Regional organizations also play an integral role in multilateral counter-terrorism cooperative efforts (United Nations, General Assembly, 2006, A/RES/60/288, para. 3(d)), including for the realization of the UN Strategy’s goals. These are examined in Module 5. Such regional instruments and outputs can take the form of binding regional anti-terrorism conventions (and, in some cases, regional customary international law), as well as (non-)binding resolutions, codes of conduct, guidance, and jurisprudence.

Ultimately, though regional and international organizations and related legal frameworks play an important role in counter-terrorism efforts, States remain the principal actors including in terms of implementing and enforcing these principles. It is on their territory that terrorist related activities occur and must be responded too, and decisions are made regarding adherence to international agreed legal standards and principles.

In addition to national constitutional rights which guarantee fundamental human rights, democratic and rule of law protections, many States have ratified, and therefore are States parties to, at least some of the international treaties relevant to counter-terrorism responses, including the universal conventions against terrorism as well as international human rights, international humanitarian, and international refugee law treaties. The effect of ratification is to create binding obligations for States, requiring them to incorporate these obligations within their national legal frameworks.