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Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Office of Counter Terrorism (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT), under its Global Programme on Countering Terrorist Threats against Vulnerable Targets implemented held a training workshop in Cotonou, Benin, from 7 to 9 July 2026. The workshop was organized in cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵICRI), the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵAOC) and INTERPOL.

The training activity, which was opened by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Benin, Ms. Aminatou Sar, built on Benin¡¯s National Roadmap for the Protection of Vulnerable Targets, jointly developed by national authorities, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOCT, and CTED, and launched in March 2025. The Roadmap identified key priorities namely harmonizing risk assessment and management procedures at different governmental levels, as well as strengthening cooperation and coordination among the authorities responsible for protecting vulnerable targets.

Over three days, participants learned about tools, methodologies, and good practices to improve operational performance on risk assessment and management, aimed at strengthening Benin¡¯s national capacities. The workshop convened Beninese government and security representatives alongside international experts from CTED, the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵOWAS), the French National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), and the INTERPOL Regional Office in Abidjan.

During the sessions, participants reflected on the Roadmap and the status of the risk assessment framework in Benin. They also examined the national and regional threat landscape and the key principles and components of risk management, as well as sector-specific risk assessment and mitigation and interinstitutional coordination, information-sharing, and intelligence gathering in the field. Sessions highlighted international good practices for understanding and identifying vulnerabilities, harmonizing risk management procedures at different levels of governance, and complying with human rights and gender issues in the risk management cycle.

The workshop also featured a practical exercise designed to test coordination across different levels of governance. Working in sub-groups, participants took on distinct roles to tackle simulated terrorist threats scenarios, successfully practicing real-world risk assessment and mitigation planning.

The event concluded with an interactive discussion to summarize lessons learned and identify follow-up activities for improving risk planning frameworks, as well as the next steps needed to advance the implementation of the Roadmap guiding Benin¡¯s efforts to prevent and counter terrorist threats against vulnerable targets.

This workshop falls under the Strengthening West African Countries¡¯ Capabilities to Protect Vulnerable Targets (Stage 2) project, which is funded by France.