Legal framework for countering international terrorism: the role of law enforcement agencies and interstate cooperation

introduction: international terrorism in the 21st century is one of the main threats to national security. The relevance of the study of its legal foundations is due to the need to create a solid and coordinated regulatory framework for an effective fight at the national and international levels. The work provides a comprehensive analysis of legal regulation, as well as universal UN conventions and national legislation of the Russian Federation. Aim: Features of the legal framework for countering international terrorism to identify problematic aspects and improve the efficiency of law enforcement agencies, state security agencies and interstate cooperation mechanisms. Methods: The methodological basis of the study was made up of general scientific and specific scientific methods, namely formal-legal, comparative-legal, systemic-structural and document analysis. Results: The study established that the counter-terrorism system consists of three levels: universal (19 UN conventions), regional (CIS, SCO, CSTO) and national (Federal Law «On Combating Terrorism»). Within this system, the FSB acts as the lead entity responsible for preventing, suppressing and investigating the most dangerous crimes, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs performs important tasks in preventing and ensuring law and order. Interstate cooperation is carried out through the exchange of information, legal assistance and joint exercises, an example of which is the interaction of the Russian Federation within the framework of the CIS ATC, RATS SCO and CSTO, as well as with key partners such as China and India. Conclusions: The modern legal framework for combating terrorism is multi-level, but its effectiveness is reduced due to the lack of a single definition of terrorism at the global level and the use of «double standards». The effectiveness of national bodies directly depends on the quality of their coordination and information exchange. In the context of geopolitical shifts, Russia is actively reorienting the vectors of its international cooperation to the eastern and southern directions, which are reflected in the practical activities of its special services and law enforcement system.

security, fight against terrorism, international cooperation, international terrorism, state security agencies, law enforcement agencies, counter-terrorism