The International Organization for Counter-Terrorism is committed to a comprehensive system of institutional policies and standards that regulate its internal and external work, ensuring that all its programs and activities are based on the principles of good governance, respect for human rights, transparency, integrity, neutrality, legal compliance, and the protection of groups affected by terrorism and violent extremism.
These policies serve as a reference framework for all staff members, collaborators, experts, trainers, partners, and volunteers. They also reflect the organization’s commitment to responsible civil action, the prevention of extremism, and the fight against terrorism through legal, rights-based, scientific, and professional means.
1. Human Rights Respect Policy
The organization affirms its commitment to respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in all its activities, programs, and policies, in accordance with international human rights law and relevant international standards. The organization adopts an approach based on human dignity, equality, non-discrimination, the rule of law, and accountability.
The organization also commits not to support or justify any practices that violate human rights, or any form of torture, cruel treatment, collective punishment, discrimination, exclusion, or incitement to violence. This commitment is integrated into its programs, research, training, media work, and institutional partnerships.
2. Neutrality and Independence Policy
The organization maintains full neutrality and institutional independence in its decisions, programs, and activities. It does not align itself with any political party, ideological movement, religious or ethnic group, or political entity. It also refrains from using its name, platforms, or logo for any political, electoral, or promotional purposes.
The organization affirms that its independence covers administrative, executive, financial, and programmatic aspects. It rejects any funding, partnership, or external condition that may affect its neutrality or the independence of its institutional decision-making.
3. Transparency and Accountability Policy
The organization adopts the principles of transparency and accountability in the management of its resources, decisions, and programs. Institutional transparency includes publishing essential information related to governance, organizational structure, areas of responsibility, and decision-making mechanisms, while making relevant non-confidential information about programs and activities available.
The organization also commits to accountability for performance, decisions, and the use of resources; providing clear mechanisms for complaints and reporting; protecting whistleblowers; and taking corrective action when needed.
4. Integrity and Conflict of Interest Prevention Policy
This policy aims to promote integrity, honesty, ethical conduct, and transparency across all levels of work within the organization. The organization prohibits any actual or potential conflict of interest that may affect the independence of decisions or the credibility of institutional work.
All members of the organization are required to disclose any personal, financial, professional, family-related, or political interest that may affect neutrality or objectivity. It is also prohibited to exploit one’s position, information, or resources for personal gain.
5. International Legal Compliance Policy
The organization is committed to all laws, regulations, and international agreements relevant to its work, including public international law, international conventions related to counter-terrorism and human rights, Security Council resolutions, and the national laws of the countries in which the organization operates.
The organization reviews its activities and programs to ensure their compliance with applicable legal frameworks, updates its policies and procedures in line with legal developments, and takes corrective measures whenever any violation is identified.
6. Financial Policy
The financial policy regulates the management of the organization’s financial resources and ensures their efficient, transparent, and ethical use. The organization is committed to the principles of legality, transparency, accountability, separation of powers, neutrality, and financial independence.
The organization prohibits the acceptance of any financial resources of unknown origin, or any funds linked to designated or suspicious entities, or conditioned by political or security-related requirements. Financial accounts and records are also subject to internal control procedures and regular financial audits.
7. Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Policy
The organization adopts clear procedures to prevent, detect, and combat any activities related to money laundering or terrorist financing. These procedures include verifying funding sources, assessing the risks of partnerships and financial support, rejecting suspicious or anonymous funding, and maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records.
The organization also commits to conducting its financial transactions through official and authorized channels, adopting the principle of dual oversight, and cooperating with the competent authorities within legal frameworks.
8. Confidentiality and Data Protection Policy
The organization is committed to protecting the confidentiality of the personal and institutional information and data it handles. It commits to collecting data only when necessary, processing it in a lawful, fair, and secure manner, and not sharing it with any third party without a legal basis or explicit consent.
The organization gives special protection to sensitive data, such as health, psychological, legal, or security-related data, by restricting access to it, using appropriate protection measures, documenting any breaches or leaks, and taking the necessary corrective actions.
9. Complaints and Reporting Policy
The organization provides safe, transparent, and effective mechanisms for submitting complaints and reporting violations or illegal or unethical conduct. Such violations include abuse of authority, corruption, financial misconduct, exploitation, harassment, discrimination, conflicts of interest, or breaches of internal policies.
The organization allows complaints to be submitted either under the complainant’s name or anonymously, while protecting good-faith whistleblowers from any retaliatory action and ensuring that complaints are handled with confidentiality, neutrality, and professionalism.
10. Prevention of Exploitation and Abuse Policy
The organization is committed to preventing all forms of exploitation and abuse, particularly sexual exploitation and abuse, and to upholding a zero-tolerance principle toward any abusive or exploitative conduct across all its programs and activities.
The organization prohibits any relationship based on exploitation, coercion, or dependency, as well as any request for or acceptance of a benefit in exchange for providing services or protection. It also commits to providing safe and confidential reporting channels, protecting victims and survivors, and safeguarding their privacy.
11. Protection of Victims of Terrorism Policy
The organization adopts a human rights-based humanitarian approach in dealing with victims and survivors of terrorism. This policy aims to protect the dignity of victims, respect their privacy, and provide general psychological, social, and legal support within the limits of the organization’s mandate.
The organization also prohibits the exploitation of victims’ suffering for media or promotional purposes, and prevents the publication of any information or images related to them without explicit consent, while emphasizing the principle of voluntary and informed participation.
12. Children and Youth Safeguarding Policy
The organization is committed to protecting children and youth from all forms of violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and the risks of violent extremism. In doing so, it adopts the principles of the best interests of the child, non-discrimination, prevention, do no harm, safe participation, and data protection.
The organization is committed to providing a safe environment in all programs directed at children and youth, promoting critical thinking, the values of tolerance, citizenship, and preventive awareness, while requiring prior and informed consent when children participate in activities.
13. Hate Speech Prevention and Countering Policy
The organization prohibits hate speech in all its forms, whether verbal, written, visual, or digital, particularly speech that incites hatred, discrimination, hostility, or violence against an individual or group.
The organization is committed to using professional and neutral language in its statements, reports, and media content; reviewing content before publication; and supporting initiatives that promote tolerance, coexistence, dialogue, and the countering of hate speech through knowledge, awareness, and evidence-based refutation.
14. Policy on Not Associating Terrorism with Any Religion or Ethnicity
The organization affirms that terrorism is a criminal phenomenon, whether individual or organizational, and does not represent any religion, ethnicity, culture, or collective identity. The organization rejects generalization and collective stigmatization in all their forms, and is committed to maintaining a clear distinction between terrorist crime and any religious or ethnic affiliation.
In its media, research, and training discourse, the organization is committed to using precise and neutral language, and to avoiding terms that may lead to discrimination, stigmatization, or the reinforcement of stereotypes.
15. Responsible Media Policy
This policy regulates the organization’s media discourse and ensures its adherence to professionalism, accuracy, neutrality, respect for human rights, and the prevention of any direct or indirect promotion of extremism or terrorism.
The organization is committed not to using images, symbols, or clips that promote violence or hatred; not to amplifying the media impact of terrorist operations; and not to exploiting victims’ suffering for media purposes. Statements on behalf of the organization are limited to officially authorized spokespersons only.
16. Scientific Research and Academic Integrity Policy
The organization is committed to the highest standards of scientific research and academic integrity in all studies, reports, analyses, and research issued under its name. These standards include objectivity, scientific neutrality, accuracy, rigorous methodology, source documentation, and data verification.
The organization prohibits academic plagiarism, intellectual theft, falsification or distortion of data, manipulation of results, or selective publishing that undermines objectivity. Research is also subject to review and approval before publication.
17. Training and Capacity Building Policy
The organization works to organize and develop training and capacity-building programs that enhance the professional and knowledge-based competence of staff, partners, and beneficiaries. Training areas include intellectual prevention of extremism, human rights, responsible media, countering hate speech, scientific research, governance, integrity, and crisis management.
The organization is committed to designing training programs based on actual needs, adopting reliable scientific content, and selecting qualified trainers, while taking into account the psychological and intellectual safety of participants.
18. Trainer and Training Content Accreditation Policy
The organization establishes clear standards for the accreditation of trainers and training content, ensuring training quality, scientific integrity, neutrality, respect for human rights, and the prevention of any inciting, extremist, or unprofessional content.
Trainer accreditation requires an appropriate academic qualification or proven professional experience, a professional record free from extremist or inciting activity, and commitment to the organization’s values and policies. Training content is also subject to technical and ethical review before approval.
19. Partnership and International Cooperation Policy
This policy regulates the organization’s partnerships and international cooperation on professional, legal, and ethical grounds. The organization builds its partnerships on the principles of neutrality, independence, mutual respect, human rights, the rule of law, transparency, and the achievement of mutual benefit.
The organization is committed to verifying the reputation of partners and their legal and ethical record, and to refraining from entering into partnerships with entities listed on terrorism or sanctions lists, or with entities that may compromise the organization’s neutrality and independence.
20. Crisis and Emergency Management Policy
The organization adopts an institutional framework for crisis and emergency management, ensuring preparedness, rapid response, coordination, protection of lives, business continuity, and the preservation of institutional reputation.
The crises for which the organization prepares include security, health, environmental, media, legal, operational, and technical crises, as well as natural disasters. During crises, the organization is also committed to providing accurate information without exaggeration or misinformation, while protecting privacy and data.
Conclusion
These policies and standards constitute the institutional foundation upon which the International Organization for Counter-Terrorism relies in carrying out its mission, programs, and partnerships. They reflect the organization’s commitment to countering terrorism and violent extremism through a civil, legal, rights-based, scientific, independent, and transparent approach.