That is why human rights, all human rights, political and civil rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights, are unquestionably a part of the solution in fighting terrorism.

It is in this context, the United Nations development system assists governments to tackle some of the root causes of terrorism and at the same time to address the impact of terrorism on people and the social fabric.

As a result of such investment, two specialized UN entities – the United Nations Office on Counterterrorism and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have joined efforts and capacities to closely work with the Philippines to develop and strengthen national comprehensive assistance plans for victims of terrorism.

I am pleased to welcome you at today’s launch of the Victims of Terrorism Programme in the Philippines, led by the Government of the Philippines together with UNOCT and UNODC and the valuable support of the Government of the United States of America. The present initiative is one of the first deliverables of the recently signed “UN Development Cooperation Framework” and a tangible contribution to the acceleration of SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Today’s launch and participation in this project, places the Philippines among the leading countries in such initiatives.

The “Model Legislative Provisions to Support the Needs and Protect the Rights of Victims of Terrorism” considers the multidimensional approach to support victims – ranging from the right to assistance and reparations, to the right to protection, privacy and access to justice. In addition, it outlines particular consideration that must be taken when addressing the needs of certain groups, such as women victims, child victims and others.

This is why the United Nations emphasizes human rights based approaches, and insist on compliance with human rights obligations in support for victims and in combating terrorism more broadly.

The presence of national human rights protection mechanisms here today is very much welcome, and I hope they will continue to play an active role as you move forward in implementing the programme. Active involvement of civil society and human rights defenders is also essential for the success of this investment.

I commend the Government of the Philippines for its commitment to support victims of terrorism and look forward to our future cooperation.

Thank you.