New York, 1 July 2026 ¨C ¡°Africa¡¯s experience demonstrates that effective counter-terrorism and refugee protection are not competing objectives; they are mutually reinforcing responsibilities. Our challenge is to ensure that legitimate security concerns are addressed in full conformity with international law, while preserving the rights, dignity, and protection of those who have fled conflict, persecution, and terrorism¡±. These were the opening remarks of Mr. Idriss Mounir Lallali, Ag. Director of the African Union Counter-Terrorism Centre (AUCTC), at an event held at the Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations in New York and co-organized by the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the African Union.
The concern that terrorists may seek to abuse asylum systems has been reflected in multiple Security Council resolutions, including resolution in which the Council called upon all States to ¡°ensure, in conformity with international law, that refugee status is not abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist acts¡±. This delicate issue is on the agenda of CTED assessments, carried out on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.
In her remarks, CTED Deputy Executive Director Carmen Cantor highlighted the generosity which many African Member States have shown in hosting large refugee populations for protracted periods. She also emphasized that the overwhelming majority of refugees and asylum-seekers have no connection to terrorism and have fled their countries of origin to evade persecution. While some Member States had concerns regarding possible security risks associated with hosting refugees and asylum-seekers on their territory, the response measures needed to be proportionate, and consistent with international and regional refugee law.
The event presented the international and regional frameworks and Member State perspectives, including persistent challenges and good practices developed. It was attended by Member States, international and regional organizations, civil society, and academia.
The participants noted that the two goals of countering terrorism and maintaining standards of refugee protection respecting human rights are not in opposition, they are and must be complementary. In practice, however, achieving these goals is complicated by a number of factors: the evolving terrorist threat, including in West Africa, the Lake Chad Basin and Horn regions; the scale of forced displacement across the continent; porous borders; and resource constraints. CTED and the African Union committed to continue to work with African Member States to address these challenges in a manner responsive to the evolving threat, which remains consistent with the long-established principles of refugee protection.
Resources
The concept note and agenda for the side event are available here.
Photos from the side event are available .
You can watch the side event .
Remarks and presentations shared by the participants:
Opening remarks
Panel 1: International and regional framework
- Mr. David McKeever, Senior Legal Officer, CTED
- Mr. Sivanka Dhanapala, Director, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵHCR New York
- Mr. Idriss Mounir Lallali, Ag. Director, AUCTC
For more information about CTED¡¯s other events at 2026 Counter-Terrorism Week, please visit this page.