The United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODC) in cooperation with the Hungarian Government and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) held a seminar in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 17 June 2011. The theme of the event was the exchange of international and regional experience concerning the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy; the seminar focused on the Central Asian and African regions.

The seminar was opened by Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi and UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov. The Foreign Minister emphasised that Hungary as the current President of the Council of the European Union finds it especially important to work towards closer cooperation between the EU and the UN in order to strengthen international action against terrorism. Regarding new types of cross-border security challenges such as the fight against terrorism, the UN plays an essential role. János Martonyi expressed that Hungary fully supports the implementation of the organisation’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy and emphasised the importance of the rule of law, democratic values, and human rights in the fight against terrorism. The Foreign Minister highlighted that Hungary is ready to pass on its experience to the countries which are currently under political transformation.

Yury Fedotov said in his speech that the aim of the UNODC programmes developed for the implementation of the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy is the elimination of the reasons leading to the spread of terrorism and the improvement of the counter-terror abilities of the member states. During the implementation of the programmes the principles of the rule of law and human rights must always be respected. The Executive Director of the UNODC emphasised the importance of information sharing between the member states.

Before the seminar, on 16 June 2011, the attendants could become acquainted with the operation of the Hungarian Counter-Terrorism Centre (Terrorelhárítási Központ ¬– TEK) established in September 2010 and the Hungarian model of counter-terrorism coordination.

In 2006 the UN General Assembly approved the resolution containing the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy about the combination of the measures against national, regional, and international terrorism. The objective of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention is to promote joint action against various forms of cross-border crime. Within the framework of cooperation the UNODC provides technical and normative guidance to the member states through its widespread local office network.

(kormany.hu)