The three pillars of work of the UN
The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact is the largest coordination framework across the three pillars of work of the United Nations: peace and security, sustainable development, human rights and humanitarian affairs.
It aims to strengthen a common UN action approach to support Member States, at their request, in the balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and other relevant United Nations resolutions and mandates.
Secretary-General's reform
The Counter-Terrorism Compact was developed as part of Secretary-General António Guterres’ reform of the UN counter-terrorism architecture, following the establishment of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT). UNOCT serves as Secretariat of the Counter-Terrorism Compact.
The Counter-Terrorism Compact was signed on 23 February 2018 by the Secretary-General as an agreed framework with the heads of participating entities.
As of 26 March 2024, the Counter-Terrorism Compact brings together 46 entities, as members or observers, including 43 United Nations entities, as well as INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization, the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
The launch of the Counter-Terrorism Compact was a major step forward in enhancing the coordination and coherence in the work of the United Nations system on preventing and countering terrorism and the underlying spread of violent extremism, while respecting existing mandates.
Counter-Terrorism Compact Organizational Structure
Counter-Terrorism Compact in Review Newsletters
UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 8 September 2006. The strategy is a unique global instrument to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism. The General Assembly reviews the Strategy every two years, making it a living document attuned to Member States’ counter-terrorism priorities.
Recent Counter-Terrorism Compact Events
- 25 June 2025:United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Retreat
- 12 February 2025:Special event for commemoration of the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE)
- 5-6 February 2025: The Eleventh Coordination Committee meeting of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact
- 26 March 2024: UN-Habitat Joins the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact
- 24-25 January 2024:The Tenth Coordination Committee meeting of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact | Office of Counter-Terrorism
- 25 January 2023:Ninth United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Committee Meeting
Counter-Terrorism Compact Brochure
This brochure features an overview on the structure, objectives and the varied work of the Compact and its 8 Working Groups.
Publications
The 2024 report contains two parts: (i) Executive Report; and (ii) Annexes to Executive Report. The annual report summarizes the work accomplished in three main areas: (i) coordination efforts; (ii) policy leadership on counter-terrorism; and (iii) capacity-building support to Member States.
The annual report is available for the year of: [2023] [2022] [2021]
This guidance on “Ensuring Respect for Human Rights while Taking Measures to Counter the Financing of Terrorism” is issued by the Counter-Terrorism Compact Working Groups on Criminal Justice, Legal Responses and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CJLR-CFT) and Human Rights, Rule of Law and Victims of Terrorism (HRRoL-VoT). The preparation of the Guidance was co-led by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) within the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact Framework.