Integrated Assistance for Countering Terrorism (I-ACT)
Mandate: United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy:
Section III, introduction: “We recognize that capacity-building in all States is a core element of the global counter-terrorism effort, and resolve to undertake the following measures to develop State capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and enhance coordination and coherence within the United Nations system in promoting international cooperation in countering terrorism.”
Status:
Objective:
Through the Integrated Assistance for Countering Terrorism (I-ACT) Working Group, CTITF aims to enhance the capacity within the United Nations system to help interested Member States, upon their request and in a user-friendly way, to implement the Strategy in an integrated manner. The term “integrated” refers to assisting the partnering Member State with its implementation of the Strategy across all four topical pillars, which address the multiple dimensions of countering terrorism, as well as to utilizing assistance capacities and efforts from across the United Nations system.
CTITF works with the partnering Member States through I-ACT to provide a mapping of requested, completed, ongoing and planned technical assistance activities by CTITF entities in each partnering Member State, which aims to facilitate the identification of “gaps” in assistance delivery and the elaboration of action plans for assistance to be delivered.
I-ACT draws upon and complements the work of the entities participating in the Task Force without replacing or duplicating that work. Overall, assistance provision or facilitation continues through entities under their own mandates, but I-ACT helps to ensure a holistic view and provides an interface with the partnering governments.
Work underway:
CTITF began work in 2008 on the execution modalities and arrangements for I-ACT, including consultations for the development of an I-ACT information system, an Internet-based tool for facilitating enhanced information sharing and coordination of technical assistance delivery.
In 2008, CTITF also confirmed its intention to work with the first two partnering Member States, Madagascar and Nigeria, which had requested to be considered for assistance with the integrated implementation of the Strategy. A visit was undertaken to Madagascar in September/October 2008 to gather initial information for the mapping of assistance activities in that country. Work on the mappings for both partnering Member States is underway, as are discussions with government representatives on next steps to be taken through I-ACT for their respective countries.
Work ahead:
Where needs in assistance delivery to the partnering Member States are identified, I-ACT aims to catalyze the application of existing assistance delivery capacity and resources within the United Nations system as well as, if no capacity or resources are available from among UN system entities, to catalyze the application of external assistance, as appropriate. Provided that sufficient financial resources become available, I-ACT further aims to provide “bridge” funding to facilitate the timely availability of resources for programming and assistance delivery for key Strategy-relevant needs that cannot be met by existing United Nations system resources and for which donor funding requests are not likely to be met within the needed timeframe.
Periodic consultative meetings will facilitate engagement of interested bilateral and other multilateral assistance providers/donors, regional organizations and other relevant actors. Such meetings will serve as an opportunity for sharing of relevant expertise and good practice with the partnering Member States, for discussion of specific thematic issues and for matching potential bilateral/multilateral assistance providers and donors with longer-term Strategy-relevant assistance needs that have come to light in partnering Member States through I-ACT.