The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) organized a side event on “Strengthening National Counter-Terrorism Capabilities through Operational Partnerships” in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 21 September 2026.
Held on the margins of the Fourth Baku Security Forum, in cooperation with the State Security Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the event brought together heads and senior representatives of counter-terrorism and security agencies to explore practical support for national counter-terrorism priorities.
The event introduced participants to UNOCT’s capacity-building portfolio, operational tools and opportunities for practical cooperation with Member States, focusing on support tailored to national needs and operational priorities.
- Intelligence and Investigation
- Borders and Movement
- Technology and Emerging Threats
- Weapons and Protection
They highlighted UNOCT programmes and related training, mentoring and practitioner-support activities on, inter alia, counter-terrorism investigations and intelligence analysis; inter-agency information-sharing; countering terrorist travel and the use of passenger data; cybersecurity and emerging technologies; and countering terrorist financing.
During the interactive discussion, participants exchanged views on the practical challenges faced by their respective agencies. These included information-sharing between intelligence and law-enforcement authorities; the recruitment and development of specialized data analysts; the use of digital wallets, encrypted communications and other technologies by terrorist and organized criminal groups; access to information held by private-sector technology providers; and the detection of terrorist travel across air, maritime and land borders.
UNOCT emphasized the importance of trusted information-sharing, qualified personnel, and effective legal and procedural channels for cooperation with technology companies to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts, grounded in international law.
Discussions also addressed terrorist use of cryptocurrencies and other emerging financial technologies, the progressive development of passenger-data standards beyond commercial aviation, and coordination led by UNOCT across the United Nations system through the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.
Participants who had previously benefited from UNOCT-supported training, including at the UNOCT Programme Office in Rabat for Counter-Terrorism and Training in Africa, shared positive feedback and expressed interest in further receiving tailored assistance.
The side event reflected UNOCT’s commitment to supporting nationally owned counter-terrorism efforts through practical partnerships and capacity-building, in accordance with international law, including international human rights law.