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Launch of the UN-EU Counter-Terrorism Partnership for Sudan

The United Nations Office of CounterTerrorism (UNOCT)b and the Sudan, through its National Commission for Counter-Terrorism (SNCCT), launched the UN-EU Counter-Terrorism Partnership for Sudan, and held within this framework its first capacity-building activity focused on countering the financing of terrorism.

The event was opened by Ambassador Mr. Sayed Altyeb, Representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who extended thanks and appreciation to UNOCT and the European Union for developing and financing this constructive program. “There is no doubt that the noble goals that this program seeks to achieve, are completely in the context of the efforts adopted by the Sudanese government aimed at raising awareness, building knowledge and providing support to combat terrorism, and developing strategies and programs that transform these hopes into reality,” he added.

In a video message addressed to participants, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT stressed “the excellent cooperation we have developed with Sudan’s National Commission for Counter-Terrorism,” and that “it is only appropriate that our project’s first capacity-building workshop focuses on countering the financing of terrorism, a key priority for the international counter-terrorism agenda.”

Mr. Daniel Weiss, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Sudan indicated that “Countering the financing of terrorism remains a high priority for the European Union as the EU’s leaders declared it last November. Thus, the EU is delighted to support this workshop under the “UN-EU Counter-Terrorism Partnership for Sudan” project, implemented by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. It’s important to highlight that this project – worth well over 1 million dollars, will also make sure that the respect for human dignity and human rights and the rule of law is intertwined in all counter-terrorism measures in Sudan.”

The opening session was also attended by senior officials from the government of Sudan, senior representatives from the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) and the UN Country Team as well as the diplomatic community.

The workshop, held today and tomorrow in Khartoum, aims at strengthening the capacity of Sudanese authorities to counter the financing of terrorism by addressing the international countering terrorist financing framework, respect of human rights in counter-terrorism, regional risks and vulnerabilities and the importance of public-private partnerships. It is organized with the Global Programme on Countering the Financing of Terrorism in the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) within UNOCT.

This workshop is the first of a series of thematic trainings to be delivered under the UN-EU Counter-Terrorism Partnership for Sudan, an initiative funded by the European Union and aimed at strengthening the capacity of Sudan’s authorities to prevent and counter terrorism, in compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law. Within this framework, UNOCT is providing and mobilizing capacity building support to address technical assistance needs jointly identified with Sudanese authorities in areas such as legislative assistance, border security and management and upholding human rights while countering terrorism.