The role of civil society in preventing and combating terrorism

Civil society and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play a vital role in the prevention of conflict. They may also play a key role in the prevention of terrorism. Indeed, various international documents have repeatedly stressed the importance of involving civil society and NGOs in a comprehensive and multi-dimensional response to the threat of terrorism. Most recently, the UN General Assembly, in its resolution adopting the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 8 September 2006, affirmed the determination of UN member states to “further encourage non-governmental organizations and civil society to engage, as appropriate, on how to enhance efforts to implement the Strategy”. The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, formally launched on 19 September 2006, built on many of the elements proposed by then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in his April 2006 report entitled “Uniting against Terrorism: Recommendations for a Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy”.3 In this report, the vital role of civil society in promoting a truly global strategy against terrorism was highlighted throughout.