States urge greater anti-terror role for UN international crime prevention centre

United Nations Member States have called for strengthening the anti-terrorism role played by the Vienna-based UN Centre for International Crime Prevention.

States made their call during an inter-sessional meeting on Thursday of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. They agreed that the Centre's Terrorism Prevention Branch could play an important role in assisting Member States with the ratification and early implementation of existing UN anti-terrorism conventions, as a follow-up to relevant Security Council resolutions.

Participants also urged close coordination between the relevant UN bodies in New York and Vienna, while pointing out that the UN's work in the fight against terrorism could build on existing institutions and the expertise available at the Centre.

In advance of the next session of the Crime Commission, slated for April 2002, States planned to continue informal consultations on the UN's role in counter-terrorism.