We share the world community's concern about the evolving terrorist threat. The civilized world still faces the task of organizing a collective rebuff to terrorism with the central coordinating role of the UN, based on international law, without politicization, hidden agendas and "double standards".

On international platforms, Russia traditionally comes up with various kinds of proposals and initiatives aimed at countering the fueling of terrorism - ideological, personnel and material, especially weapons.

We consistently uphold the line on strict observance by states of the relevant principles and norms of international law, including the UN Charter, when taking measures to combat terrorism, strict implementation of UN Security Council resolutions, primarily 1373, 1624, 2178, 2199, 2253, 2354, 2396, aimed , including strengthening measures to identify and suppress the channels for feeding terrorist organizations, as well as UN Security Council resolutions establishing sanctions regimes against ISIS, Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. We are determined to increase sanctions pressure on these terrorist organizations and related groups and individuals through the UN Security Council committees 1267/1989/2253 and 1988.

Russia vigorously supports the efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to monitor the implementation by states of the aforementioned basic UN Security Council Resolution 1373.

We attach great importance to the comprehensive implementation of all four main directions of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

We are in favor of agreeing on a draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that would contain a universally recognized definition of terrorism. We proceed from the need to find a solution that would be acceptable to all UN member states. Only then can this convention really become comprehensive and serve as an effective tool for the world community in the fight against terrorism.

In order to increase the effectiveness of international cooperation in the area of ​​countering international terrorism, which is a priority for the Russian Federation, in 2017, as part of the ongoing process of reforming the UN and restructuring its counter-terrorism architecture, we actively contributed to the creation of the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT) in the UN Secretariat; established on June 15, 2017 by resolution General Assembly UN 71/291), which was headed by Deputy Secretary General UN Russian V.I.Voronkov. Russia provides the necessary financial and expert assistance to the UKT in its work, primarily through the provision of specialized technical assistance to the countries of Central Asia.

The global community is facing an acute problem of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), who, after the military defeat of ISIS in Syria and Iraq, return en masse to their countries of origin or residence or move to third countries, especially to those where it is easier for them to escape punishment for their crimes. We believe that a conscientious exchange of information about FTB is one of the most needed tools in the fight against this phenomenon. In this regard, we call on foreign partners to connect to the International Data Bank on Combating Terrorism created by the NAC of Russia.

Over the past few years, it has been possible to gradually unfreeze cooperation on counterterrorism with a number of Western European partners. In September 2017, after a long break, the work of the subgroup on countering terrorism, drug trafficking and organized crime of the Russian-German High-Level Working Group on Security Policy was resumed. The activities of the relevant working groups with other countries have also been resumed. In particular, the last meetings in this format, co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation O.V. Syromolotov, were held with Italy in December 2017 in Moscow, with Turkey in June 2018 in Ankara, with Spain in July 2018 in Madrid.

On a regular basis, contacts are maintained on anti-terror with Swiss and Serbian partners.

We are satisfied with the results of relevant contacts with the United States.

Bilateral contacts are maintained with African countries on various aspects of anti-terror, including in the format of working groups with Egypt and Mali.

International anti-extremist cooperation

Our country has a unique resource for countering extremism and radicalization, which consists in the ability to effectively involve elements of civil society (traditional confessions, educational, scientific and business circles) in anti-extremist tasks in the format of public-private partnership.

We maintain a reserved attitude towards initiatives that do not take into account these principles. We are talking about the concept of “countering violent extremism” (CVE), which has been actively promoted since 2015, creating conditions and prerequisites for interfering in the internal affairs of states, destabilizing “objectionable regimes” by justifying the actions of terrorists and “violent extremists”, mitigating criminal law responsibility for this category of offenders. The concept of "violent extremism" is nowhere in international documents is not defined and “blurs” the traditional tasks of anti-terror, including at the UN site.

It is important to jointly develop and promote optimal standards for effective cooperation in the fight against extremism. A good example in this sense is the June 2017 Shanghai Organization Cooperation (SCO) of the SCO Convention on Combating Extremism, which, in contrast to the PVE concept, reflects the verified collective approaches of Russia and its like-minded people to the fight against terrorism and the extremism that feeds it.

An effective fight against extremism is impossible without creating an atmosphere of rejection of violence in society, which involves the combined efforts of the competent authorities and civil structures, as well as the media. We support ideas aimed at enshrining in the international legal framework the concept of “voluntary counter-terrorism restrictions on the media and officials”, which implies refraining from forcing a media context that can support, and even provoke, the radicalization of public and political sentiments leading to terrorism.

Countering the provocative and disinformation activities of the White Helmets in Syria

We emphasize the inadmissibility of "double standards" in the field of anti-terror, manifested, in particular, in the financing by a number of states of the activities of the pseudo-humanitarian organization "White Helmets" (BC) in Syria.

We support the initiatives of civil society representatives, independent experts to expose the stable links of the White Helmets with terrorist structures, robberies and looting carried out by members of the BC, seizures of schools, kindergartens and clinics with the cessation of their work, as well as fire stations, shops and private houses. We draw the attention of the world community to the facts of the participation of pseudo-humanitarians in staging chemical attacks, artillery and air strikes, killings of civilians, including children, for the purpose of illegal removal of organs. Separately, we emphasize the fact that BC contributed to the expansion of the recruitment activities of terrorist organizations.

We present the relevant information, including information obtained from open sources, on international platforms, in particular at the UN, draw the attention of the world community to the problem, which, unfortunately, with respect to BC continues to be in completely unfounded illusions.

International cooperation in addressing the world drug problem

Russia traditionally plays one of the key roles in solving the world drug problem, is a Party to three specialized anti-drug conventions in the field of drug control - the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, the Convention on Psychotropic Substances of 1971 and the Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988, is a member of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

The main goal of Russia's foreign policy efforts on the anti-drug track is a significant reduction in the production and consumption of opiates, cocaine, cannabis, as well as synthetic drugs and new psychoactive substances with a long-term perspective to create a drug-free society. The solution of these tasks should be based on the principles of common and joint responsibility of all states in solving the world drug problem, as well as a comprehensive and balanced approach to strategies and measures to reduce the supply and demand for drugs, including the inadmissibility of legalizing the use of any type of drug for non-medical purposes.

In the context of the deteriorating situation with the illegal production of drugs in Afghanistan and their smuggling along the “northern route”, the priority of the Russian Federation is to intensify comprehensive international efforts aimed at combating the Afghan drug threat, which is qualified in a number of UN documents as a threat to international peace and stability. Russia, together with France, became the initiators of the Paris Pact initiative, a unique international mechanism with the participation of more than 50 states and international organizations aimed at combating opiates of Afghan origin. Regular interaction is carried out with the member countries of the CSTO and the SCO on the anti-drug agenda. Since 2007, "under the auspices" of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), a project has been implemented to train anti-drug personnel in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the countries of Central Asia.

The Russian Federation attaches great importance to the Anti-Drug Strategy for the period 2018-2023 adopted at the SCO summit in Qingdao. and the Action Plan for its implementation, as well as the Concept for the rehabilitation of drug addicts.

The Government of the Russian Federation annually allocates 2 million US dollars as a voluntary contribution to the UNODC Fund, which go to support about 20 anti-drug projects of the Office, including the formation of a canine service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia in Afghanistan, assistance in strengthening the capacity of the Anti-drug Service drugs Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, as well as the development of alternative agriculture in the Afghan province of Badakhshan.

Fight against transnational organized crime

The Russian Federation consistently supports the central coordinating role of the UN in consolidating international efforts in the fight against global challenges and threats, primarily against transnational organized crime.

The most important documents that provide the basis for anti-criminal cooperation between states are the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (2000) and its protocols. The Russian Federation took an active part in the development and launch of the review mechanism for these international treaties.

Among other things, in the anti-criminal direction, work on the formation of a legal framework for cooperation between law enforcement agencies is of no small importance. To date, about 20 bilateral agreements on cooperation in the field of combating crime have been concluded (Czech Republic, Denmark, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, UAE, Bulgaria, Italy, France, Slovenia, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Norway, Great Britain, Egypt, Hungary , Uzbekistan, Finland, South Africa). Draft bilateral agreements on cooperation in the field of combating transnational organized crime with other countries are being worked out.

Today, there remains a certain threat to the Russian merchant fleet from pirate groups based on the coast of the Horn of Africa, the Gulf of Guinea, the Straits of Malacca, Singapore, the South China Sea, as well as the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas. Over the past 6-7 years, there have been cases of Russian citizens being taken hostage by “pirates of the 21st century” (as a rule, crew members of foreign ships). Russia is making considerable efforts for their release and safe return to their homeland.

International information security

In the third millennium, information and communication technologies (ICT) have become one of the main challenges of global development. Virtual space is increasingly being used for military-political, criminal and terrorist purposes. The target of computer attacks are states and private companies, and often ordinary citizens. The Internet is actively "mastered" by terrorists and criminals. Individual countries are not far behind them, openly building up their military potential in the digital sphere, creating systems of mass electronic surveillance.

Russia traditionally considers this problem as a single "triad" of threats of a military-political, terrorist and criminal nature. We proceed from the premise that under the current conditions it is necessary to focus international efforts on preventing conflicts in the information space, preventing the illegal use of ICT, and guaranteeing respect for human rights in the digital sphere.

The most effective form of international cooperation in the field of countering the entire range of threats in the IIS sphere, in our opinion, will be the adoption universal rules responsible behavior of states in the information space. Such rules should consolidate in the digital sphere the principles of non-use of force, respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms, as well as equal rights for all states to participate in the management of the Internet.

Russia, together with the SCO member states, BRICS and CIS partners, is actively promoting relevant peacekeeping initiatives in the international arena. It was the SCO countries that initiated a substantive discussion of the rules of behavior for states in the information space. Thus, in 2011 they prepared and distributed to the UN a draft "Rules of Conduct in the Field of Ensuring International Information Security". Its updated version, taking into account the comments received, was again submitted to the UN in 2015.

During the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, the draft Russian resolution “Achievements in the field of informatization and telecommunications in the context of international security". As a result, for the first time in history, the international community approved the code of conduct of states in the information space put forward at the initiative of Russia and restored the negotiation process on international information security under the auspices of the UN to a new qualitative level.

Confidence-building measures are an important condition for preventing potentially conflict situations in the use of ICT. Much work has been done in this direction within the framework of the OSCE. In December 2013, the OSCE Permanent Council approved the “Initial List of Confidence-Building Measures within the OSCE to Reduce the Risk of Conflicts As a Result of the Use of ICT”, which for the first time created a regional mechanism for interaction between states in order to counter IIS threats and launched the formation of a “safety net” grids" in the information sphere in the space from Vancouver to Vladivostok.

One of the most relevant topics related to the IIS is the so-called. "capacity building". There is no doubt that the needs of developing countries in the information and communication sphere should be taken into account, however, the practical content of this topic needs to be specified. In this regard, it is important to ensure that “capacity building” programs are not used as a cover for interfering in the internal affairs of recipient States, and that transferred technologies are not subsequently used for purposes inconsistent with the objectives of ensuring international stability and security.

The relevance of the criminal component of the “triad” of IIS threats is growing. The fight against crime in the global information space is complicated by the lack of a full-fledged international legal framework for cooperation between states. In this regard, the Russian Federation consistently takes the initiative to develop under the auspices of the UN a universal convention to combat information crime.

During the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, a draft Russian resolution "Combating the use of ICT for criminal purposes" was adopted by a majority of votes. As a result, for the first time in UN practice, a separate resolution on this issue was adopted, aimed at launching a broad political discussion on combating information crime at the UN General Assembly.

In matters of using the Internet, we proceed from the strategic task of internationalizing the management of this network and increasing the role of International Union telecommunications. It is necessary to ensure equal rights for all states to participate in the management of the Internet and the sovereign right of states to regulate and ensure the security of its national segment.

The issue of IIS is also reflected in the activities of a number of organizations and platforms. Thus, full-scale political documents have been adopted at the highest level within the framework of the BRICS and SCO, the Russia-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership, and the East Asia Summit.

In the absence of universal agreements in this area in a multilateral format, bilateral cooperation between Russia and states from different regions of the world is actively developing. On the this moment The Russian Federation has signed agreements on cooperation in the field of IIS provision with 7 countries. There are a number of other stakeholders in the pipeline, and their number continues to grow steadily.

Speaking about the situation that is developing today in the field of combating terrorism, it should be emphasized that this problem is an international problem. This implies that not separate anti-terrorist centers specially created for this purpose, or even law enforcement agencies and special services, should be involved in this task. To combat this universal threat, it is necessary to unite the efforts of all state and public structures, branches of government, and the media. We need a strategy to fight terrorism.

It is necessary to clearly define and name the sources and determinants of terrorist manifestations, which, according to an expert survey conducted among employees of counter-terrorism units of the security agencies, can include: a drop in the living standards of the population, a decrease in the degree of social protection, legal nihilism in society , the aggravation of the political struggle, the growth of nationalism and separatism, the imperfection of legislation, the fall in the authority of the authorities and the adoption of ill-considered decisions by its representatives. Terrorism also feeds on political extremism, which, in turn, grows out of explosive social tensions in our society torn by contradictions.

It is hardly possible to get rid of terrorism overnight. Especially in the modern environment, which is characterized by an increase economic crisis, the weakening of the rule of law and the growth of crime. Even in an environment of relative political stability, it is not easy to rule out the excesses of terrorism. This is explained both by the survivability of the terrorist psychology of certain social strata that have not found their place in the social structure of society, and by the ability of terrorist leaders to respond and use in their own interests the dissatisfaction of ordinary people with the current socio-economic situation.

The eradication of terrorism is a long process that involves the creation of the necessary objective and subjective conditions to achieve this goal. At the same time, it is impossible to destroy terrorism by forceful, terrorist means: violence inevitably breeds violence. It is important to convince the society, all political forces that speculation on objective difficulties and contradictions, the forceful version of their solution is the path leading to disaster.

The most important prerequisite for the eradication of terrorism is the stabilization of the economic and political situation in countries, the strengthening of democratic principles in social and political life. It is necessary to form a normal civil society in which the social base of terrorism will be sharply narrowed. Another very important prerequisite is the development and rooting of democratic traditions, the formation and development of political and ideological pluralism, the approval of such rules of the "political game" that are characterized by mutual tolerance, the rejection of confrontation in relation between various social and political forces, the search for and finding consensus. It is especially important that stable democratic political systems, mechanisms of civilized political dialogue and rotation of power be formed in the states. It is necessary that those in power exclude the mood of the opposition and contribute to ensuring the rights and legitimate interests of the minority. Of course, the opposition forces should also abandon such methods in their political activity. To oust terrorism from life, it is necessary to develop a high political and legal culture in society, a clear establishment of legal sanctions for terrorist acts.

It is necessary to create favorable conditions for the normal and even development of various ethnic groups and ensure the realization of their interests in order to prevent conflicts on ethnic grounds. The task of states is to form in all ethnic groups living in a given country such self-awareness, in which the sense of belonging to their state would take precedence over the factor of ethnicity in the process of self-identification of citizens.

In addition to the above, state bodies should intensify their efforts in preventive activities aimed at localizing and neutralizing terrorist tendencies and eliminating potential prerequisites for their formation. Measures are needed to strengthen borders, increase control over the activities of foreign organizations in order to minimize the possibility of importing extremism from third countries. An active youth policy, measures aimed at reducing unemployment and solving urgent socio-economic problems can reduce social tension in society and neutralize the main source of potential social excesses.

Summit meetings and treaties alone are not enough to eradicate terrorism. Effective counteraction to international terrorism requires the development and implementation of a comprehensive program that includes political, social, economic, legal, ideological, special and other aspects. It must certainly take into account the interests of the population, the problems and conflict potential of terrorism throughout the world. We also need interaction and coordination of all the forces of society interested in solving this urgent problem.

One of the most important activities of the heads of state should be joint interaction to prevent, localize and stop regional outbursts of extremism, since individual conflicts caused by terrorists can cause destabilization in other states.

The tragic results of terrorism that characterize this phenomenon of current politics should serve as an important warning to all political forces that attempts to solve political, economic and other problems with the help of violence do not contribute to the solution of the tasks set, but, on the contrary, lead to the aggravation and growth of contradictions in society. .

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The main stages of the fight against international terrorism. Terrorism, including in its cross-border forms, is one of the most dangerous forms of crime. At the present stage, this phenomenon has become a factor seriously destabilizing the normal development of international relations. Terrorist attacks using nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction may pose a particular danger.

The process of establishing international cooperation in countering terrorism, the formation of its fundamental principles and norms has passed through certain historical stages. The first multilateral efforts of states in this direction date back to the end of the 20s - the second half of the 30s of our century. During international conferences On the unification of criminal legislation, it was possible to formulate and adopt (in the form of recommendations to the participating States) a definition of terrorism, which was understood as the use of any means capable of terrorizing the population in order to destroy any social organization. The conferences also worked on the creation of mechanisms that would allow criminal prosecution of terrorists beyond national borders. The "unifiers" came close to recognizing the objective need to reinforce measures taken at the national level by developing appropriate international legal norms.

A new stage in the international cooperation of states in this area was the completion in 1937, under the auspices of the League of Nations, of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Terrorism, as well as the Convention on the Establishment of an International Criminal Court. Although both conventions never entered into force, many of their provisions formed the basis for the formation of such existing principles and norms of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism as the inevitability of punishment of criminals, universal jurisdiction, the obligation to either extradite the alleged offender or prosecute him in criminal proceedings. order, provisions on the mutual exchange of relevant information, etc.

Definition of terrorism. The modern parameters of international cooperation between states in the fight against terrorism were mainly formed in the post-war period. Until now, the international community has not succeeded (mainly due to the excessive ideological burden of this problem that has dominated until recently) to develop a generally accepted definition of terrorism, although in general there has been a common understanding regarding the main components of this phenomenon. First of all, we are talking about illegal violence, as a rule, with the use of weapons, the desire to intimidate the general population, innocent victims, and in relation to terrorist acts affecting the interests of more than one state, there is also an international element. With regard to political direction, the international community does not consider it as a defining feature international terrorism acts of which can be committed for other reasons. AT last years Steps are being taken in the VI Committee of the UN General Assembly to give new impetus to the work on the definition of international terrorism*.[

* With regard to state terrorism, that is, actions taken at the state level with the aim of undermining the sovereignty and independence of other states, as well as obstructing the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination, after the adoption in 1984 by the UN General Assembly of resolution 39/159, which condemned such a policy and practice as a method of doing business with other states and peoples, the concept of state terrorism at the universal level of development has not received.

State terrorism should be distinguished from the problem of state support for the actions of terrorist groups and individual terrorists. Such support has been condemned in a number of UN declarations and resolutions.]

In view of the absence of a universally recognized comprehensive definition of terrorism, the formation of the legal foundations for cooperation between states in the fight against it is concentrated on those areas where its manifestations pose the greatest danger to the interests of the international community.

To date, the system has been international opposition terrorism, which includes cooperation at the global and regional levels, as well as on a bilateral basis.

System of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. At the global level, such interaction is concentrated within the framework of the UN, its specialized agencies, primarily ICAO, IMO, IAEA. Under their auspices, an international legal framework for such cooperation has been created and operates, which includes a number of universal agreements, such as: the Tokyo Convention on Crimes and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, 1963; Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, 1970; Montreal Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation, 1971; Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Users international protection, including diplomatic agents, 1973; International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages, 1979; Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, 1980; the 1988 Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, supplementing the Montreal Convention; the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1988; and the Rome Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf, 1988. In 1991, the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection* was adopted.[

* With regard to the prohibition of acts of a terrorist nature during armed conflicts, it is provided for by the norms of international humanitarian law, in particular the provisions of the Additional Protocols of 1977 to the Geneva Conventions for the Protection of Victims of War of 1949.]

At the regional level, issues of cooperation in the fight against terrorism are considered within the framework of the CSCE, the EU, the Council of Europe, the Organization of American States (OAS), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and others. A number of international instruments have been developed and are operating to regulate cooperation at this level: final documents of the CSCE meetings in Helsinki, Madrid, Vienna, Paris; resolutions and decisions adopted by EU bodies; the OAS Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Acts of Terrorism Taking the Form of Crimes Against Persons and Related Extortion, When Such Acts are of an International Character, 1971; the Council of Europe European Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism of 1977; 1987 SAARC Regional Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism.

Cooperation on a bilateral basis proceeds in the form of dialogue at various levels, as well as on the basis of bilateral agreements. Thus, the obligations on cooperation in the fight against international terrorism are contained in the interstate agreements concluded by Russia in 1992 with France and Great Britain on the principles of mutual relations, as well as in the Treaty of Good Neighborliness, Partnership and Cooperation with the FRG concluded in 1990 by the former USSR, the Treaty of Friendship and cooperation with Italy. Russia is the successor state of the USSR according to the bilateral intergovernmental agreements concluded in the 70s on cooperation in preventing the hijacking of civil aircraft with Afghanistan, Iran, Finland and Turkey (the latter did not enter into force because it was not approved by the Turkish side). In 1991, a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding was concluded with the US government on cooperation in the field of civil aviation, which provides a model for Russian-American operational cooperation in crisis situations caused by terrorist actions on civil airlines between the two countries. Bilateral agreements in the field of combating terrorism, including at the interdepartmental level, have been concluded, for example, between Italy and Turkey, France and Spain, France and Venezuela, the USA and Italy.

One of distinguishing features modern terrorism - the dynamics of its manifestations and methods used by terrorists to achieve their goals. Accordingly, the principles and norms governing cooperation in the fight against acts of international terrorism do not have frozen forms; many of them are in the process of becoming.

Principles of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Among the fundamental principles of such cooperation, which form the backbone of the aforementioned universal, as well as a number of regional and bilateral agreements, relevant UN resolutions, decisions of other international bodies, is the universal condemnation and recognition of the illegality of terrorism in all its manifestations, wherever and by whomever acts of terrorism are committed. If the first part of this principle is still being affirmed in international agreements, then the recognition of the illegality of terrorism without any exceptions has already been enshrined in almost all universal agreements in force in this area.

The central provision of all treaties on combating terrorism, numerous resolutions of the UN and other international organizations is the principle of international cooperation in the fight against terrorism, the consistent implementation of which opens the main way to effectively counter this phenomenon.

The most important area of ​​cooperation is active assistance in eliminating the causes underlying international terrorism. Of particular importance in this area are the coordinated efforts of states to eliminate hotbeds of international tension, regional crises and conflicts, which are the breeding ground for terrorist acts and other manifestations of violence. It is the duty of every State to contribute to international efforts to eliminate the root causes of this phenomenon. For such reasons Special Committee The UN on international terrorism includes, in particular, the use of force contrary to the UN Charter, aggression, violation of political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, racism, genocide policy, fascism and neo-fascism, political, social and economic injustice, violation of human rights, poverty, hunger , poverty, suffering, etc. Taking into account the study conducted on this issue by the Special Committee, the UN General Assembly has repeatedly (in particular, in its resolutions 42/159 of December 7, 1987, 44/29 of December 4, 1989, 46/51 of 9 December 1991) called on States and UN bodies to contribute to the gradual elimination of the root causes of international terrorism, while giving " Special attention all situations, including colonialism, racism and situations involving massive and gross violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as situations resulting from foreign domination and occupation, which may give rise to international terrorism and endanger international world and security."

The principle of cooperation also covers such specific areas as: interaction between states within the framework of international agreements and organizations; development of new agreements; taking practical measures to prevent terrorist attacks, including the exchange of information and coordination of necessary measures; provision by states to each other of criminal procedural assistance; cooperation for the peaceful settlement of disputes concerning the interpretation and application of conventions in the field of combating terrorism.

The effectiveness of cooperation in the fight against terrorism is directly related to ensuring the inevitability of punishment for those who have committed a crime. All global agreements in force in this area (with the exception of the Tokyo Convention of 1963) establish the principle of universal jurisdiction, which allows establishing jurisdiction over a crime and, consequently, ensuring the inevitability of punishing a criminal, regardless of his location and the commission of the crime. This principle is based on the “extradite or prosecute” mechanism, when a state party, if it has not prosecuted a criminal located on its territory, is obliged to extradite him to another participant (of course, if the latter requests it) for the purposes of such prosecution . The effectiveness of the functioning of this principle largely depends on the level of trust between states, on their political will and willingness to cooperate so that terrorists suffer the punishment they deserve.

The fight against terrorism can only be carried out with "clean hands", relying on values ​​common to mankind. The requirement to strictly adhere to international law in the fight against terrorism was reflected in the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly, in the preamble to the Rome Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1988.

Russia has consistently advocated the removal of any obstacles (whether political, ideological, religious or otherwise) on the path to uniting the efforts of the entire international community in order to organize an effective rebuff to terrorism. Russia, as a successor state of the USSR, is a party to the existing universal agreements on combating terrorism. Its representatives make a constructive contribution to the development of new agreements,

in the development of practical contacts on the formation of a common international antiterrorist front.

Russian legislation is being brought into line with international obligations, and work is underway to improve it. In recent years, legislative acts have been adopted that regulate the issues of criminal liability for hostage-taking, illegal actions with radioactive materials, blocking transport communications and other illegal actions that encroach on the normal and safe operation of transport.

The methods of combating terrorism in Russia and in the world have more than once become the object of political disputes and scientific research in the field of sociology. How to correct our society to exclude elements of violence? When will torture, murders motivated by revenge, protection of religion and other factors be a thing of the past?

Currently, the methods of combating terrorism in Russia, as some events show public life are far from really effective. What awaits the country in the future? Probably, today we need to think about this as responsibly as possible, put into practice the most advanced methods of preventing acts of violence, so that future generations can finally exist in a world where all the forces of society are directed towards progress, and not the destruction of their fellows.

Theoretical base

The forms and methods of combating terrorism have been relevant to human society for a long time, but only today this trouble has become so large-scale, and its manifestations have become intense. The blood runs cold from the cruelties that some individuals and organizations are ready to commit. In short, methods of combating terrorism are necessary to ensure the survival of mankind, because the problem has acquired a global dimension.

Many are surprised by the extent to which the very phenomenon of terrorism has proved to be persistent. The dangers associated with it affect global community in general, there are no people who could be sure of their 100% protection and innocence. Anyone can become a victim. However, not only this is important: since the methods of combating it show their insufficient effectiveness, modern terrorism undermines the value system, which is the foundation of human life in the understanding of our contemporaries.

What for?

What is the reason why the main methods of combating terrorism have become so popular? Guided by specific reasoning, certain communities and individuals have come to the conclusion that it is the terrorist path that is the most effective for solving a wide range of problems.

Some believe that this is how one can solve the difficulties associated with the political structure, belonging to religious denominations, and nationalities. The consequences of such a decision in the conditions of insufficient development of methods for combating international terrorism (as well as those related to politics, religion and other aspects) lead to an ever-increasing list of crimes. The victims of them are the numerous masses of the most ordinary citizens, who are not guilty of anything.

The trouble is worse than it seems

The inadequacy of the methods used today to combat political, religious and other types of terrorism has led to the undermining of spiritual values, the destruction of culture, and material damage. Terrorism provokes outbreaks of hatred, people cannot trust each other. It is customary to say that terrorist activity is a crime that very often leads to innocent victims. One of the objectives of the methods of combating terrorism is to prevent harm to persons who are not related to the conflict situation and who in no way influence it.

Terror is not war

The methods of combating terrorism are not the methods that are effective in preventing war, because the phenomenon itself is very different in its essence. It is customary to say that civil war and interstate war are extremely different categories, but terrorism is not like either of them. This is due to three key factors:

• suddenness;
• cruelty;
• the ability to provoke a scandal, sometimes on a planetary scale.

War can often be predicted, and actions are carried out according to established, although not specified, rules. The development of methods for combating terrorism should take into account the following fact: terrorists do not accept any standards, while at the same time they strive to maintain anonymity. All this significantly complicates the resistance to a destructive, cruel phenomenon.

I demand attention!

Surprisingly, not everyone understands how relevant the problem is, not only within each individual country as a whole, but also at the international level. However, leading scientists are trying to convey to the widest strata of society the complexity of the situation and the need to develop truly effective methods of combating terrorism. Research papers are regularly published on the factors, nature, specifics of the development of terrorism, so that it is possible to ensure the safety of people based on the findings.

Thematic works have been published more than once in Russia, in other countries, but it has not been possible to come to some unified solution, a generally accepted approach. At the moment, it has not even been possible to develop a single definition of the phenomenon of terrorism. Different authors adhere to different options. It has been estimated that there are about a hundred definitions in use today. With such a large disparity in approaches, it is difficult to achieve a truly effective result in the fight against a terrible enemy of society.

Causes and consequences

To develop the most effective methods of combating terrorism, it is necessary to understand the essence of the phenomenon. It is customary to talk about six types directly involved in terrorist actions. More than once, analytical work was organized on the issue of identifying the distinctive features of the psychology of potential perpetrators in order to more easily identify dangerous social elements. Recently, sociologists, political scientists agree that the six key types are:

• striving for glory;
• fans of religion, convinced of the approaching end of the world;
• national groups that hate representatives of other ethnic groups;
• untargeted groups of terrorists;
• acting on behalf of the state;
• performers motivated by self-interest.

Scale of the problem

In the past few decades, several major and brutal terrorist attacks have been committed on Russian territory, and their dates are inscribed in the calendar of memory. Actions of sympathy for the victims and their families are held annually. The scale of the phenomenon makes it necessary to look for new approaches to prevent a recurrence of the situation.

It is assumed that good help could provide legal standards, methods, but so far they have not been worked out to the level to be effective. We need a technical, material base that would make it possible to prevent terrorist attacks. Without quality preventive system prevention of violations of the right cannot be applied with a positive result, even the most modern approach. It is believed that one of the obstacles to combating the cruelty of certain groups of people is legal nihilism.

Under the influence of the above, each individual is in an ever-growing danger, as well as society as a whole. This risk negatively affects the state. Violent crime has recently become more and more large-scale, and organized groups behave according to a logic similar to terrorist associations. This requires a federally developed program that would allow the terrorists to be rebuffed.

constructive approach

Many agree that the best success can be achieved if the rule of law is strengthened within each individual state and at the international level. At the same time, many politicians have a rather low level of awareness of the importance of law, which becomes a significant obstacle to success.

In the field of legal approaches, the most effective method fight against terrorism is the development of conventions dedicated to the fight against terrorist phenomena. In parallel, it is necessary to work on improving the norms of laws, to formulate state responsibility for the program of assistance to terrorist activity. Of course, this issue should be considered by the Security Council.

The problem is international, and it is possible to solve it only through the efforts of one country or even the commonwealth of several powers. It is necessary to attract specialized centers, services, law enforcement agencies, to unite state structures, social, power branches, and the media. Coordination of efforts, accompanied by the development of a strategic decision on the issue, can give an effective result.

Modern practical approaches

A fairly effective program to counter terrorist acts is currently implemented in the Netherlands. The authorities of this country have made really considerable efforts to ensure the safety of citizens and guests of the state. As part of the fight against terrorist attacks, it is planned to introduce specific measures at international and domestic airports. For this, the territories must be classified as places of increased danger, which will give the gendarmes and the police the right to search all persons without exception on the sites in order to prevent a situation of violence.

An additional preventive measure is the introduction of a coded system using colors. This will allow you to quickly and informatively convey to all those present the level of terrorist danger. Similar codes must be entered in railway infrastructure, at power stations, specialized enterprises.

The legal norms for the prevention of terrorist activity proposed by the Dutch lawmakers include not only the expansion of the job diversity of law enforcement agencies, but also granting the courts the right to dissolve associations that have been found to have violated the law. If the activities of the institution look suspicious, the tax authority has the right to investigate. At the local level, the system for obtaining permits for business operations and subsidies is becoming more complicated.

You look dangerous!

If a foreign citizen, according to a specialist, looks threatening, at the state level he can be assigned the status of an undesirable person. In such a situation, it is impossible to obtain a visa.

Another measure to prevent danger from a potential terrorist is a ban on certain activities. This applies to persons who have been assessed as dangerous with a high degree of probability. They can issue a ruling prohibiting them from being near air terminals, government offices and a number of other significant objects. This restriction primarily applies to those studying in extremist camps outside the country. You have to constantly visit the police.

Russia: proposals for a program to prevent terrorist acts

The modern domestic approach involves the implementation and observance of legislative acts, conventions signed at the interstate level. The documentation establishes the general provisions for the fight against terrorists, criminals organized in groups. It is necessary to constantly pay attention to the implementation of general preventive measures. Experts say that a good result would be total control over the sale of weapons and other means with which you can massively hit human targets.

The fight against terrorism at the present time is a wide range of administrative measures, the possibility of introducing special regimes. This includes a certain strategy of interethnic cooperation: countries work together to eliminate the problem of terrorism within a certain complex area. No less relevant are special measures that would prevent a terrorist act. These are operations, search, security and the use of specialized equipment.

Real or not?

The development of specific measures within the framework of this strategy, the adoption of measures, the control over their careful observance, according to some experts, will significantly reduce the terrorist threat within our country. Many agree that the work of such a direction should become one of the main directions for law enforcement agencies.

Not everything lies in power

The public also has certain tools to regulate the level of danger regarding the terrorist threat. A special responsibility lies with the media, but scientific approaches, the activities of public parties, politicians, social movements, and various organizations are also important. It is not for the first time that appeals have been heard to renounce weapons and any violence in order to achieve the set goal. This approach, preceded by an absolute cleansing - the elimination of all armed formations acting illegally and potentially dangerous in terms of the terrorist threat, can give a good result.

International terrorism as a global phenomenon is considered to be key issue modern security. However, at the national level, terrorism is not a new phenomenon. As a method of struggle, especially in conditions of limited resources of various opposition forces, terrorist activity has been a fairly common phenomenon in world history.

According to one theory, the concept of "terror" originated during the French Revolution - the Jacobin terror, which meant the open destruction of objectionable people to intimidate others. There are earlier references to a similar method of waging aggressive wars. It is believed that “one of the earliest terrorist groups in history was the Sicarii, a well-organized sect that operated in Palestine in 66-73 new era» . Later, in the 11th century, on the territory of modern Iran, independent state Nizarites; it was they who began to actively use acts of terror in the struggle against other states (against the state of the Sljuk sultans, in particular) - in a certain sense, acts of international terrorism.

Terror - in literally translated from Latin means "horror"; that is why its main function is to intimidate state-power institutions, society through the most extreme means of violence, accompanied in a certain sense by massive propaganda. Appropriate "targets" are selected that can cause mass panic and attract the attention of the whole society. A striking example is the terrorist act of September 11, 2001, when, along with thousands of victims, indirect damage was inflicted - total intimidation of TV viewers around the world. Moreover, this act of terrorism was conceived for this purpose - "if the planes crashed into skyscrapers almost simultaneously, it is unlikely that any of the television operators would have managed to capture this exciting spectacle."

One of the most acute problems of modern international law and global politics has become that all the existing means of ensuring peace and security in the fight against international terrorism suddenly turned out to be useless and not effective enough. This became especially clear on September 11, 2001. One of the authoritative specialists of the Russian law enforcement agencies, a former employee of the Vympel special forces, quite characteristically described the situation related to the means of countering international terrorism: “Imagine - an armed knight, he has a very strong horse , and well protected, and he himself is in the best armor, and his sword is the best and sharpest, made of Damascus steel, the spear is the best, the shield is the most durable. He prepared to fight with another knight, and he was attacked by a swarm of poisonous bees. What can he do by brandishing his sword?

After World War II, all systems civil defense were developed primarily in the event of nuclear or chemical aggression, in extreme cases, war with an open theater of operations. But there were no developments, let alone mass exercises, in case of large-scale terrorist attacks.

The target of the attack was civil society itself, with its propagandized ideology of openness, the priority of freedom and tolerance, with a high degree of internal organization and interdependence. According to the laws of subversive activity, the most unprotected object of attack "is a more subtly and complexly organized object."

Not only war machine, but the mechanisms of international security law turned out to be unprepared, not adapted to the effective fight against international terrorism. One of the main problems is that the existing international law practically does not consider non-state actors of aggression; accordingly, it is unacceptable to apply the mechanisms of international armed countermeasures (in particular, under Chapter VII of the UN Charter). As regards national remedies, armed countermeasures are possible in accordance with Art. 51 of the UN Charter, however, the right to self-defense arises only in response to an armed attack by another state or a group of terrorists with its support. "... In Beslan, can we talk about an armed attack by another state?"

The use of force in self-defence requires a balanced approach based solely on international law, which does not cause doubts and discrepancies on the part of the world community.

Thus, it is necessary to adapt the relevant norms of international law to the modern challenges of international terrorism in order to effectively combat it.

1. The concept of terrorism and international terrorism

Terrorism - the term comes from the Latin word terror, meaning fear, horror. They designate “violent actions (persecution, destruction, hostage-taking, murder, etc.) with the aim of intimidating, suppressing political opponents, competitors, imposing a certain line of behavior. There are individual and group terror (repressions of dictatorial and totalitarian regimes). In the 1970s and 1990s, international terrorism spread. Such a definition of terrorism is given in a popular encyclopedic dictionary published in Moscow in 1999, the meaning of the corresponding articles in other dictionaries is similar to this, and the content of the concepts “terror” and “terrorism” in them turns out to be almost identical.

"Terror" in Russian is defined as the intimidation of the enemy through physical violence, up to destruction, and terrorism is the practice of terror. The actions of terrorists are not always associated with murder, but always involve violence, coercion, threat. The goals can also be different: purely mercenary, based on a thirst for profit; political, including from narrowly corporate to the overthrow of the state system. Terrorist acts are also committed for the sake of an idea. Therefore, those who share the ideas of a terrorist often call him a patriot, a freedom fighter, an oppositionist, etc.

Terrorism can also be expressed in the destruction or attempted destruction of any objects: aircraft, office buildings, dwellings, ships, life support facilities, etc. One of the main means of achieving goals for terrorists is intimidation, creating an atmosphere of fear, insecurity life of yours and those of your loved ones. Destruction of property by terrorist groups, even without causing human casualties, can also be qualified as terrorism. Terrorism is a crime that can be committed by one person against one or more people or any objects (terrorist act). For terrorism as an international crime, the commission of a criminal act alone is currently not typical.

A more detailed and legally defined definition of terrorism is contained in federal law"On the fight against terrorism", as well as the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Terrorism, that is, the commission of an explosion, arson or other actions that create a danger of death of people, causing significant property damage or other public dangerous consequences if these actions are committed for the purpose of violating public security, intimidating the population or influencing decision-making by authorities, as well as the threat of committing these actions for the same purposes.

Until now, there is no legally impeccable, logically verified, absolutely clear in meaning, of course, accepted in international and national legal institutions, a universal definition that reveals this concept.

In the literature, the terms "terror" and "terrorism" are used to define phenomena of a different order, similar to each other in one thing - the use of violence against individuals, social groups, even classes. Historians write about the "oprichnina terror", the Jacobin terror, the red and white terror of the era civil war etc.; modern publicists write about criminal terror; terrorism includes hijackings and hostage-taking, etc.

Terrorism is a very complex phenomenon that manifests itself differently in different countries depending on their cultural traditions, social structure and many other factors that make it very difficult to attempt a general definition of terrorism.

Terrorism as the most dangerous encroachment on human life and the security of mankind includes a complex of criminal acts, the qualification of which is contained in international treaties. The list of antiterrorist conventions and protocols has been formalized.

One of the most serious crimes of an international nature is international terrorism, which is characterized by the following features:

a) the preparation of a crime is carried out on the territory of one state, but is carried out, as a rule, on the territory of another state;

b) having committed a crime in the territory of one state, the terrorist most often hides in the territory of another state (there is a question of his extradition).

The International Convention Against the Taking of Hostages, 1979. acts of hostage-taking are regarded as manifestations of international terrorism.

1.1 Financing of terrorism

In the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism of 1999 (Article 2), the offense of terrorism is formed, firstly, by acts that constitute crimes according to the scope of one of the listed anti-terrorist treaties and the definition contained therein, and secondly, any other acts intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to a civilian or other person not taking an active part in hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, where the purpose of such act is to intimidate the population or to compel the government or international organization take any action or refrain from doing it. An attempt to commit any of these acts is also considered a crime.