Mr. Asaf Hajiyev, PABSEC Secretary General, participated in the High-Level Conference on Parliamentary Support to Victims of Terrorism held on 7-8 June in Rome.

The Conference was co-organized by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean (PAM), the United Nations Office of Counter-terrorism (UNOCT), the PAM, the OSCE PA, the African Parliamentary Union (APU), and the Shura Council of the State of Qatar. The Conference served as a platform for more than 100 parliamentarians to provide their contribution to the global efforts in counter-terrorism and prevention of violent extremism, with the objective of identifying ways to address the rights and needs of victims of terrorism.

The opening of the Conference was addressed by Mr. Gennaro Migliore, PAM President, Mr. Ettore Rosato, Vice-President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies, Mr. Mauro Miedico, Deputy Director of the UNOCT, Mr. Mohamed Ali Houmed, President of the African Parliamentary Union, and Mr. Reinhold Lopatka, Vice-President of OSCE PA. Among the keynote speakers were Mr. Tarek Noseir, Member of the Arab Parliament and Member of the House of Representatives of Egypt, Mr. Gonzalo de Salazar, Deputy Head of Mission of Spain to Italy, Mr. Vittorio Occorsio, Founder of the “Vittorio Occorsio” Foundation, and Ms. Jacqueline Odoul, Chair of the IPU High-Level Advisory Group on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism.

The Conference gave the opportunity to the parliamentarians to contribute to global efforts to combat terrorism and prevent violent extremism through decisive action and practical assistance to people who have become victims of terrorist attacks. One of the main topics of the Conference was the discussion of the role of various non-governmental structures and civil society organizations in complementing state and parliamentary efforts to support victims of terrorism and ensure access to justice. The participants shared best practices in supporting victims of terrorism at the local and national levels and recognized the importance of systematizing and encouraging the exchange of information on existing best practices in this area.

The UNOCT Counter-Terrorism event continued on 10 June in Naples in the framework of the Second Counter-Terrorism Coordination Meeting of the Parliamentary Assemblies.