Speakers Discuss Efforts to Eliminate Radicalization, Violent Extremism, as General Assembly Concludes Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review
Speakers shed light on their respective efforts to combat radicalization and violent extremism, as the General Assembly wrapped up its review of the Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy today.
The Strategy was first adopted in 2006 and is reviewed every two years. On Tuesday, Member States unanimously adopted a resolution stressing the significance of a sustained and comprehensive approach to addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, adding that it could not be defeated by military force, law enforcement and intelligence operations alone.
Juliana Baffoe, Senior Adviser of Norway’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, called balanced implementation of the Strategy the “best way forward”. For its part, Norway had hosted a global high‑level meeting on preventing violent extremism, strengthened its whole‑of‑society approach by highlighting the role of women, young people and civil society in rehabilitation, and used researched‑based analysis in policy development.
Fiji’s speaker said that his delegation was firmly committed to countering terrorism in all its forms, including by deploying Fijian peacekeepers in volatile regions across the world. Successful implementation of the resolution and the Strategy rested with the Member States, he said, emphasizing that countering terrorism must start by confronting the financial networks that funded them.
A representative of the Inter‑Parliamentary Union recalled that since 1996, the Union had adopted 12 resolutions related to terrorism. Further, in October 2017, the Union’s Governing Council endorsed the establishment of a high‑level advisory group on countering terrorism and violent extremism which would work to support parliamentarians in implementing international counter‑terrorism instruments and resolutions, while providing parliamentarians with tools and training, with a particular focus on rule of law and human rights.
The speaker for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) outlined various guidelines and good practices being developed by that organization. They ranged from engaging civil society in preventing and countering violent extremism, to early interventions, and gender‑sensitive operational approaches to countering terrorism. The OSCE was also conducting trainings on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes and assisting States in establishing advance passenger information and passenger name record systems.
Also speaking today were the representatives of Hungary, Kazakhstan and Morocco.
Statements
JULIANA BAFFOE, Senior Adviser of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Norway, called balanced implementation of the Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy the “best way forward”, including by addressing the causes and upstream factors of violent extremism. Preventing such violence required ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as addressing both “push and pull factors”. Civil society was a powerful counterweight to violent extremism, offering space for engagement with the State. Women’s leadership skills must be recognized and the gender dimensions of violent extremism addressed. For its part, Norway had hosted a global high‑level meeting on preventing violent extremism, strengthened its whole‑of‑society approach by highlighting the role of women, young people and civil society in rehabilitation, and used researched‑based analysis in policy development.
GÁBOR HORVÁTH (Hungary), associating himself with the statement delivered by the European Union, welcomed the resolution’s consensus at a significant juncture of time when important developments had been taking place in the global fight against terrorism. He underscored the conflicts in the Middle East and the need to defeat terrorism everywhere. The resolution contained several current and prospective issues, the implementation of which would determine the outcome of combating terrorism. The moral responsibility of all Member States was to eliminate radicalization and violent extremism leading to terrorism, international and domestic alike. “Terrorists cannot win,” he stressed. The United Nations must remain the cornerstone of a multilateral and comprehensive approach. He affirmed Hungary’s full support to the adopted text, reiterating his country’s pledge to defeat terrorism.
YERKIN AKHINZHANOV (Kazakhstan), associating himself with the statement delivered by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said that the fight against terrorism required a long‑term and comprehensive approach with the active participation and cooperation of Member States. Over the past five years, the countries of Central Asia, with the assistance of the United Nations, had achieved a lot in preventing and countering terrorism. In the same vein, there were increasing numbers of sympathizers of terrorism, motivated by propaganda promoted by terrorist organizations. “And we must ensure that sophisticated high technologies such as the Internet and outlets of social networking are not used by terrorist organizations to recruit young people on a global scale,” he said. International and regional initiatives reinforced efforts at the national level to address risks and prevent all forms of extremism, he added.
SATYENDRA PRASAD (Fiji), associating himself with the Non‑Aligned Movement, said that his delegation was firmly committed to countering terrorism in all its forms, including by deploying Fijian peacekeepers in volatile regions across the world. The successful implementation of the resolution and the Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy rested with the Member States, he said, stressing that countering terrorism must start by confronting the financial networks that funded terrorism. Proceeds from illegal fishing as well as from illicit drugs fuelled complex webs of money‑laundering, while the emergence of new technologies and currencies presented other new challenges. National efforts aimed at confronting terrorism took resources away from the Sustainable Development Goals.
MOHAMMED ATLASSI (Morocco) welcomed the adoption of the resolution after long, complex negotiations, stressing that it sent a strong signal that the international community stood together unanimously to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The adoption of the Strategy in 2016 was the proper response to terrorism and was a living document that needed to be updated every two years. He emphasized the need to respect the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and non‑interference. Terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. Despite Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) being weakened, the threat continued through affiliated groups, he warned, calling attention to the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. Terrorists continued to utilize technological advances, including social media, to spread their propaganda and attract new recruits. The United Nations should play a key role in developing a legal framework for combating terrorism.
PATRICIA ANN TORSNEY, Inter‑Parliamentary Union, recalled that since 1996 the Inter‑Parliamentary Union had adopted 12 resolutions related to terrorism, all of which highlighted the need for parliaments to support the implementation of the United Nations counter‑terrorism resolutions and strategies. In October 2017, the Union’s Governing Council endorsed the establishment of a high‑level advisory group on countering terrorism and violent extremism which would work to support parliamentarians in implementing international counter‑terrorism instruments and resolutions, while providing parliamentarians with tools and training, with a particular focus on rule of law and human rights. The joint office of the Inter‑Parliamentary Union and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) was working with the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism to broaden the impact of its parliamentary programme on global efforts to counter terrorism.
RASA OSTRAUSKAITE, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said that building capacity was vital to building resilient societies and States. It was crucial to involve and empower civil society in order to better access communities at risk. She outlined various guidelines and good practices being developed by OSCE, which ranged from engaging civil society in preventing and countering violent extremism, to early interventions, and gender‑sensitive operational approaches to countering terrorism. A series of handbooks had the potential to serve as a user‑friendly reference for practitioners and policymakers. The OSCE was also conducting trainings on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. One of its target training programmes focused on front- and second‑line border guards and their detection of fraudulent documents and imposters. That, however, was not enough, she added, noting that OSCE was also assisting States in establishing advance passenger information and passenger name record systems.