RESEARCH
February 16, 2023
Form Over Function? Reviewing the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy
In 2006, UN Member States did something unusual. Despite being unable to agree on a universal definition of terrorism, and having fought over whether terrorism truly had “root causes” or if that rhetoric was a perceived justification for terrorism, they managed to agree upon an overarching “global counterterrorism strategy” (GCTS). The Strategy is based on four pillars outlining measures to prevent and combat terrorism for states and for the wider UN system,…...
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January 24, 2023
The UN Al-Qaida and ISIL (Da’esh) Sanctions Regime Impacts and Implications
To reflect on the future of the UN al-Qaida and Da’esh/ISIL sanctions regime established by UN Security Council Resolution 1267 (1999) and its subsequent iterations (henceforth, the ‘1267 sanctions regime’), it is worth briefly recalling its history. Al-Qaida attacked the U.S. Embassies in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya in 1998. In the aftermath, the United Nations adopted Security Council Resolution 1267 in 1999, imposing sanctions on al-Qaida and the Taliban.…...
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December 19, 2022
How Far-Right Terrorists Choose Their Enemies
The decision to attack two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand in March 2019 was an odd targeting choice. As part of a manifesto released shortly before the violence erupted, the gunman claimed that he “only really took true inspiration from Knight Justiciar Breivik,” the Norwegian white supremacist who killed 77 people – mostly children and youths – in twin attacks targeting the government and the Norwegian Labour Party eight years earlier.…...
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July 28, 2022
Lessons Learned from the 1267 Sanctions Regime against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
To fully understand what impact sanctions could have on violent far-right extremist groups it is essential to have a firm grasp on how sanctions have impacted other terrorist groups, particularly those with a transnational scope, including al-Qaeda, Islamic State, and their respective affiliates, franchise groups, and branches worldwide. These groups were the first to be deemed “threats to international peace and security” and subjected to a global sanctions regime established by the…...
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July 28, 2022
Trends in Violent Far-Right Extremism
countries in countering the threat from the far-right terrorism, and build on that with relevant partners; and strengthen international cooperation to counter the narratives of the violent far-right movement. This Issue Brief will examine four key trends in the violent far-right landscape with a focus on how these facilitate ideological, financial, and/or operational aspects of the movement, and whether/how sanctions prove a useful tool in countering or constraining these trends within the…...
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