Csaba Kőrösi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly
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Pre-recorded Video Message
to the Third UN High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States
19 June 2023
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We see cascading crises on our doorstep.
We see trust among Member States fraying.
We see confidence in our multilateral institutions eroding.
In this world, it is our duty to ask: what can we do to successfully address outside threats?
Specifically, threats from non-state actors, who don’t respect international laws and norms, and don’t respond to traditional tools.
Terrorism presents a major challenge to many Member States in all regions of the world.
Today, terrorism knows no borders.
And the fight is often against an invisible enemy.
Terrorist and extremist groups continue to prey on underdevelopment, inequalities and marginalization.
They are thriving in conflict-related fragility.
In such circumstances, these groups can easily expand their influence and control.
The internet provides them with an effective platform for global recruitment and for spreading their ideologies of violence.
Combatting these threats is an urgent responsibility of the entire international community.
Because they are challenging the very foundations of the United Nations Charter we have sworn to uphold.
Because whoever their declared targets are, most of the actual victims of their indiscriminate acts are innocent, peaceful people.
A multilateral response to the terrorist threat can be the only answer.
Multilateralism can work. But it must work better.
I call on you all to come up together with new ideas on how to make that change.
Our collective success requires approaches which are innovative, agile, multi-faceted, and integrated.
Be creative. Be inventive. Be original.
If we cannot work together, the terrorists will win.
I look forward to your statements at the General Assembly later this week on the 8th review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Thank you.
