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The overall objective of this report is to shed light on the particular vulnerability of children and juveniles in the context of counter-terrorism, and to increase the capacity of governments to integrate existing international juvenile justice and child protection standards into their national counter-terrorism frameworks.

A guide for those who must develop and execute programs and policies regarding the specific circumstances surrounding children who are in the criminal justice system charged with committing acts of terrorism or violent extremism.

In consideration of the increasing number of individuals under the age of eighteen who are charged with terrorism offenses,  the GCTF has set forth good practices as part of their Life Cycle Initiative to enhance the existing juvenile justice system as it relates to a counterterrorism context. This memo serves as a guide to practitioners and policymakers alike who must develop and execute programs and policies regarding the specific circumstances surrounding children who are in the criminal justice system charged with committing acts of terrorism or violent extremism.  

The document is divided into sections regarding:

The particular status of children

Preventive activities to help minimize the number of children who are drawn to commit acts of terrorism

Prosecution and adjudication of juveniles

Rehabilitation and reintegration of juveniles

Capacity building and evaluation

The good practices draw extensively on accepted legal frameworks for addressing juveniles who are charged with committing terrorism and emphasize the relevance of international law and international juvenile justice standards in guiding countries’ efforts. They recommend considering the specific issues associated with children, especially their level of maturity and their development. While many juveniles will be prosecuted primarily through the juvenile justice system, some individuals may be tried in adult courts and in these cases, countries are encouraged to consider appropriate juvenile protections.

The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism was established through the adoption of General Assembly resolution 71/291 on 15 June 2017. Mr. Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov was appointed as Under-Secretary-General of the Office on 21 June 2017.

As suggested by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his report (A/71/858) on the Capability of the United Nations to Assist Member States in implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre, initially established in the Department of Political Affairs were moved into a new Office of Counter-Terrorism headed by an Under-Secretary–General.

The new Under-Secretary-General will provide strategic leadership to United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, participate in the decision-making process of the United Nations and ensure that the cross-cutting origins and impact of terrorism are reflected in the work of the United Nations.

The Office of Counter-Terrorism has five main functions:

• (a) provide leadership on the General Assembly counter-terrorism mandates entrusted to the Secretary-General from across the United Nations system;
• (b) enhance coordination and coherence across the 38 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities to ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy;
• (c) strengthen the delivery of United Nations counter-terrorism capacity-building assistance to Member States;
• (d) improve visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts; and
• (e) ensure that due priority is given to counterterrorism across the United Nations system and that the important work on preventing violent extremism is firmly rooted in the Strategy.

The Office will aim to have a close relationship with Security Council bodies and Member States, strengthening existing and developing new partnerships through regular travel and attendance at counter-terrorism-related meetings.

The creation of the Office is the first major institutional reform undertaken by the Secretary-General.