UN counter-terrorism task force shifts into new operational phase

The United Nations task force charged with coordinating the world body’s counter-terrorism efforts has entered a new operational phase, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointing a director for the body.

Jean-Paul Laborde, who for many years led the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the Vienna-based UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), will take up his position as the head of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) next month.

Mr. Laborde, who is also one of the Task Force’s founding members, is currently serving as the President of the Chamber of the 2nd French Court of Appeals.

The CTITF updated the General Assembly yesterday in an informal plenary meeting, marking a shift into a more operational chapter for the body, during which it will focus on concrete activities undertaken by its working groups which centre on issues including the financing of terrorism and terrorists’ use of the Internet.

The Secretary-General has also transferred the leadership of the Task Force to the Department of Political Affairs (DPA), and seeks to bolster the CTITF office by stepping up funding for its activities.

At yesterday’s meeting, Member States expressed support for securing its budget through the regular budget, as opposed to voluntary contributions.

Representatives from nearly two dozen UN entities, as well as organizations such as INTERPOL, are members of the Task Force, which was established by the Secretary-General in July 2005 to ensure coordination and coherence in the world body’s efforts to counter terrorism.