Collective Action, Overcoming Information-Sharing Barriers Vital to Tackling Violent Extremism, Secretary-General Tells Counter-Terrorism Conference
Tackling terrorism required collective, coordinated action that overcame barriers to sharing information and required working in concert at a time when the complex global challenge had reached unprecedented levels, delegates heard today at the opening of the United Nations first‑ever High-level Conference on Counter‑Terrorism.
“The top priority is that we must work together,” United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres said in his keynote address. “This means Governments adopting a comprehensive and inclusive approach, involving all parts of society. It means starting at the grass roots, where families and local communities are at the front line of efforts to protect vulnerable people from succumbing to pernicious ideologies. It means increasing our support to civil society organizations, who make a unique and invaluable contribution to tackling terrorism and preventing violent extremism.”
An effective response was urgently needed, he said, as terrorists increasingly encroached cyberspace to communicate and foreign terrorist fighters were on the move following the military defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in Iraq and Syria in 2017. As some were ready to renounce violence and others remained determined to recruit new followers, initiatives must be as multifaceted and agile as the threat, with the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy and related resolutions providing a comprehensive framework. “Terrorism is a grave and complex threat,” he said. “Ending it demands that we work together flexibly, intelligently and openly.”
Sima Bahous (Jordan) and Kai Sauer (Finland), Co‑Facilitators of the Sixth Review of the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy, agreed. Ms. Bahous said the creation of the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism was the first practical step taken to redefine and relaunch counter‑terrorism and violent extremism efforts within the United Nations system. Despite many differences, Member States had been able to reach agreement at the General Assembly review, held on 26 and 27 June. Critical issues included the return of foreign terrorist fighters, capacity‑building for Member States, standing up to terrorist narratives and the financing of terrorism and violent extremism. (See Press Releases GA/12035 and GA/12036.)
Mr. Sauer highlighted that through the review process, a technical restructuring of the Strategy had been accomplished, resulting in a more streamlined version of the resolution. “In today’s security environment, no one is left untouched by the heightened and more diverse terrorist threat,” he stressed. “Countering terrorism is a common effort. No country can manage this challenge alone.”
Vladimir Voronkov, Under‑Secretary‑General of the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism, said Member States could further reflect on priorities for improving international counter‑terrorism cooperation during the Conference’s four intergovernmental thematic sessions.
Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary‑General and Executive Director of the United Nations Counter‑Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, who chaired the first session on exploring the themes of “Opportunities and challenges in strengthening international cooperation through the sharing of information, expertise and resources”, said that failure to provide critical information identifying terrorists such as passenger name records and financial records could have deadly consequences. Today, instant, reliable access to a broad range of tools was needed to have a maximum impact on fighting terrorism, she said, noting that the Secretary‑General had drafted a strategy to help Member States overcome capacity constraints to sharing information.
Jürgen Stock, Secretary‑General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), chairing the second session on “Combating the evolving threat from foreign terrorist fighters”, said that in 2013 imminent concerns surrounding foreign terrorist fighters prompted INTERPOL to initiate a dedicated programme on combating that threat. In sharing profiles of suspected foreign terrorist fighters, member countries had enabled the arrest of suspects at border crossing points, disrupting their movement to and from conflict zones in Syria and Iraq. Yet there were also information gaps that had been dangerously exploited, he said, calling for enhanced information flow across borders and even among agencies.
The Conference will reconvene at 10 a.m. on Friday, 29 June, with sessions on “Strengthening global action to prevent violent extremism, including by engaging youth and preventing misuse of new technologies and the Internet by terrorists” and “Strengthening the role and capacity of the United Nations to support Member States to implement the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy”.
Keynote Address
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, Secretary‑General of the United Nations, opening the first ever High‑level Conference on Counter‑Terrorism, said terrorism and violent extremism undermined international peace and security, divided communities, exacerbated conflicts and destabilized entire regions. They also hampered efforts to promote and protect human rights and were an obstacle to sustainable development. That complex global challenge had reached unprecedented levels, affecting every country here today.
Increasingly, the front line was in cyberspace, he said, noting that terrorists were exploiting social media, encrypted communications and the dark web. The military defeat of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) in Iraq and Syria in 2017 meant that foreign terrorist fighters were on the move, with some ready to renounce violence and others determined to recruit new followers. The response must be multifaceted and agile, with the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy and related resolutions providing a comprehensive framework. The Strategy’s review, under the auspices of the General Assembly and the Permanent Representatives of Finland and Jordan, provided an opportunity to consider where efforts must be refocused.
“The top priority is that we must work together,” he said. “This means Governments adopting a comprehensive and inclusive approach, involving all parts of society. It means starting at the grass roots, where families and local communities are at the front line of efforts to protect vulnerable people from succumbing to pernicious ideologies. It means increasing our support to civil society organizations, who make a unique and invaluable contribution to tackling terrorism and preventing violent extremism.”
Envisioning six goals for the Conference, he highlighted main areas, including strengthening international counter‑terrorism cooperation. He also hoped the Conference led to a renewed and sustained focus on preventing terrorism and with full respect for human rights when tackling terrorism. No one was born a terrorist, but it was known that conflict and lack of opportunities were among the root causes, with most recruits being between 17 and 27 years old.
Expressing hope that the Conference would shine a light on the tragic human cost of terrorism, he welcomed the decision to hold the first annual International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism on 21 August. Lastly, he expressed hope that the Conference would strengthen the United Nations role in assisting Member States in tackling terrorism. “Terrorism is grave and complex threat,” he said. “Ending it demands that we work together flexibly, intelligently and openly.”
Statements
SIMA BAHOUS (Jordan), Co‑Facilitator of the Sixth Review of the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy, said that the creation of the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism was the first practical step taken to redefine and relaunch counter‑terrorism and violent extremism efforts within the United Nations system. Despite the relatively short period of time since its establishment, the Office had provided leadership to various United Nations entities, including through the provision of financial support. The Strategy was the most comprehensive framework in the field; it outlined action‑oriented recommendations to create increased communications between Governments and security agencies all over the world. Despite many differences, Member States were able to reach agreement on a number of critical issues, including the return of foreign terrorist fighters, capacity‑building for Member States, standing up to terrorist narratives and the financing of terrorism and violent extremism, as well as the mandate of the Office of Counter‑Terrorism.
KAI SAUER (Finland) Co‑Facilitator of the Sixth Review of the United Nations Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy, recalled that the Strategy was adopted in 2006 and was a unique global blueprint to enhance and guide national, regional and international counter‑terrorism efforts. The General Assembly reviewed the implementation of the Global Strategy every two years, making it a living document attuned to Member State priorities. The facilitation process for the most recent review was challenging, but at the same time exciting, he said, highlighting the crucial role of the United Nations in uniting the international community against the threat of terrorism. “Countering terrorism is a common effort,” he said, adding: “No country can manage this challenge alone.” Through the review, a technical restructuring of the Strategy was accomplished, resulting in a more streamlined version of the resolution, he said. The global security environment had changed drastically, while at the same time the threat of violent extremism and terrorism was growing and evolving around the world. “In today’s security environment, no one is left untouched by the heightened and more diverse terrorist threat,” he stressed.
VLADIMIR VORONKOV, Under‑Secretary‑General of the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism, said that the Conference comprised four thematic sessions reflecting the priorities of Member States for improving international counter‑terrorism cooperation. The sessions would address opportunities and challenges in strengthening international cooperation, combating the evolving threat from foreign terrorist fighters, strengthening global action to prevent violent extremism and strengthening the role and capacity of the United Nations to support Member States in the implementation of the Strategy. Civil society representatives would have an opportunity to address the Conference during those thematic sessions.
Session I
The Conference then held an intergovernmental thematic session on “Opportunities and challenges in strengthening international cooperation through the sharing of information, expertise and resources”, chaired by Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary‑General and Executive Director of the United Nations Counter‑Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.
Ms. CONINSX said terrorism in 2018 was transnational, with many activities transcending jurisdiction and borders, requiring stronger international coordination. The failings of one State would become a threat to all nations. Counter‑terrorism efforts must be swifter, move across regions and involve non‑traditional actors, including the private sector. However, such efforts must never undermine human rights and international law. Issues the session would explore included access to critical information identifying terrorists such as passenger name records and financial records. Failure to provide such information could have deadly consequences. Barriers to information‑sharing existed, but the central issue involved trust.
In addition, capacity restraints hampered efforts to share information, she continued. Each Member State faced unique challenges and different capacity or resource levels. As such, efforts should focus on strengthening those elements. Helping in those initiatives, the Secretary‑General had drafted a strategy and the United Nations was working to assist States. Ratification of core international conventions was also important. Citing several ongoing efforts, she said civil society and the private sector were playing key roles in counter‑terrorism activities. Today, instant, reliable access to a broad range of tools was needed in order to have a maximum impact on fighting terrorism.
Session II
In the afternoon, the Conference held a second intergovernmental thematic session on “Combating the evolving threat from foreign terrorist fighters”, chaired by Jürgen Stock, Secretary‑General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
Mr. STOCK said that the partnership between the United Nations and INTERPOL was a time‑honoured one, and in that connection, INTERPOL highly valued its cooperation with the United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism. From a law enforcement perspective, INTERPOL had a role to play in combating the threat from terrorism, including foreign terrorist fighters. Nearly three and a half decades ago, INTERPOL institutionally recognized the need to address global terrorism, and since then, had been working with law enforcement agencies worldwide to generate the appropriate preparedness and response to the changing dynamics of terrorism. As the threat evolved, so too did INTERPOL’s counter‑terrorism outlook, strategy and operational capabilities, he said, highlighting that in 2013, imminent concerns surrounding foreign terrorist fighters prompted INTERPOL to initiate a dedicated programme on combating that threat.
In May 2015, INTERPOL briefed the Security Council on the risks for cross‑pollination among conflict zones between Syria and Iraq, he said. To help disrupt those movements through timely identification, member countries had been sharing profiles of suspected foreign terrorist fighters with INTERPOL. Accessing that information from beyond national borders had allowed for the arrest of suspects at border crossing points, yet there were also information gaps that had been dangerously exploited. Stressing that information flow must be enhanced across borders and even among agencies, he said that information should be made accessible where it was most needed. In that connection, partnerships between international as well as regional organizations continued to play a critical role in establishing multilateral mechanisms for global benefit.