Nairobi, Kenya, 9 September 2026 ¨C The and the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT), through its Nairobi Programme Office, convened the Fifth Nairobi Caucus from 7 to 8 September 2026 in Nairobi, bringing together 200 participants from 24 Member States, alongside 11 representatives of regional organizations, United Nations entities, international partners and other stakeholders.
Held under the theme ¡°Protecting Critical Infrastructure Systems and Public Spaces from Terrorism,¡± the two-day Caucus provided a practitioner-oriented platform for policymakers, practitioners and experts to examine evolving terrorist threats, exchange national experiences and explore practical approaches to strengthening the protection and resilience of critical infrastructure systems and public spaces.
Critical infrastructure and publicly accessible spaces are essential to the functioning of societies and economies, and their disruption can have significant human, economic and security consequences. Increasingly interconnected systems, evolving terrorist tactics and rapid technological developments are reinforcing the need for approaches that go beyond the protection of individual sites and incorporate prevention, preparedness, operational continuity, coordinated response and recovery.
Participants attending the Fifth Nairobi Caucus on a group photo. Photo credit: National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) of Kenya
Against this backdrop, participants discussed how national policies and operational approaches can better address evolving threats and vulnerabilities. Discussions focused on risk and vulnerability assessment, security by design, protective security and resilience, public-private cooperation, inter-agency coordination and interoperability, business continuity, emergency response, crisis communication and post-incident recovery. Participants also considered the implications of new and emerging technologies and opportunities for strengthened regional and international cooperation.
Mr. Kibiego Kigen, EBS, OGW, The Director General NCTC-Kenya, said: ¡®Our success rests on solidarity and a shared resolve to innovate contextualised, African-led solutions that eradicate the threats of terrorism from our region and across our continent¡¯
The Caucus placed particular emphasis on practical experience and peer exchange. Plenary discussions, national case studies, expert contributions and focused breakout sessions enabled participants to compare approaches, consider common vulnerabilities and capability gaps, and explore how relevant international good practices can be adapted to national and regional contexts.
A key theme throughout the discussions was the importance of cooperation across institutions and sectors. Participants highlighted the value of coordinated action among government authorities, security agencies, infrastructure operators, the private sector and regional and international partners in strengthening preparedness and resilience and ensuring effective responses when incidents occur.
Mr. Steven Siqueira, Deputy Director, UN Office of Counter Terrorism in Nairobi
Mr. STEVEN SIQUEIRA, DEPUTY DIRECTOR UNOCT said: ¡®Protecting critical infrastructure and public spaces means protecting the systems, services and places that societies depend on every day. It requires risk-informed preparedness, strong public-private partnerships and the capacity to prevent, mitigate, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks.¡¯
The Fifth Nairobi Caucus builds on four previous editions held since its inaugural meeting in 2022. The Nairobi Caucus is an annual consultative cooperation framework on counter terrorism that brings together Member States, regional organizations and international partners to examine the priority challenges created by terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism in East Africa.
Through the Nairobi Caucus, NCTC Kenya and UNOCT continue to support dialogue, practical cooperation and nationally and regionally owned approaches.
