A meeting on the ways to address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism was held in the Trusteeship Council. Beginning the meeting, H.E. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon gave a statement condemning Sunday’s recent terrorist attack in the Karachi airport, which killed 23 people. He urged the international community to be united in showing strong solidarity against terrorism, and called for support of the victims, families, and communities affected by terrorism.

Following this introduction, two UN civil servants, Mr. Jason Pronyk and Mr. Mohammad Younis, gave their personal testimony from the 2003 terrorist attacks in Baghdad. On August 19, 2003, both men were injured in the bombing of the Canal hotel in Baghdad. The Canal hotel was used as UN headquarters, and a total of 22 UN civil servants were killed. Both men suffered severe injuries to their head, neck, and upper bodies. Mr. Pronyk and Mr. Younis called for raising awareness of victims, and providing increased care to victims including medical, social, and psychological support.

Concluding the meeting, Mr. Feldman, Chairman of the Counter Terrorism Task Force, gave a statement focused on strategies to support victims of terrorism. The UN Victims of Terrorism Portal helps terrorism victims find support, including finding organizations that work on rehabilitation, psycho social support, and information on how to access criminal justice systems. Mr. Feldman said victims are often forgotten, and besides forming a global strategy to combat terrorism, supporting victims of terrorism is also necessary.

Meeting Title: Interactive Dialogue on “Addressing Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism”
Speakers: H.E. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon; Mr. Jason Pronyk; Mr. Mohhamad Younis; Mr. Jeffrey Feldman, Undersecretary General for the Department of Political Affairs and Chairman of the Counter Terrorism Task Force
Date: 11 June 2014
Location: United Nations HQ, Trusteeship Council, New York
Written by WIT Representative: Marli Kasdan