St. Julian’s, Malta – 13 March 2025 – In a significant step towards enhancing global counter-terrorism efforts, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Government of Malta successfully organized the United Nations Conference on National and Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategies on 12-13 March 2025 in St. Julian’s, Malta, aimed to promote comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism strategies in alignment with relevant United Nations General Assembly and Security Council resolutions.
The President of the Republic of Malta, Honorable Myriam Spiteri Debono, opened the Conference with a keynote address, highlighting “the scourge of terrorism transcends borders. Terrorist attacks brutally and indiscriminately end the lives of civilians and shatter families. The scars that such barbaric acts leave on affected communities never fully heal.”
Together with Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of CTED, Honorable Ian Borg, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of the Republic of Malta, delivered opening remarks.
“The Valetta Principles will ensure that the 2013 Bogotá Principles, which were a guiding light for many nations for over more than a decade, continue to remain relevant, practical and a source of inspiration for us all”, Honorable Ian Borg reiterated.
Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman commended Malta’s commitment to global security and leadership in advancing international counter-terrorism efforts. She expressed gratitude to the Government of Malta for hosting the conference and bringing a diverse group of participants together at a critical moment.
While acknowledging the evolution of the global terrorism threat, ASG Natalia Gherman noted that “to support Member States address these new realities, the Valletta Principles will provide non-binding guidance for developing comprehensive and integrated national and regional counter-terrorism strategies.”
The conference brought together senior government officials and experts from United Nations Member States, representatives of United Nations bodies, international and regional organizations, civil society and academia to discuss the evolving nature of terrorism and explore strategies for countering this global threat. It focused on strengthening national and regional counter-terrorism frameworks through a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, as well as improving mechanisms for their implementation.
As the global landscape of terrorism continues to evolve, the rise of digital technologies, including the Internet and social media, has introduced new challenges for counter-terrorism efforts. The growing complexity of terrorist tactics, including the preparations and execution of attacks, the rise of lone wolf actors, terrorist financing, and recruitment – especially via digital platforms – highlights the need for comprehensive and integrated counter-terrorism strategies. The phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and the nexus between terrorism and organized crime further emphasizes the necessity of addressing not just the immediate threats, but also conditions conducive to terrorism.
The conference built on key previous milestones, such as the Bogotá Principles of 2013, and reviewed lessons learned over the past decade.
The meeting emphasized the significance of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1963 (2010), 2129 (2013), 2395 (2017), and 2617 (2021) and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which call for the development of comprehensive and integrated national and regional counter-terrorism strategies. These resolutions encourage Member States to establish effective implementation mechanisms that also address the conditions conducive to terrorism.
The conference concluded with the Valletta Principles on National and Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategies, which provide a comprehensive framework for combating terrorism in a holistic manner. The Valletta Principles are a key outcome of the gathering, marking a major step forward in international efforts to address terrorism through integrated, inclusive, and effective strategies.