Terrorism

Belgium supports and promotes a comprehensive and inclusive approach to fighting terrorism. It attaches particular importance to the balance between prevention, repression, reintegration and rehabilitation aspects. Such an approach requires close  cooperation and coordination between the various actors, policy areas and levels of power from the federal to the local level. This inclusive approach, as defined in The Strategy T.E.R., is coordinated by the Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (CUTA) and involves numerous partners to deal with all aspects of the phenomenon, in particular the FPS Foreign Affairs, Interior, Justice, Finance and Defence as well as the intelligence services, the Financial Intelligence Processing Unit, the federal and local police, the public prosecutors' offices, the Regions and Communities, and the municipalities. These institutions are all committed to common purposes:

• protect citizens and infrastructures against terrorist attacks;
• prevent and counter radicalisation and violent extremism;
• dismantle terrorist networks and combatting their financing; 
• prosecute, sanction and reintegrate into society perpetrators of terrorist offences;
• provide support to victims of terrorist acts.

An efficient approach to counter terrorism implies in-house coordination as well as thorough international cooperation. Our diplomatic and consular missions network plays a key role in this respect, by providing relevant information about the global developments in the fight against terrorism and the monitoring of the cooperation with international partners.
 

In order to prevent radicalization and violent extremism, the Strategic Note Extremism and Terrorism (Strategy T.E.R.) of Belgium promotes a multidisciplinary approach involving all levels of power in Belgium as well as a direct cooperation between all actors concerned. A summery of the Strategy T.E.R is available online.

The national taskforce is the strategic body ensuring the coordination of The Strategy T.E.R. with the services at federal level, as well as the federated entities. The Brussels Region, the Flemish Community and the French Community have developed their own action plans which are carried out in coordination with the Strategy T.E.R.. Moreover, specific action plans were developed to address radicalisation in prisons and to combat violent extremism in the Brussels Canal District. Within the framework of the Strategy T.E.R., local task forces, which are consultation platforms between security services at judicial district level, carry out a personalised follow-up of relevant groups and individuals.

In 2015, the Federal Government announced a number of counter-terrorism measures and the National Security Council was established, a body responsible for ensuring coordination between competent services and defining general priorities.
 

Belgium is actively involved in the international cooperation on the fight against terrorism, at European and international levels. Within the FPS Foreign Affairs, the Directorate-General for Multilateral Affairs and Globalisation:

• informs the competent authorities on discussions related to this topic within international fora;
• coordinates Belgium's contribution to this international cooperation, including Belgian positions in this field and the related communication ;
• ensures that Belgium abides by its international obligations.
   

Within the European Union

Belgium works closely with the other member states and the institutions of the European Union. An important guideline is the counter-terrorism strategy approved by the EU Council in 2005 and since updated. In 2015,  the Heads of State and Government adopted a Declaration on the global EU approach to the fight against terrorism and radicalisation. The Declaration contains measures divided into three chapters: ensuring the safety of the citizens, preventing radicalisation and preserving values, and cooperation with international partners. These fundamental texts are regularly operationalised in the form of Council Conclusions for external action in combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism, the latest version of which dates from June 2022.
 

Within the International Coalition to defeat Daesh

Belgium is a member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, together with more than 80 countries from all continents. Belgium is an active member of the five working groups of the Coalition, including the working groups “Foreign Terrorist Fighters” and “Counter Finance”. Our armed forces contribute to the Coalition’s military operations. Belgium also contributes to the stabilisation activities of the Coalition through financial support for stabilisation in Syria and Iraq.
 

Within the United Nations (UN)

Belgium attaches great importance to international cooperation in the fight against terrorism within the UN  and placed it high on its agenda as a non-permanent member of the Security Council (2019-2020). It actively participates in the triannual review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and in the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. It has ratified most UN anti-terrorism conventions and supports various activities and projects such as: the UN Secretary General's Action Plan for the Prevention of Violent Extremism and the initiatives of the UNODC Terrorism Prevention Branch, the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN Security Council and its Executive Directorate.