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International Day of Victims of Terrorism: 21 August 2023
The General Assembly, in its resolution 72/165 (2017), proclaimed 21 August as the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism. The main focus of the International Day is to honour, remember and pay tribute to the victims of terrorism by standing in solidarity and promoting and protecting their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
2023 Event: Legacy: Finding Hope and Building a Better Future
To mark the sixth commemoration of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, a high-level event entitled ‘Legacy: Finding Hope and Building a Peaceful Future’ will be broadcast on 21 August 2023 at 10 am on UN Web TV. The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, will address the event, which features opening remarks by the Under-Secretary-General for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, the participation of the co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, Iraq and Spain, and testimonies from four victims/survivors of terrorism.
Watch and listen to the powerful voices of victims of terrorism as they speak about the way they use their experiences and journeys to create meaningful and positive change by raising awareness about the long-lasting impact of terrorism and by honouring those whose lives were lost and those whose lives were forever altered. => Watch the event live on: UNWebTV and on the UN YouTube channel
Programme (21 August 2023)
| Welcoming remarks and moderation of event | • Ms. Ana Jiménez de la Hoz, Deputy Permanent Representative of Spain to the United Nations and co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism |
| Commemoration remarks | • H.E. Mr. António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations |
| Opening remarks | • Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) |
| Words from victims of terrorism |
• Mr. Karambir Singh Kang, survivor of terrorism, India • Ms. Grace Acan, survivor of terrorism, Uganda • Ms. Sara Tumulty, victim of terrorism, United States • Mr. Darko Mocibob, survivor of terrorism, United Nations |
| Global Minute of Silence | Featuring photos and footage of memorials and commemorations of victims of terrorism from around the world |
| Statement on behalf of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism | • Mr. Mohammed Sahib Mejid Marzooq, Deputy Permanent Representative of Iraq to the United Nations and co-Chair of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism |
| Film | Dedication of the United Nations Victims of Terrorism Solidarity Tree |
Stories of Victims of Terrorism
- The pre-recorded event to mark the sixth commemoration of International Day will feature testimonies of victims/survivors of terrorism from India, Uganda, the United States and the United Nations, who will share their experiences (Stories - Video)
- The Legacy Gallery, our interactive testimonial gallery on Instagram features 12 victims and survivors of terrorism from across the world => Follow, like and share their legacy stories
Instagram (@unvictimsofterrorism) - Video - The “Memories” exhibition is on display in the Visitor’s Lobby of United Nations Headquarters in New York from 20 July – 1 September 2023 and accessible online: www.un.org/counterterrorism/memories-campaign-2022
Background
Acts of terrorism propagating a wide-range of hateful ideologies continue to injure, harm and kill thousands of innocent people each year. Despite international condemnation of terrorism, victims and survivors of terrorism often struggle to have their voices heard, their needs supported, and their rights upheld. Victims often feel forgotten and neglected once the immediate aftermath of a terrorist attack fades, with profound consequences for them. Few Member States have the resources or the capacity to fulfil the medium and long-term needs of victims of terrorism to enable them to fully recover, rehabilitate and re-integrate into society. Most victims can only recover and cope with their trauma through long-term multi-dimensional support, including physical, psychological, social and financial.
Member States have the primary responsibility to support victims of terrorism and uphold their rights. The United Nations has an important role in supporting Member States to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by standing in solidarity and providing support to victims of terrorism; offering capacity building assistance; establishing networks; and offering support to civil society organizations, particularly victims' associations; and encouraging Member States to promote, protect and respect the rights of victims of terrorism. The United Nations provides technical assistance and capacity-building to Member States and victims' associations in better addressing the needs of victims of terrorism.
About the International Day
In its resolution 72/165 (2017), the General Assembly established the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism to be commemorated annually on 21 August in order to honour and support the victims and survivors of terrorism and to promote and protect the full enjoyment of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
In April 2020, mandated by General Assembly resolution 73/305, the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres published his report on the ‘Progress of the UN system to support Member States in assisting victims of terrorism’ (A/74/790), which calls for the 'enhancement of international cooperation to assist victims of terrorism'.
Member States, through the biennial review resolutions of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy have emphasized the important role of victims of terrorism in countering terrorism, promoting international solidarity, preventing violent extremism, and helping Member States recognize and uphold their human rights and support their distinct needs.
Since the sixth review of the Strategy (2018), developments at the international, regional, and national levels have increasingly demonstrated that support to victims has moved beyond symbolic solidarity towards a more robust engagement to advance their rights and needs. This is reflected in the establishment in 2019 of a Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism and the adoption of General Assembly resolution A/RES/73/305 on the enhancement of international cooperation to assist victims of terrorism.
The eighth review resolution, adopted on 22 June 2023 (A/RES/77/298) notes the importance of upholding the rights and supporting the needs of victims of terrorism, in particular of women, children and those affected by sexual and gender-based violence committed by terrorists. It encourages all Member States to develop national comprehensive assistance plans for victims of terrorism and their families to address the immediate-, short- and long-term needs of victims of terrorism.
The resolution welcomed the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September 2022 at UN Headquarters, encourages the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, through the Global Victims of Terrorism Support Programme and the United Nations Victims of Terrorism Support Portal, to continue to raise awareness on victims of terrorism and the promotion and protection of their rights. This includes strengthening the capacity of Member States to assist victims of terrorism and strengthen their engagement with relevant civil society and private sector organisations, which can play a valuable role in assisting and supporting victims of terrorism.