The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and IPU, launched last Friday the Model Legislative Provisions to support and protect the rights and needs of victims of terrorism. PAM President, Hon. Gennaro Migliore, participated as a keynote speaker, since PAM has considerably contributed to the consultations phase of the Model Legislative Provisions that took place last year.
In his statement, PAM President recalled the privileged relation that PAM has always enjoyed with the United Nations on counter-terrorism issues. He referred to two Memoranda of Understanding that the Assembly signed in 2021 with UNOCT Under-Secretary-General, H.E. Vladimir Voronkov, and UNODC Executive Director, H.E. Ghada Waly, to consolidate the long-standing cooperation among the organizations to achieve the common objective of combating terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations.
To synchronize and harmonize national legislations for the victims of terrorism, PAM President stated that: “PAM parliamentarians play a critical role, ensuring that the criminal justice systems can address terrorism through human rights compliant prosecution, tailored rehabilitation and reintegration approaches, by placing the victims of terrorism at the center of counter-terrorism policies.”
He also addressed the issue of Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTFs) saying that “Indefinite detention, in often inhumane conditions, and unfair trials to ISIL FTFs and their family members cannot be our response to achieve justice for the victims of terrorism.” Over the years, PAM has called on its Member States to implement the relevant UNSCR on this matter, and to utilize the Global Framework for United Nations Support on Syria / Iraq Third Country National Returnees to repatriate, prosecute, reintegrate and rehabilitate Foreign Terrorist Fighters.
To conclude, he laid the emphasis on Italy for its advanced system of adapted measures in favor of the victims of terrorism, that provides economic advantages to compensate them and their families for their suffering, without differences in the treatment of Italians and non- Italians for terrorist attacks that occur in the country.
The virtual launch was attended by several representatives of Member States, Parliaments, United Nations entities, civil society organizations including victims’ associations as well as victims of terrorism. All the participants agreed on the fact that international cooperation and good practices sharing are key for the voice of victims to be heard and their rights respected.//