UNOCT, ONSA to Host High-Level International Counter-Terrorism Conference in Abuja

UNOCT, ONSA to Host High-Level International Counter-Terrorism Conference in Abuja

The National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd), paid a two-day working visit to the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) at the invitation of the UN Under-Secretary General (USG), Vladimir Voronkov, for in-person consultations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Monguno and Voronkov had met on the margins of the Africa Union Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on May 27, 2022, where a High-Level International Conference on Counter-Terrorism was proposed to be held in Abuja, Nigeria, in October 2023.

The two-day working visit to the UNOCT, which took place between Tuesday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 20, 2022, was therefore to advance preparations for the proposed Abuja Conference.

During the visit, Monguno participated in brainstorming sessions and discussions with Voronkov; the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed; UNOCT Chief of Human Rights and Gender, Veronic Wright; UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha Pobee; UNOCT Deputy to the USG for Counter-Terrorism, Raffi Gregorian; Director of the Counter-Terrorism Centre, Jehangir Khan; the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN, Tijjani Muhammed Bande and other UN officials.

At the brainstorming sessions, proposed thematic focus, composition of steering committee and modalities of the High-Level International Conference on Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism Conducive for Terrorism were discussed. Also discussed were engagement and participation of regional and international partners, resource mobilisation and logistical aspects of the conference, as well as the political, security and terrorism landscape in West Africa.

The visit was also devoted to modalities for the proposed precursor event to the High-Level International Conference, which is being organised to coincide with the launch of the Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), slated for October 2022, and which the USG will be participating in.

During the visit of Monguno, Voronkov commended the continued collaborative efforts with the Federal Government of Nigeria on preventing and countering terrorism in accordance with the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy. He also reiterated UNOCT’s commitment to supporting African Member States in their counter-terrorism efforts, especially in the area of responding to their needs and capacity to tackle terrorism and violent extremism.

Signed: Zakari Usman, Head Strategic Communication, ONSA.