United Nations and Philippines Launch New Project To Support Victims Of Terrorism Through Legislative Frameworks
The Global Programme on Victims of Terrorism of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the Government of the Philippines, launched the project ¡°Technical support on the rights and needs of victims of terrorism through the Model Legislative Provisions and the development of National Comprehensive Assistance Plans¡± in Manila in January 2024.
The new project focuses on developing legislation and national assistance plans to support victims and survivors of terrorism using the ¡°Model Legislative Provisions (MLP) to support the rights and needs of Victims of Terrorism¡± as a blueprint. The MLP was co-developed by UNOCT, UNODC and the Interparliamentary Union in February 2022 following a series of expert consultations with civil society, victims of terrorism, and practitioners. It covers themes identified by victims of terrorism as key priorities, such as remembrance and recognition, protection, assistance and support, access to justice, compensation/reparation, and the role of civil society in their recovery.
The project also responds to , which calls on United Nations Member States to develop national comprehensive assistance plans to support victims of terrorism. The goal of these plans is to provide holistic solutions to address the life cycle of needs of victims and survivors of terrorism from the immediate aftermath of a terror attack to the long-term.
The MLP Project was launched through a high-level event in Manila and followed by a technical workshop with more than 50 participants from the Government of the Philippines, civil society organizations, the United Nations Country Team, and victims and survivors of terrorism.
During the workshop, participants reflected on the challenges and opportunities facing victims and survivors of terrorism in the Philippines and discussed opportunities to advance their rights and increase the support provided to them.
Among the main outcomes of the workshop, participants agreed to create an interagency mechanism that includes civil society and victims of terrorism to better respond to victims needs.