Check against delivery

Under-Secretary-General Voronkov, [dear Vladimir]

Assistant Secretary-General Gherman, [dear Natalia]

Distinguished colleagues, [dear friends]

It is a pleasure to address this high-level gathering of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact. I look forward to hearing the perspectives of key regional partners – including the African Union, the League of Arab States, and the OIC.

The importance of regional coordination may be today’s theme, but it is much more than that – it is strategic, and it is urgent.

[1. A common purpose]

The international community has entrusted the Compact with a simple but challenging task: to deliver effective, coordinated responses to the evolving threat of terrorism – while upholding the norms and values that bind us.

Indeed, the exact same responsibility applies to the EU as well. Our 27 Member States hold us to it, every day.

In December, the Council of the European Union adopted new counter-terrorism priorities: from accelerating information exchange to protecting public spaces and intercepting terrorist financing. A new EU CT Agenda is now in preparation to turn these objectives into action.

In short: our Member States expect us to deliver. And in exactly the same spirit, all of us gathered under this Compact should deliver.

That means: real impact on the ground. Meaningful cooperation across mandates. And full alignment with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) – in all four of its pillars.

[2. The EU’s commitment]

The EU is a strategic partner in counter-terrorism – politically, operationally, and financially. We co-chair the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum together with Egypt. We support UN-led work on prevention, criminal justice reform, and capacity building – from West Africa to Central Asia.

And we are also a values-based actor.

We insist that counter-terrorism efforts must respect human rights and international humanitarian law. That civil society must be treated as a partner, not an afterthought – let alone a hindrance. And that women – including women-led organisations – must be meaningfully involved in shaping prevention strategies.

This is not a matter of messaging. It is a matter of both credibility and long-term effectiveness.

[3. Regional cooperation]

Regional organisations are more than implementing partners – they are political actors, with local legitimacy and deep insights into what works in their regions and abroad.

The EU deeply values its strategic partnership with the African Union. We also work closely with the League of Arab States, the OIC, the OAS and others. This is part of our strategy to strengthen shared ownership – across regions and perspectives.

The Compact can help anchor that trust. And that trust will be essential as we approach the next GCTS review in 2026.

[4. UN80 reform]

The Secretary-General’s UN80 vision challenges all of us to make the UN more effective, coherent and responsive – including in counter-terrorism.

The EU supports this ambition and sees value in reducing duplication. 

But we are clear: reform must reinforce – not dilute – the principles and mandates that give this system legitimacy:

• Human rights, gender, prevention, and civil society engagement must remain central.
• Governance, transparency, and accountability must be strengthened – not bypassed.
• And above all: reform must improve delivery – not just structures.

Because ultimately, the questions is not whether a workshop or conference took place. It is whether the UN system made a difference on the ground – where it matters, for those who need it.

A clear evidence base, open consultation, and alignment with broader UN reforms will be key to ensuring this process delivers.

[5. Expectations for the Compact going forward]

This Compact already has the mandates, tools, and expertise to address the evolving threat of terrorism and violent extremism.

The question is how we use them – and how we coordinate them. Coordination is not an aspiration. It is the Compact’s core purpose – and the standard by which it must be judged.

Here, we see three priorities:

• A clear and unified results framework – mapped to the four GCTS pillars.

• Improved coherence – by better aligning and streamlining activities across Compact entities.

• Stronger mechanisms to demonstrate impact – not just outputs, but outcomes. 

In our view, all these are essential both on a technical level and to sustaining political support – and to make the case for multilateralism in this critical field.

[6. Closing]

The challenges ahead are real. But the Compact can meet them – if we sharpen delivery, deepen partnerships, and stay true to the principles that give our work meaning.

The EU will continue to play its part – with commitment, clarity, and with partners across all regions.

We should all expect this system to deliver. And, to a large extent, successful delivery is in our hands.

Thank you.