Acting on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate (CTED) conducted a follow-up visit to Denmark from 29 May to 1 June 2018. The aim of the visit was to discuss Denmark’s progress in implementing Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), as well as 2178 (2014) on stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), and identifying good practices and areas in which Denmark may be in a position to provide technical assistance to other Member States.
In welcoming the delegation, Mr. Jens Haarl?v, Chief Consultant in the Stabilization and Security Department within the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reaffirmed Denmark’s strong commitment to countering terrorism in all its aspects, including the phenomena of FTFs and returning foreign terrorist fighters, as well as abuse of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes.
The delegation’s discussions with the Government focused on legislation and judicial practice, countering the financing of terrorism, law enforcement, border management, and countering violent extremism that leads to terrorism. The human rights aspects of Denmark’s counter-terrorism measures were also discussed, as well as the integration of gender as a cross-cutting issue in counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism efforts.The delegation conducted meetings with a wide range of Government officials in Copenhagen, as well as an on-site visit to assess customs measures in practice, and held a side meeting with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS), a member of CTED’s Global Research Network.
The delegation welcomed institutional and legislative measures adopted by Denmark in responses to the FTF phenomenon, as well as Denmark’s development of a national action plan on “Preventing and Countering Extremism and Radicalisation.” The delegation also discussed with the Government ways to further strengthen Denmark’s national framework for countering terrorism and violent extremism, and how to ensure effective information-sharing among relevant stakeholders.
Mr. Ahmed Seif El-Dawla, CTED Chief of Section and Head of the visiting delegation, noted that Denmark had made significant progress in its implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. He commended Denmark’s wide-ranging activities to support international efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism. He also expressed appreciation for the Government’s high level of preparation ahead of and engagement during the visit.
Both CTED and Denmark highlighted the importance of taking a whole-of-society approach against terrorism, and noted that the delegation’s visit provided an opportunity for relevant domestic authorities to share experiences and to learn about global efforts to counter common challenges.
The visiting delegation also included representatives of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and the World Customs Organization (WCO).