How to strengthen protection of ‘soft’ targets against terrorist attacks explored at OSCE-wide expert seminar in Vienna

VIENNA, 16 December 2019 – More than 120 national experts, representatives from international and regional organizations, the private sector, academia and civil society are exploring how to strengthen the resilience of ‘soft’ targets against terrorist attacks through public-private partnerships during a two-day OSCE-wide expert seminar, which opened today in Vienna.

In recent years, terrorists have increasingly exploited the open nature and public character of ‘soft’ targets to maximize civilian casualties, chaos, publicity and economic impact. The event, organized by the Action against Terrorism Unit of the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, will examine why protecting ‘soft’ targets against terrorist attacks is so critical.  The event will also serve as a platform for experts to share knowledge and experiences, in particular, on the establishment of public-private partnerships, the need to ensure human rights-compliant responses, and the existing international normative framework.

“Terrorists are targeting civilians at easily accessible locations such as concert halls, pedestrian areas, public transportation, hotels, schools, sport venues and places of worship. These senseless and brutal atrocities cause huge suffering and loss of human life and are having a long-term impact on communities and cities,” said OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger. “The OSCE can play a significant role in addressing some of the complex challenges involved in protecting ‘soft’ targets, drawing on lessons learned from our decade-long experience in the field of protecting critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks.”

Among the ways that the OSCE can support participating States in this area, he said, is to assist in the development of national contingency and response plans and to enhance their co-operation with private stakeholders, especially since ‘soft’ targets are often privately owned and operated. The OSCE could also help participating States pursue a “whole of society” approach” that harnesses government resources and the influence and efforts of various segments of civil society, he said.

Mauro Miedico, Director of the Special Projects and Innovation Division at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, said: “We are confronted with an unprecedented threat to infrastructure and public places but are not well prepared to counter it. Critical infrastructure and soft targets, their operators, and very importantly, their flaws and vulnerabilities need to be identified, mapped and networked. International, regional and national entities should collaborate, especially in terms of sharing information locally and across borders. There is a need to build strong public-private partnerships. Both security agencies and commercial companies should recognize and respect each other’s value and be aware of each other’s needs, possibilities and deficiencies.”

The Seminar’s discussions will particularly focus on UN Security Council Resolution 2396 (2017), which stresses the need for States to develop, review, or amend national risk and threat assessments to take into account ‘soft’ targets, in order to develop appropriate contingency and emergency response plans for terrorist attacks. Participants will draw on lessons learned and good practices from around the OSCE area and the challenges connected to safeguarding these locations, with a specific focus on places of worship and sports events.

The conclusions and recommendations from the seminar will serve as an instrument to identify and determine ways in which the OSCE can further enhance its assistance to participating States in this field, by complementing efforts of other international and regional organizations.