From August 30 – September 3, 2021, ICCT The Hague & the T.M.C. Asser Instituut hosted the 11th edition of their annual Advanced summer programme on terrorism, counter-terrorism and the rule of law. The popular course reached full capacity, with over 45 practitioners, policymakers and academics joining us from 26 countries. The main theme of the course was: ‘20 Years on from 9/11 – The Lessons (Un)Learnt and Challenges (Un)Resolved’.
The online programme featured speakers and topics such as:
Gender, conflict and terrorism, Prof. Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, (United Nations Special Rapporteur),
Human Dignity & Human Security, Prof. Martin Scheinin (Oxford University),
Islamophobia and Radicalisation, Dr Tahir Abbas, (Leiden University),
France’s Forever War in the Sahel, Dr Rebecca Mignot-Mahdavi (University of Manchester),
Combatting the Financing of Terrorism in International Law, Matthias Kloth (Council of Europe).
ICCT’s senior research fellow Dr Teun van Dongen lectured on New and Emerging Terrorist Threats, and ICCT research fellow Dr Eviane Leidig focused on Far-Right Extremism Online. Prof. Helen Duffy (Leiden University) gave the closing keynote ‘20 Years on from 9/11’.
Project leader of the summer programme is Asser researcher and ICCT senior coordinator research fellow Dr. Rumyana van Ark. Rumyana’s lecture focused on the US’ Anywhere and Everywhere Counterterrorism and the many and varied legacies of the US’ transnational counterterrorism policies. The course also offered virtual study visits to Europol and Eurojust.
Despite a temporary respite in violent activities, terrorism remains a significant and serious threat in many countries across the globe. As states’ resources have been stretched by the global COVID-19 pandemic, terrorist organisations have sought to exploit the reduced public attention on their activities to strengthen their base and fuel divisions. In North America, Western Europe and Oceania, the threat of far-right political terrorism has been steadily rising, with an increase in far-right incidents of 250 percent between 2014-2019 (Global Terrorism Index 2020).
Although ISIL has been less active, 27 countries in the Middle East and North Africa recorded an attack by ISIL or by its affiliate groups, with Sub-Saharan Africa having been hit the hardest. Within the EU, ten people died and 27 were injured following terrorist attacks, and more than a thousand individuals were arrested on suspicion of terrorism-related offences. A further 119 ‘foiled, failed and completed’ terrorist attacks were reported by 13 EU member states (Europol).
Across the world, extremist and terrorist activities have continuously triggered an increase in security-related laws and measures. To prevent terrorism as early as possible, states have introduced limitations on freedom of speech, curbs on financial and other support and have resorted to revoking nationalities.
How proportionate and legitimate are these measures? Are they effective?
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