Toespraak Verhagen bij de opening van International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (EN)
Paul Wilkinson, the British terrorism expert, was absolutely right when he said that ‘fighting terrorism is like being a goalkeeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves, but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past you’. I would like to invite the International Centre for Counterterrorism to assist the goalkeepers of this world and help them to make brilliant saves, so we can stay on top of the game.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Terrorism is one of the biggest and most challenging threats facing the world in the twenty-first century. To meet this challenge, a truly international approach is needed, based on a clear legal foundation and solid cooperation. The Netherlands would like to contribute constructively to developing new ideas and frameworks. Today is the next stage in our continuing commitment to this aim.
As the final speaker of the day, I too am delighted to welcome you all to the Peace Palace to mark the establishment of the International Centre for Counterterrorism. There are a number of people I’d like to acknowledge personally. My fellow speakers, of course. Mr Barrett, Mr de Kerckhove, Ms Consinxs and Mr Buback – thank you very much for sharing your insights and perspectives with us today. Your inspiration and sound advice have put us all on the right track! I would also like to express my appreciation to the representatives of the three distinguished Dutch institutions that have joined forces to lend their expertise to this new centre: the Netherlands Institute of International Relations at Clingendael, the T.M.C. Asser Institute and Leiden University. It is only fair that I also pay tribute to the Centre’s initiator: Dutch MP Coskun Çörüz. He was the one who first proposed setting up a counterterrorism institute in The Hague. Well, Coskun, this is it! I hope that you and all the others who have made a contribution, including my own staff, share my appreciation for this achievement.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Why do we need an International Centre for Counterterrorism, and now that we have one, what will it do? These are the two questions I’d like to address today.
Why an ICCT?
There are many things we don’t know yet when it comes to terrorism. But there are some things we can be certain of: terrorism has been one of the defining issues of the 21st century. It poses a serious threat to the people of the world, including the Netherlands, and it’s not going to go away on its own. Since 9/11, there have been terrorist attacks in London, Madrid, Bali, Mumbai, Moscow and elsewhere. We have learned the hard way that terrorists can and will attack anyone, anywhere, at any time. They have no regard whatsoever for the laws on which our society is based, or for the values we hold dear and seek to uphold. Terrorism can never be condoned as a legitimate instrument in pursuit of a cause. There is no excuse for these attacks. The world is united in its condemnation of terrorism, and important strides have been made in enhancing international cooperation on counterterrorism, notably within the UN and EU. Even so, we have so far failed to come up with a full, united and effective response to the challenges that terrorism poses, either in the political or in the legal domain.
At the UN in New York, the world’s representatives have had great difficulty in finalising negotiations on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism. I regret this deadlock. It is my hope that the international community can soon agree on a realistic definition of what constitutes a ‘terrorist act’ and conclude this new treaty, which will complement the existing legal framework.
I have always said that we need to muster all our energy, pool our resources and think creatively in order to forge an effective international response to terrorism. It is urgent that we do so: we cannot allow terrorists, who are targeting our collective freedoms and values, to be one step ahead of us. And yet we’re losing precious time.
With the clock ticking and with so many unknowns about terrorism, I’ve thrown my full support behind the establishment of the International Centre for Counterterrorism. In my view our response to terrorism will be more effective if it based on clear knowledge and understanding, including insight into the motives and goals of terrorists. Such knowledge will make us more effective in preventing terrorist attacks.
Today, I hope we can lay the groundwork for a Centre that will develop into an independent hub within the international counterterrorism network of academics, policymakers and implementing agencies. A Centre that will conduct research and disseminate the results; gather and share information and expertise, and help fill some of the knowledge gaps.
What should the ICCT do?
Ladies and gentlemen,
What can we expect from the Centre in the short run?
The focus of the ICCT will be twofold: preventing terrorism and addressing legal issues related to counterterrorism.
Prevention must be a significant part of the international response to modern-day terrorism. We can all agree that it is better to prevent radicalisation and violent extremism than to fight them once they’ve taken root. With that in mind, we should be prepared to assist countries in building their own capacity to prevent terrorism by strengthening the rule of law and improving police cooperation and information-sharing. But that’s not all. Law enforcement and intelligence-sharing cannot solve the longer-term challenges we face: the threat of violent extremism, in particular the political, economic and social factors that lure people down the path of radicalism, even violence. The international community should continue to pursue the goal of development and social inclusion, countering unemployment and marginalisation. The Netherlands stands ready to step up cooperation on prevention, through multilateral organisations like the UN and the EU.
The ICCT’s other main task will be to focus on international legal issues related to combating international terrorism, including the fight against impunity for terrorist acts. I am appalled by the idea that terrorists who have engineered or directly caused the deaths of scores of innocent people are walking free. I have placed human rights at the heart of Dutch foreign policy, and impunity for international crimes like terrorism is not an option. Before long, we must decide on a way to try terrorists in an international forum, when domestic judicial proceedings fail to produce a punishment that fits the crime. We should expect states facing terrorism to prosecute terrorist acts whenever possible. A clear, resolute response from the state will demonstrate to the population at large that their leaders care about protecting their citizens.
Governments are responsible for addressing society’s legitimate security concerns and safeguarding the human rights of their citizens. They need to make sure that terrorists are prosecuted and that the trials comply with international law and human rights standards. Fighting terrorism is not easy, and governments face enormous dilemmas. I hope that the Centre will help address these challenges.
Three years ago, the Dutch government assembled a group of renowned legal experts and asked them to examine the complex legal questions associated with terrorism and counterterrorism, especially with respect to the interplay of different bodies of law and the relationship between terrorism and human rights. This so-called Oud Poelgeest process came to an end in April, when the legal experts presented their recommendations on these issues. One valuable insight to emerge was that there is still much to be gained by achieving a better understanding and implementation of existing law; and by making better use of existing legal tools and cooperation mechanisms, including regional ones, to optimise the criminal justice responses to terrorism. These are very valuable insights, which need to be adopted and taken forward. I trust the useful recommendations of the Oud Poelgeest group will serve as an inspiration to the Centre.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Only recently, Dutch citizens were shocked to learn that our national football team and its supporters may be targets for terrorist attacks at the World Cup in South Africa. This goes for other teams too. It is sobering to think that terrorists would strike during a sporting event that is supposed to bring the world together, for no other reason than a country’s defence of the right to free expression. And yet we saw it coming. The Dutch intelligence community has pointed to the fact that threats are shifting and that terrorism is now more likely to affect Dutch interests abroad. We need to be prepared for this – thoroughly prepared. Paul Wilkinson, the British terrorism expert, was absolutely right when he said that ‘fighting terrorism is like being a goalkeeper. You can make a hundred brilliant saves, but the only shot that people remember is the one that gets past you’.
I would like to invite the International Centre for Counterterrorism to assist the goalkeepers of this world and help them to make brilliant saves, so we can stay on top of the game.
Thank you.