Recommendation 2164 (2019)

Protecting and supporting the victims of terrorism

Author(s): Parliamentary Assembly

Origin - Assembly debate on 2 October 2019 (32nd Sitting) (see Doc. 14957, report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, rapporteur: Ms Marietta Karamanli). Text adopted by the Assembly on 2 October 2019 (32nd Sitting).

1. The Parliamentary Assembly refers to Resolution 2303 (2019) on protecting and supporting victims of terrorism and welcomes the action taken by some Council of Europe member States to accompany their counter-terrorism strategies with concrete measures to ensure appropriate protection and assistance for the victims of terrorism.

2. The Assembly also welcomes the 2017 Revised Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers on the protection of victims of terrorist acts and the Council of Europe Counter-Terrorism Strategy (2018-2022), which recognise the fact that efforts to increase security and effectively combat terrorist organisations should be accompanied by better co-ordinated assistance to victims.

3. The Assembly considers that a more sustained commitment on the part of member States is needed to ensure an adequate protection of victims of terrorist acts in all Council of Europe member States. It wishes to stress that victims’ assistance must be given an international dimension due to the increased likelihood of citizens of member States becoming victims of a terrorist attack in other European countries and outside of Europe.

4. Therefore, the Assembly calls on the Committee of Ministers to:

4.1. recommend member States to:

4.1.1. implement the Revised Guidelines of the Committee of Ministers on the protection of victims of terrorist acts of 19 May 2017, on a proactive basis;

4.1.2. promote the full implementation of Article 13 of the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism (CETS No. 196) on “Protection, compensation and support for victims of terrorism”;

4.1.3. strengthen international co-operation with a view to better sharing of information between national compensation services, avoid situations of double compensation and co-ordinate assistance;

4.1.4. share good practices, experience and expertise, also through the Council of Europe and the European Union, to allow the international community to learn from the unique experience of certain States;

4.1.5. prioritise the improvement of support for cross-border victims of terrorism in future reforms;

4.2. speed up its work to establish a network of single contact points for the exchange of procedural information regarding the legal standing of victims of terrorism in the jurisdictions of the member States, as well as other relevant States, also outside Europe;

4.3. examine, in consultation with the European Union, the possibility of adopting a European charter on the rights of the victims of terrorism to facilitate recognition, communication and co-ordination in greater Europe.

5. The Assembly wishes to continue to be fully informed about work on action against terrorism and the protection of victims conducted by the Committee of Ministers and by relevant committees and working parties.