International Day of Victims of Terrorism: 21 August 2022
International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, 21 August 2022
The fifth International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism was commemorated on 21 August 2022. It took place as the world struggles to transition out of the public health emergency triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and confronted the social transformations it has created or accelerated. At the same time, victims of terrorism continued to experience uncertainty and anxiety as armed conflicts, violent attacks, and terrorist acts around the world continued to make headlines and perhaps exacerbate or trigger their traumas.
Remembrance of and paying tribute to victims of terrorism plays a central role in demonstrating that their status as victims is respected and recognized. The International Day serves to commemorate and uphold the dignity of victims and highlights the importance of global solidarity in ensuring that victims are not forgotten.
The theme was “惭别尘辞谤颈别蝉” and was selected following consultation with victims and victims’ associations. Memories bind us together as if connected by a red thread, a fil rouge: a thread that signifies our common humanity and solidarity with those who have suffered irreparable losses in the most heinous of circumstances.
To mark the fifth commemoration of the International Day, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) organized a high-level pre-recorded event entitled ‘Surviving Terrorism: The Power of Memories’ to be broadcast on Sunday, 21 August 2022, on UN Web TV. The pre-recorded event was opened by the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, and featured the participation of the co-Chairs of the Group of Friends of Victims of Terrorism, the Republic of Iraq, and the Kingdom of Spain, testimonies from four victims of terrorism, and closing remarks by Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov.
The cornerstone of 2022's virtual observance was the “惭别尘辞谤颈别蝉” campaign, launched by UNOCT’s United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT) earlier this year. Through film, photography, and carefully crafted captions, the “惭别尘辞谤颈别蝉” campaign tells the stories of victims of terrorism from across the globe who share their memories, emotions and the meaning that they attach to a personal object.
- Watch the event live on: ?and on the UN YouTube channel:
- For more information, follow us on Twitter () or visit the United Nations Victims of Terrorism Support Portal.
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Background
In its resolution () of 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, 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.
The primary responsibility to support victims of terrorism and uphold their rights rests with Member States. The United Nations has an important role in supporting Member States to implement Pillar I and IV of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy by standing in solidarity and providing support to victims; providing capacity-building assistance; establishing networks and offering support to civil society organizations, particularly victims of terrorism associations; and encouraging Member States to promote, protect and respect the rights of victims of terrorism. The United Nations has been working to provide resources, mobilize the international community, and better address the rights and needs of victims of terrorism for the last fifteen years.
In April 2020, mandated by GA 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’?() which calls for the ‘enhancement of international cooperation to assist victims of terrorism’.
The last four outcome resolutions of the review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (, , , and ) have emphasized the important role of victims of terrorism in countering terrorism, promoting international solidarity, preventing violent extremism, and recognizing and upholding their distinct rights.
Since the sixth review, 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, co-chaired by the Permanent Representatives of Iraq and Spain to the United Nations, and General Assembly resolution??on the enhancement of international cooperation to assist victims of terrorism.
The seventh review resolution, adopted on 30 June 2021 () 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 further welcomes the first Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, which will be held in September 2022 at UNHQ and 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 further strengthening the capacity of and providing technical assistance to, Member States to assist victims of terrorism and strengthen their engagement with relevant civil society and private sector organizations, which can play a valuable role in assisting and supporting victims of terrorism.