II– Nature or terrorism
Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to
intimidate or coerce a government or its citizens to further certain political or
social objectives. There are two types of terrorism: domestic and international
terrorism. International terrorism includes violent, criminal acts committed by
individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated
foreign terrorist organizations or nations. While domestic terrorism involves violent,
criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups to further ideological
goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious,
social, racial, or environmental nature.
Globally, terrorism has been on the decline for several years. 2019 saw the
continued weakening of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including
the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terrorist organization’s leader. However,
it also saw one of the deadliest terrorist attacks since September 11, 2001, with
the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, demonstrating that the threat of
terrorist attack is still very much present and unlikely to disappear in the near
future. Furthermore, the conditions that make particular areas conducive to
terrorism persist, and emerging and evolving threats, such as far-right terrorism,
have altered the terrorism landscape in recent years. Both of these trends are
likely to continue. Thus, terrorism remains a top global risk for 2020.
Globally, the conditions that make particular areas conducive to terrorist activity
