Introduction
The United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) Programme Office on Parliamentary Engagement, in cooperation with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCEPA), the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), the African Parliamentary Union (APU) and the Shura Council of the State of Qatar, organized a High-Level Conference on Parliamentary support to victims of terrorism. The Conference took place at Palazzo Montecitorio - Nuova Aula dei Gruppi Parlamentari in Rome, Italy from 7 to 8 June 2022. The Chairperson of the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security, Hon. Sen. Dr. David P. Parirenyatwa, Member of the African Parliamentary Union (APU) Executive, Hon Tafanana Zhou, MP and Ms. T. Sukuta, Researcher for the Thematic Committee on Peace and Security, attended the Conference.
The High-Level Conference brought together various stakeholders, including Parliamentarians, Representatives of the United Nations (UN) entities, leading experts, members of regional Parliamentary Assemblies, victims of terrorism, victims’ associations, and civil society organizations, to discuss the best way for Parliamentarians to address the rights and needs of victims of terrorism and to find tangible legislative measures that can be implemented. The 2019 UN Assembly Resolution 73/305 and the seventh review resolution of the UN Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy adopted in June 2021, urges Member States to strengthen their efforts to support victims and this support ranges from advocacy and solidarity to more practical measures such as capacity building and technical assistance.
