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G7/G8 Summit Meetings
Heiligendamm Documents

G8 Summit Statement on Counter Terrorism
Heiligendamm, June 8, 2007
[PDF]

Security in the Era of Globalization

Therefore, today, in Heiligendamm, we pledge to do everything in our power to counter the conditions that terrorists exploit, to keep the world's most dangerous weapons out of the hands of terrorists, to protect critical transport and energy infrastructures, to combat the financing of terrorism and illicit procurement networks and to remain watchful of the ways that terrorists and criminals exploit modern communication and information technologies.

1. Central Role of the United Nations in the Global Fight against Terrorism

We reaffirm our support for the central role of the United Nations in the international fight against terrorism. We recognize that the UN is the sole organization with the stature and reach to achieve universal agreement on the condemnation of terrorism and to effectively address key aspects of the terrorist threat in a comprehensive manner. We therefore warmly welcome the adoption by consensus of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy by the General Assembly in September 2006. In this context, we note with satisfaction that the Strategy places adequate emphasis on the necessity of full implementation by all UN member states of all UN Security Council Resolutions relevant for the fight against international terrorism. Thus, the resolutions adopted by and the institutional structures set up by the Security Council, on the one hand, and the General Assembly's Strategy, on the other hand, are mutually reinforcing.

We underscore our strong commitment to and our urgent call for swift conclusion of the draft UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism which, above all, aims at facilitating legal cooperation in the fight against terrorism on a global level. We resolve to continue to support and strengthen the United Nations' counter- terrorism efforts. As agreed in St. Petersburg, we provide a report on our efforts in this regard.

2. Reacting to Terrorist and Criminal Abuse of Modern Communication and

Information Technology

We note with grave concern the exploitation of modern communication and information technology for the planning and execution of terrorist acts, for the radicalization and recruitment to terrorism and for terrorist training. Its multimedia capabilities and mass-dissemination facilitate the coordination and communication of terrorist groups; the dissemination of terrorist propaganda; and efforts to radicalize and recruit for terrorist activities certain individuals. We resolve to address this abuse of modern communication and information technologies vigorously, while respecting scrupulously the fundamental freedom of expression. We therefore commit to:

• develop further our understanding how new and developing technologies may be exploited by terrorists;
• identify ways to detect and disrupt terrorist use of modern communication and information technology and, thereby, to disclose terrorist plans and disrupt terrorist networks;
• share our experiences in this regard.

3. Protecting Critical Energy Infrastructure

Given the trans-national nature of energy infrastructures, no country can insulate itself from dangerous disruptions. We resolve to continue our efforts to protect critical energy infrastructures from terrorist attacks. At the St. Petersburg Summit, we committed to ensure the security of the global energy network, and pledged to gain a better understanding of its vulnerabilities and develop ways to improve our efforts to prevent disruptions due to deliberate attacks. We instructed national experts to develop recommendations to address the challenges to secure critical energy infrastructure. Today we announce the initiatives we are taking in this regard:

• Assessing the vulnerabilities of and potential risks to critical energy infrastructure;
• Sharing best practices of effective security responses;
• Evaluating potential threats to critical energy infrastructure.

4. Improving Transport Security

We emphasize the importance of continuing to improve transport security. Several attempted attacks on airliners, trains and other means of transport once more highlighted the continuing determination of terrorist groups to strike at transport networks indispensable to global commerce, tourism and other kinds of international contacts. At our Summit in Sea Island we adopted the Secure and Facilitated International Travel Initiative (SAFTI). Today, we announce the successful completion of all its 28 projects. We are convinced that this work has made international travel more secure. Its results have been shared with relevant international bodies, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO). We resolve to continue our efforts to secure the international transportation network. Drawing lessons from recent terrorist activities, our experts have worked on addressing new threats. This includes, but is not limited to countering the use of liquid explosives. Furthermore, we aim to improve passenger screening programs and techniques, port facility security audits, security management systems and transportation security clearance programs. In the area of land transport we welcome the creation of the International Working Group on Land Transport Security composed of G8 and non-G8 countries.

5. Countering Terrorist Radicalisation and Recruitment

Our worldwide efforts to enhance integration, justice, good governance, and participation will contribute to an environment which makes it harder for a tiny minority of extremists to sow division and discord and foment violence. We are committed to continuing to create a stable, prosperous and just future in which all people, and particularly our youth, are aware that they have a stake and the promise of a better life. Supporting environments that deter extremist ideology taking root is a critical part of this commitment. We will continue efforts to break down barriers and address misperceptions by promoting shared values and a vision of peace, security and prosperity, thereby isolating those who seek to abuse existing differences for their own narrow ends. We also will continue working together to promote respect for diversity and moderation in order to undermine those who incite hatred and perpetrate violence to advance political or ideological ends. We welcome continued efforts among our experts to improve our knowledge of processes that lead to terrorist radicalisation and recruitment, e.g. in prisons; to deepen the sharing of information on such processes both between ourselves and with other countries; and to enhance inter-country partnerships in these fields.

6. Countering Cash Smuggling Used to Finance Terrorism and violent extremism

Globalization has made it easier for terrorists and other criminals to compromise the integrity of the world's financial systems. We commend the efforts of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and reaffirm our commitment to implement and promote internationally its 40 Recommendations on Money Laundering and nine Special Recommendations on Terror Finance. Applauding the successful efforts to deny access by terrorists and other criminals to our formal financial systems, we call for these standards to be applied effectively to cash and other informal parts of the financial system in order to counter continued terrorist exploitation in these areas. We particularly stress the urgent need for full implementation of FATF Special Recommendation IX to reduce cross border movement of untraceable and illicit cash.

We agree to further strengthen our efforts to combat the abuse for terrorist or other criminal purposes of informal methods of transferring money across borders. Therefore, our experts will reflect upon additional measures, including, but not limited to

• Identifying key transshipment and courier routes, to maximize effective information exchange and enhance law enforcement investigations;
• Facilitating enforcement of cash declaration/disclosure standards while protecting the free movement of legitimate funds, including by offering training and capacity-building to partners; and
• Evaluating and addressing our domestic border/customs services for possible vulnerabilities.

7. Preventing Nuclear Terrorism

Weapons of mass destruction in the hands of terrorists are the pre-eminent threat to international peace and security. Preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons is essential to maintaining our way of life. We commit to work together in this endeavour. We therefore urge all States to ratify as soon as possible the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism; and the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its 2005 Amendment. In this regard, we also underscore the continuing significance of UN Security Council Resolutions 1373 and 1540 and call upon all states to ensure full compliance with their provisions. As partner nations of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, we endorse the Initiative's continuing development and efforts to broaden participation.

8. Engaging the Private Sector in Countering Terrorism

We recognize the importance in a globalized world of working closely with our private sector partners in our efforts to counter-terrorism. In November 2006, we convened in Moscow for a Global Forum for Partnerships between Government and Businesses to Counter-Terrorism. We adopted the Strategy for Partnerships between Governments and Businesses to Counter Terrorism. We resolve to continue the fruitful work begun in this context with our respective private sectors.

9. Countering Terrorism in the Afghanistan and Pakistan Border Regions

We endorse the Joint Statement issued by Foreign Ministers of the G8 and Afghanistan and Pakistan at their meeting in Potsdam and encourage Afghanistan and Pakistan to implement the measures contained therein with the support of G8 countries. In addition, we believe it would be fruitful to reduce poverty and fully engage the private sector in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Connecting the border regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan to the global economy and promoting strong private sector growth and economic development are essential to combating terrorism, creating legitimate employment opportunities and fostering democracy, peace, prosperity, stability and good governance. Therefore, a comprehensive economic strategy to bring needed coherence to the fields of development and counter-terrorism should be envisaged. Such a comprehensive strategy which, along with strong counter-terrorism measures, may include business promotion, infrastructure upgrades, vocational training, improvement of public services and promoting trade, should be developed by the respective governments with the participation of local authorities and populations and the support of G8 members, multilateral institutions and private sector organizations in order to make the population in the regions immune to terrorist propaganda and recruitment.

10. Human Rights and Terrorism

We reaffirm that the promotion and protection of human rights for all and the rule of law is essential to all counterterrorism efforts, and we recognize that effective counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting goals, but complementary and mutually reinforcing. We call on all States to ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with their obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law.

Source:Official G8 website of the Federal Government of Germany

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