Director-General of Support for Victims of Terrorism explains Spanish system for the protection of victims of terrorism to United Nations

At the conference, promoted by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Office to enforce the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, measures being adopted by Member States to attend to the needs of victims of terrorism, to promote their rights and develop a strategy were analysed and debated. On this occasion, as on previous occasions, the United Nations wished to include the presence of Spain since it considers that its system of protection and support for the victims of terrorism is the most advanced at an international level, and hence can be used as a benchmark by other countries.

Sonia Ramos, who took part in the session entitled 'Reparation of terrorist actions', highlighted in her speech that "Spain considers the multilateral framework and, in particular, the framework of the United Nations, as an effective and fully legitimate method to offer a response to the threat of terrorism. And Spain continues to enforce the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy approved by the General Assembly back in 2006 and the principles contained therein". She also recalled that Spain fosters "the adoption of a binding international regulation of a universal nature that specifically seeks to protect the rights of victims of terrorism, in line with that expressed by actual victims of terrorism who had the opportunity to voice their concerns to the United Nations Security Council in its session on 21 October 2015".

Sonia Ramos explained that "the Spanish model, inspired by the principles of remembrance, dignity, justice and truth, establishes a fair system of aid and redress to victims regardless of the place or date on which they may have suffered the attack. This is a comprehensive system which offers victims of terrorism a raft of public policies that cover economic aid, but also measures to guarantee effective access to justice, labour reinsertion and psychosocial programmes, as well as honorary recognition".

She also highlighted that the Ministry for Home Affairs has placed great emphasis on setting up the Memorial Centre for Victims of Terrorism, which "has started to operate in the Basque Country and which will have a centre in Madrid dedicated to the victims of Jihadi terrorism with the aim of preserving and disseminating democratic and ethical values embodied by victims of terrorism, of building a collective tribute to these people and to raising awareness among the population as a whole in the defence of liberty and human rights and to counter terrorism".

Sonia Ramos underlined at this United Nations forum that it is Spain's intention to make the Memorial Centre for the Victims of Terrorism "an international benchmark, which serves to exchange best practices on the issue of attending to victims of terrorism and a meeting point between victims of different nationalities and of different forms of terrorism that ravage our planet. Drafting a counter-narrative that gives a voice to victims and ensures that this message is spread is one of the best instruments we can design with the common goal of preventing violent radicalisation. No-one is better placed than the victim, through their own voice and example, to play an active role in drafting the necessary counter-narrative to delegitimize the terrorist propaganda and lies that are spread around the world", she added.