The purpose of the study is to analyse the current situation in the field of building a unified universal system to counter international terrorism. The subject of the study is the norms of international law and national legislation, as well as the practice of their implementation in the field of combating international terrorism. The article justifies the problematic aspects of building a unified effective system to counter terrorism and extremism at the present stage of development of the world community. The reasons for this negative situation, which indicates the absence of a unified integrated system to counter terrorism, are highlighted, primarily because of the multidimensional nature of the socially unacceptable phenomenon itself. The solution of this problem in the current context of the spread of terrorism and extremism should be one of the main functions not only of individual States, but also of the world community as a whole, represented by universal and special international organizations. The study shows that it is impossible to establish a universal international system to counter terrorism in the context of the prevailing political situation and stagnation in the question of the legal establishment at the international level of the concept of terrorism and international terrorism. In the maintenance of this problem three main aspects are considered: right regulatory, right realizable and ideological, the compromise and the coordinated position of the states within everyone them will allow to overcome crisis on the way of creation of a uniform universal system of fight against terrorism.