The visiting delegation in Armenia.
The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), acting on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, conducted a visit to the Republic of Armenia from 11 to 13 July 2018. This was in follow-up to the Committee’s initial visit of September 2007, with the assessment focusing on progress made by Armenia in implementing the Committee’s 2007 visit recommendations, as well as measures introduced to implement Security Council resolutions 1624 (2005), 2178 (2014), 2396 (2017), and other relevant Council resolutions.
Armenia welcomed the opportunity to engage with the delegation in constructive dialogue on its progress in fulfilling its international obligations pursuant to the relevant Council resolutions. Armenia also reaffirmed its commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and described its efforts to amend its counter-terrorism legislative regime to address emerging threats, trends, and challenges.
Mr. Ahmed Seif El-Dawla, CTED Chief of Section, commended Armenia for introducing its National Strategy on the Fight against Terrorism in 2012, and for developing an updated action plan for its implementation, for the period 2018-2023.
Currently pending the Government’s approval, the draft action plan is intended to provide a solid foundation for engagement by all relevant stakeholders within the framework of a comprehensive and integrated national strategy.
The Head of the Counter-Terrorism Department of Armenia’s National Security Service stated that the draft action plan placed particular emphasis on “the necessity to improve and refine the legal basis for the detection, prevention, and suppression of terrorism, to strengthen the engineering and technical systems of facilities of vital importance, to ensure their anti-terrorism protection and uninterrupted operation, to enhance the physical protection of the corresponding facilities of the organizations producing, transporting, using, or storing radioactive and other dangerous materials, to enhance the training and qualification of specialists on the fight against terrorism, and others.”
CTED welcomed Armenia’s efforts to ensure a comprehensive approach to countering violent extremism, as well as its commitment to cooperating with the United Nations and relevant partner organizations in that regard.
The visiting delegation included CTED experts, as well as representatives of the Expert Group of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), the International Organization for Migration, the Anti-Terrorist Centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.