A/70/PV.109 General Assembly

Members will recall that, at its 50th and 82nd plenary meetings, held on 9 November and 23 December 2015, respectively, the General Assembly took note of the appointments of Ghana, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hungary and Liberia as members of the Committee on Conferences for a period of three years, beginning on 1 January 2016. Members will also recall that two seats from among the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and one seat from among the Group of Western European and other States for a period beginning on the date of appointment and ending on 31 December 2018 remain vacant. On the recommendation of the Chair of the Group of Western European and other States, I have appointed Germany as member of the Committee on Conferences for a term of office beginning on the date of appointment and ending on 31 December 2018. May I take it that the Assembly takes note of this appointment?

With regard to the remaining two seats from among the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, I urge the Group to submit its candidatures as soon as possible. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (e) of agenda item 114.

I wish to inform Members that I have been advised by the Permanent Representative of Argentina, His Excellency Mr. Martín Garcia Moritán, and by His Excellency Mr. Einar Gunnarsson, Permanent Representative of Iceland, in their capacities as co-facilitators of the fifth review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, that the consultation process concluded with an agreement on draft resolution A/70/L.55, which now enjoys broad consensus. I circulated the text to the membership today and, subject to the programme budget implications review, I intend to present the draft resolution for consideration and adoption by the General Assembly at its 110th plenary meeting, to be held this afternoon, under the agenda item 117, entitled “The United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy”. I wish to thank the co-facilitators for their hard work, commitment and leadership, and all delegations for their constructive engagement throughout this important process. During the current tenth anniversary of the Strategy, the General Assembly will be able to send a unified message of commitment by taking the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism in a decisive, coordinated, inclusive and transparent manner. We shall now continue with the remaining speakers on the list for this item. I give the floor to the observer of the European Union.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its member States. The candidate countries the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. International terrorism continues to pose a highly significant threat to global peace and security. The past two years have served to further illustrate the rapid developments within the structures, personnel and techniques of violent extremists and terrorist groups. Terrorism has become more diffuse and pervasive. While old threats remain, new threats and vulnerabilities have developed. There is a need to adapt our response and take into consideration the implications drawn from recent terrorist attacks. Once again, we welcome the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which constitutes a clear and balanced tool to help States in their efforts to prevent violent extremism. Most of the Plan’s content reflects what the EU has been working on for more than a decade. The EU and its member States very much welcome the Secretary- General’s strategic approach to place a sharp focus on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism, particularly as we celebrate this year the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The phenomenon of radicalization turning into violent extremism can be best contained at a level closest to vulnerable individuals and in the most affected communities, through engagement with non-governmental organizations, front-line workers, women and civil society organizations, including victims’ groups, as well as local authorities, academics, schools, law enforcement and security officials. Education and youth exchanges are areas that provide young people a unique opportunity to think critically about extremists’ views and discourses and to expose the flaws of such propaganda. The United Nations system can play a significant role in bringing those different actors together. The biennial review of the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a valuable indicator for Member States to detect implementation gaps. Nonetheless, two years is a very short period to implement long-term counter- terrorism strategies and action plans. For the future, therefore, we suggest the full reconsideration of both the implementation of the Strategy and review cycle, including through regular needs assessment reports, to ensure that the United Nations has a contemporary response to the ever-changing nature of terrorism. The EU and its member States stand ready to play an active role in that respect. We would like to thank Argentina and Iceland for serving as co-facilitators of draft resolution A/70/L.55, to be adopted later today. It was not an easy task. We acknowledge the positive elements of the draft resolution. In particular, the document rightly recalls resolution 70/254, which welcomed the initiative of the Secretary-General and took note of his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and it rightly recommends that Member States consider the implementation of relevant recommendations of the Plan. We also welcome the important substantial references in the draft resolution to the role of women and youth; to addressing the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and their return; to tackling the financing of terrorism; and to the issue of radicalization in prisons. We also welcome the reference in the draft resolution to the role of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and to law enforcement and criminal justice authorities. Importantly, the draft resolution stresses the importance of national criminal justice systems based on respect for human rights and the rule of law. The draft resolution also includes important provisions on the need to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction; on preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit use of small arms and light weapons by terrorists; and on the need for the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) to give further attention to the issue of improvised explosive devices. But we also need to be aware that the draft resolution to be adopted does not address some important issues in the way we would have expected. At the outset of the negotiations, we made it very clear that the States Members of the United Nations needed to reflect upon the core functions that we wanted the United Nations to perform with regard to counter- terrorism and preventing violent extremism. We called for a frank assessment of what the United Nations was doing well — threat assessment, monitoring the implementation of resolutions, identifying needs and gaps and facilitating capacity-building — and what could be improved — internal and external coordination, strategic orientation and external communications. We should have looked at how we could fill those gaps in the current architecture so that the United Nations could assume its central role and deliver an “All-of-United Nations” approach. Unfortunately, the draft resolution does not reflect an ambitious vision in that regard, and we regret it. In addition, the tenth anniversary represented a good opportunity to better structure the review draft resolution in order to make our work more visible and accessible to actors outside of the United Nations and to highlight new trends. As respect for universal human rights and the rule of law are the fundamental bases of the fight against terrorism — and essential to all components of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy — the EU would have welcomed more ambitious language relating to that important pillar in the draft resolution. It could have said more with regard to paying greater attention to abuses of human rights and about terrorist violence against persons belonging to religious minorities, particularly in the Middle East, that may constitute crimes against humanity, genocide or war crimes. Moreover, we would have liked to have seen greater emphasis in the draft resolution on the assistance to victims of terrorism and their families, which is a key part of the EU counter-terrorism efforts. The EU aims to enhance the representation of victims’ interests at EU- level and to raise awareness among European citizens in order to strengthen European solidarity with victims of terrorism. Victims of terrorism have an important place in the Radicalization Awareness Network, with a subgroup specifically devoted to the voices of victims of terrorism. The web portal for victims created by the CTITF is also an important initiative to raise global awareness and to assist Member States with assistance programmes for victims and their families. Countering the financing of terrorism is another key component of the counter-terrorism strategy. In that regard, we regret that the draft resolution does not mention the role of the Financial Action Task Force. Cooperation with the private sector and sharing financial intelligence and information on investigations are areas where the EU and its member States concentrate efforts. In order to close the existing knowledge gap, and in line with Security Council resolution 2199 (2015) — which, inter alia, in its paragraph 16, notes with concern the generation of income by some terrorist groups through the looting and smuggling of cultural heritage items from sites in Iraq and Syria — the EU will continue to take a proactive stance against that lucrative method of raising funds by identifying best practices and integrally tracking financial flows, including those from off-shore jurisdictions. We are committed to the work carried out by the Financial Action Task Force to ensure that the arsenal of available tools to tackle terrorist financing is used to its full potential. Deepening the international consensus and enhancing international efforts to combat terrorism continue to be key objectives for the EU and its member States. Therefore, we fully support the United Nations key role in the prevention of, and the fight against, violent extremism and terrorism in full compliance with international law and human rights. We are committed to support the United Nations and an international system based on the rule of law and human rights. We will continue to strongly support international counter- terrorism cooperation and the promotion of United Nations standards on counter-terrorism, particularly where the protection of human rights and the promotion of the rule of law is the cornerstone. The EU and its member States are willing to share their experience and expertise in this field, in particular with regard to human rights considerations in the field of counter-terrorism assistance. Our objective is to assist countries through capacity-building in the areas of the rule of law, criminal justice and law enforcement and the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. That requires, first and foremost, political consensus among our partners. We intend to do so as a member of other relevant international organizations, in particular the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), which was established to assist the United Nations in implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Because the United Nations cannot, and should not, have to go at it alone, we call upon the United Nations system and all Member States to continue and enhance cooperation with the GCTF and other relevant international organizations. The EU and its States members fully agree with the Secretary-General’s report (A/70/826) that the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) — particularly Sustainable Development Goal 16, on building peaceful, just and inclusive societies — will further contribute to our efforts to address one of the key conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. The EU therefore promotes a comprehensive approach to counter-terrorism. Community engagement is also a significant tool in combating the use of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes. Extremist material and propaganda are easily accessible online through discussion sites. Therefore, in support of the Secretary-General’s recommendation, we must cooperate closely with civil society and the private sector to address challenges faced online, while upholding the right to privacy and the freedom of speech. Last Tuesday, the European Council welcomed the new European Union global strategy for our foreign and security policy, presented by the High Representative. The strategy highlights the fact that the EU will live up to its values, internally and externally. That is the strongest antidote we have at our disposal against violent extremism and terrorism. Let me conclude by stressing that, more than ever, we need to remain united in our efforts to establish a strong front against all forms and manifestations of terrorism and violent extremism. In our joint efforts, we must ensure respect for human rights and the rule of law as the fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the States members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The terrorist attacks that took place at the Istanbul airport this week remind us of how terrorism and violent extremism t is conducive to terrorism continues to undermine our shared objective of a peaceful and prosperous world. The tenth anniversary of the consensus adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and its fifth review offer us an opportunity to renew our collective, unwavering resolve to combat this scourge. In that spirit, the OIC looks forward to the adoption of draft resolution A/70/L.55 by consensus as another step forward in promoting the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy at national, regional and international levels. We thank the co-facilitators — Ambassador Garcia Moritán of Argentina and Ambassador Gunnarsson of Iceland, and their able team — for their tireless work in achieving a consensus-based text. The draft resolution encompasses our concerns about certain emerging threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism that are conducive to terrorism, and suggests appropriate remedial measures. It underscores the need for addressing all local and external drivers of terrorism and violent extremism. Without taking a selective approach, the OIC reaffirms the need to make concerted and determined efforts to effectively address the root causes, drivers and conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, including preventing the unlawful use of force and aggression and ending foreign occupation, unilateral coercive measures and political and economic and social injustice. The draft resolution underlines the need for enhanced synergy and effectiveness in the various United Nations entities’ work on counter-terrorism and requests the Secretary-General to offer further concrete suggestions to that effect by the middle of next year for consideration by Member States. In that context, the OIC stresses that transparency and coordination of the activities of United Nations counter-terrorism entities should be enhanced and that duplication should be avoided. While the OIC supports institutional coherence in United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, we also emphasize the need to conform to the mandates of the various United Nations organs and entities. The OIC recognizes the work of the Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and strongly encourages it to continue working with the same diligence and to keep Member States updated on its work. The OIC also notes with appreciation the important work carried out by the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and its role in building the capacity of Member States in countering terrorism. In that regard, the OIC calls on all Member States to continue to support the Centre and to contribute to its growth into a centre of excellence. The OIC member States encourage the CTITF and other relevant United Nations entities to enhance their consultations with Member States during the planning and preparation phase of their activities. The OIC particularly stresses the need for further analytical information in the Secretary-General’s reports on the resources required for providing capacity-building support to Member States in compliance with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We wish to see concrete proposals on mobilizing resources for capacity-building projects to counter terrorism, as well as the proposed terms of reference for the Secretary-General’s fund to support innovative projects aimed at preventing violent extremism, which can be conducive to terrorism, as was mentioned in his Plan of Action. The OIC recognizes the draft resolution’s added emphasis on addressing various aspects and dimensions of terrorist threats. Those include, although are not limited to, the need for enhanced international cooperation concerning the recruitment, movement, prosecution and repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters; effective multi-pronged action to combat terrorist financing and its nexus with transnational organized crime; informed and pragmatic steps to counter terrorist propaganda and narratives, including through the Internet; and heightened surveillance and preventive measures against terrorists gaining access to small arms and light weapons, as well as weapons of mass of destruction. The OIC member States remain committed to working together with the United Nations and other relevant partners to address those real and potential threats in a focused and results-oriented manner. The OIC notes that threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism vis-à-vis women, youth and children were also recognized, given the emphasis that the draft resolution places on effectively addressing those threats. In that regard, we stress that sustained engagement is required to enable women and youth to act as potential agents of change and resilience in order to prevent violent extremism within their respective communities. The OIC member States urge that the rights and protection of migrants and asylum seekers should also be safeguarded, while ensuring that internationally agreed norms and standards in their favour are not abused by terrorists. The OIC reiterates its principled position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purpose. Accordingly, the OIC reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of all attempts to associate any country, race, religion, culture or nationality with terrorism and violent extremism that is conducive to terrorism. The group also underlines the importance of upholding international law, international humanitarian law, the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. In that context, we remain concerned about the growing intolerance and discrimination directed against Muslims throughout the world, which we believe constitutes an affront to their human rights and dignity. We recall the Human Rights Council resolution entitled “Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping, stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief” as an important tool to counter radicalization, marginalization and alienation. We call for its effective implementation by the international community as a means to deprive terrorist groups of any justification for violent extremism on the grounds of ethno-religious stigmatization and discrimination. We underscore the importance of interfaith and intercultural dialogue as an effective mechanism to combat extremism and incitement to hatred based on religion. The OIC member States reaffirm the importance that the group attaches to the sustained, effective and comprehensive implementation of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy and the need for a robust follow- up mechanism to be in place to ensure the balanced pursuit of all its four pillars. The OIC stresses that the implementation of the Strategy lies, first and foremost, in the hands of Member States, while the General Assembly has a central role to play in following up its implementation. In conclusion, the OIC reiterates that the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a living document that should be examined and reviewed regularly. The group will continue to remain involved in that endeavour as a matter of priority, including at the highest political level.

At the outset, I would like to express our sincere condolences to all those affected by the recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul. Indeed, hardly a day passes without news of another atrocious terrorist attack somewhere in the world, from areas affected by armed conflict to major cities thought to be peaceful. We declare our solidarity with the victims of terrorism everywhere and strongly condemn all acts of terrorism, irrespective of their motivation, wherever and by whomever committed. We also reaffirm our commitment to contribute to the fullest extent to the international fight against terrorism in all its aspects, including through cooperation with the relevant United Nations bodies and the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We strongly believe that the General Assembly must continue to play a key role in shaping the work of the United Nations to combat terrorism, along with the Security Council and the Human Rights Council. In that context, we would like to thank the Permanent Representative of Argentina and the Permanent Representative Iceland for their hard work in steering the consultations on the review of the Strategy. An important aspect of the Strategy is the balance among its four pillars, namely, addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism, preventing and combating terrorism, capacity-building and respect for human rights and the rule of law. All four pillars must be implemented evenly by States and by the United Nations. In practice, however, that is often not the case. In particular, measures to ensure the respect for human rights and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism are often just an afterthought, at best. At worst, counter-terrorism operations are undertaken without due regard for the rights of innocent civilians and, in some cases, civilian populations are even targeted for political reasons. Governments actively involved in combating terrorism must ensure that they do not unwittingly contribute to outcomes that betray the values that we all seek to uphold. Overly broad domestic definitions of terrorism may threaten the right to freedom of expression and association. Mass surveillance, both domestically and abroad, may undermine the right to privacy. Law enforcement and military operations often walk a fine line between the legitimate targeting of terrorists, on the one hand, and the unacceptable risks for innocent civilians, on the other. Governments must scrupulously abide by the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality in their actions — principles that underpin both human rights law and international humanitarian law. That is also an important responsibility for the United Nations. As we move towards more effective assistance and capacity- building for States, assistance providers must pay the utmost attention to ensure that human rights are fully integrated into their activities. Our greatest challenge remains pillar I, namely, measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. Many of those conditions are at the very core of what the United Nations is supposed to address, whether in a counter-terrorism context or not — unresolved conflicts, the lack of the rule of law, violations of human rights, discrimination and exclusion, socioeconomic marginalization and so on. The state of our response to global terrorism therefore also reflects on the States of the United Nations as a whole. If we want to do more than just fight the symptoms of terrorism, then we need true commitment by all Member States to cooperate fully in all the relevant United Nations organs. It requires in particular greater cooperation in the Security Council, which has been unable to effectively address a number of violent conflicts, partly due to the threat or use of the veto. It also requires a greater sense of urgency and willingness to take bold decisions in the General Assembly and in the Human Rights Council. The importance of the human rights also requires the United Nations to lead by example in areas where it undertakes concrete measures to prevent and combat terrorism. In that regard, we commend once again the progress made by the Security Council in improving fair and clear procedures for the sanctions regime on the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Al-Qaida, thanks in particular to the work of the Ombudsperson. We encourage the Council and the Secretariat to take the necessary steps to ensure the full operational independence of her Office. Furthermore, the Council should consider extending the Ombudsperson process to other appropriate sanctions regimes, especially in the light of the recent final judgment in the case of Al-Dulimi and Montana Management Inc. v. Switzerland at the European Court of Human Rights. Such a step will help to allow Member States to live up to the due process standards by which they are bound under regional and international human rights law, thereby ensuring the effective implementation of sanctions in the long run.

I would like to begin by congratulating the co-facilitators — the Permanent Representative of Argentina and the Permanent Representative Iceland, Ambassador Martín Garcia Moritán and Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson — as well as their teams, for their tireless work during the fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Brazil is convinced that the text submitted by the co-facilitators in draft resolution A/70/L.55 constitutes a balanced document that reflects the line of compromise identified during consultations. We look forward to its consensual adoption later today. Over the weeks during which the draft resolution was being discussed, terrorist attacks took place in different regions of the world that claimed more than 300 lives and wounded at least 700 persons, the most recent of which occurred in Turkey, Afghanistan, Somalia and today, Kenya. This is yet another reminder of why our collective efforts cannot afford to fail. Brazil conveys its condolences to all those affected by terrorist attacks and reiterates that there can be no justification for terrorism. Brazil attaches great importance to keeping the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy relevant and contemporary. It is crucial to continue on the path of increasing coordination within the United Nations system so that the Organization remains central in dealing with the issue and becomes even more able to effectively implement all four pillars of the Strategy and to assist Member States in such an endeavour. We look forward to receiving concrete suggestions from the Secretary-General in that regard and are open to continuing this discussion. The coordination of international efforts in counter-terrorism would also benefit from concluding a comprehensive convention against international terrorism, which would complement existing instruments, provide a comprehensive legal framework and direct our joint efforts in a more coherent way. The absence of a universally agreed-upon definition of terrorism is detrimental to our shared goal of eliminating it. Filling the legal gap would contribute to understanding the relationship between such concepts as terrorism and violent extremism, as well as create improved conditions to ensure due process of law and compliance with human rights. Prevention is always the best policy. The Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism emerged as a reference to examine the causes of violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism. It reinvigorated our conviction on the need to give due consideration to the underlying causes of terrorism, including those associated with social, political, economic and cultural exclusion. Terrorist groups have been attracting recruits by offering them a sense of purpose, belonging and identity that they probably failed to acquire elsewhere. Promoting inclusion should therefore be at the basis of efforts aimed at countering terrorist narratives. It is crucial to dispel the stereotypes that associate terrorism with specific cultures, religious or ethnic groups and to reject xenophobia and prejudice. Responses to the refugee crisis should decrease, rather than increase, the risks associated with violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Let us also not lose sight of the protracted conflicts that may directly or indirectly fuel terrorist agendas. The failure to deal with ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the Israel-Palestine conflict, is a case in point. Strategies that privilege the use of force and unilateral interpretations of Security Council mandates have demonstrated their limitations in tragic ways. The presence of Da’esh in countries such as Iraq and Libya cannot be dissociated from the local and regional instability in the aftermath of military action. Counter-terrorism efforts will be effective to the extent that they are consistent with international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law. The use of the Internet and social media by terrorist groups demonstrates the evolving nature of the challenge we face. While acting against those trends, we must guard against transgressions with respect to fundamental rights. Brazil welcomes strengthened language in the draft resolution regarding the right to privacy, the protection of which is crucial for safeguarding individuals against the abuse of power. It is our duty to condemn terrorism wherever and whenever it may strike. Victims in one country are no less deserving of our attention than those in another. Civilian casualties resulting from counter-terrorism efforts are no less unacceptable from a human perspective than those generated by other causes. The Brazilian Constitution establishes the repudiation of terrorism as one of the guiding principles of our foreign policy. Our commitment to fighting terrorism, including its financing, has been translated into domestic legislation. In 2015, Brazil adopted a law designed to facilitate the implementation of Security Council resolutions concerning sanctions against individuals and entities affiliated with terrorist organizations. Earlier this year, legislation was adopted defining the crime of terrorism. As Brazil prepares to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, efforts to prevent and to counter terrorism have been redoubled, including through the creation of platforms for the sharing of intelligence. In conclusion, Brazil reiterates its commitment to a multidimensional response to the scourge of terrorism and remains convinced that cooperation and dialogue within the United Nations will enhance the capacity to achieve the results we need. We will succeed only if we join efforts on the basis of shared values and enhanced multilateral cooperation.

France associates itself with the statement made by the observer of the European Union. At the outset, the French delegation would like to thank the co-facilitators for their commitment and work throughout the negotiation process on draft resolution A/70/L.55. The text that we will adopt this afternoon includes significant advances made over the past two years across the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Above and beyond the interest that this consensus text holds for Member States, the review of the Strategy during its tenth year was not as ambitious as we would have liked. More broadly, we must reflect on our collective response within the framework of the United Nations in countering the terrorist threat. Are we up to the challenges? Effective counter-terrorism assistance is supposed to help States to tackle the difficulties they face. The requisite financial means are available. We count on the United Nations to provide aid in an efficient and coordinated manner in the context of the global approach advocated by the Secretary-General. The various United Nations bodies must each perform their duties in that regard without duplication, while respecting the competences of each entity. Effectiveness cannot exist without coordination. If we do not develop such coordination, we run the risk of seeing a proliferation of initiatives outside the United Nations, which in turn will run up against difficulties when it comes to coordination and will lack the legitimacy of the United Nations. Only the United Nations has the mandate to act in all countries and to objectively assess the capacities to respond to terrorist threats and to mobilize the necessary resources to tackle the challenges in respect of national sovereignty. In that context, France has high expectations for the report on options that the Secretary-General will present by May 2017 to enhance the effectiveness and coherence of the United Nations in response to terrorism and radicalization. Among the manifold subjects that require resolute action to counter terrorism, I would like to focus on the prevention of radicalization. The Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism set out specific recommendations on the means to be implemented in order to prevent radicalization that leads to terrorism. France welcomes the fact that the draft resolution calls on States Members of the United Nations and United Nations entities to implement those recommendations. We face that challenge in France. Our authorities have developed a plan to counter radicalization that includes various measures to be taken by all branches of the Administration, including local authorities by way of the the justice, national education and foreign affairs ministries. The progress made by the global coalition to counter Da’esh leads us to hope for the swift military defeat of Da’esh in Syria and Iraq. However, radicalization will continue to exist and each State will have to respond to it on its territory by tackling factors conducive to radicalization. Prevention is a matter that none of us can ignore. Terrorism strikes all continents. The security of each of us depends on the means used by others to fight against terrorism. Each one of us is dependent upon the action of others and none of us will be to effectively counter terrorism if our partners do not fulfil their duties, in particular in the areas of combating the financing of terrorism, border controls, aviation security and judicial and police cooperation. We have international cooperation instruments in place, but are they sufficiently used? For example, INTERPOL databases will not stop foreign terrorist fighters unless those databases are completed and consulted. We also call on all our partners to be aware of the scourge of trafficking in cultural property. The looting of archaeological sites and museums in territories under the control of terrorist groups must be fought on two counts: first, because it deprives people of their cultural heritage and, secondly, because it contributes to the financing of terrorist activities. Concerted effort by the international community and the private businesses concerned is required to put an end to such trafficking. The tenth anniversary of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy is an opportunity for us to take stock. We have made progress, but much remains to be done to effectively and sustainably counter terrorism. Only collective action under the auspices of the United Nations can help us to take the lead in that long- standing struggle.

I thank the co-facilitators — Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland and Ambassador Martín Garcia Moritán of Argentina — for leading the process over the past month to finalize draft resolution A/70/L.55, on the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Of all the threats that are global in nature and should concern us all, terrorism is among the most serious. It is one that impacts the lives of innocent people across the world. The heinous attacks in Turkey, Somalia, Afghanistan and Kenya during the past few days are stark reminders that we must show our solidarity and increase our cooperation on the issue. India has partnered with a large number of countries and has concluded more than 40 bilateral treaties on extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. We have joint mechanisms in place with more than 25 countries to discuss counter-terrorism. We also actively participate in other intergovernmental forums, such as the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum and the Financial Action Task Force. While as individual nations all of us take measures to counter the threat, at this forum we have been making efforts to see whether we can demonstrate collective political will to stand up to terrorists, whose networks are increasingly global in nature and not constrained by any boundaries. As we have said on earlier occasions, no single country can address this challenge alone. Moreover, no country remains immune to the threat. Moreover, victims of such heinous attacks do not belong to a single country, ethnicity or faith. The threat has only grown dramatically in the last couple of years. It has become ever-more necessary for the international community to show that we are united in taking up the challenge. We are in broad agreement with most of the text that is before us. However, we note with a measure of disappointment that the paragraph relating to the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism, which remains the unfinished agenda of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, reverts to the language adopted in 2014. In our opinion, this signals that the exponential increase in terrorist activities around the world in the last two years has left us untouched. We would therefore like to urge all delegations to make sincere efforts to reach an agreement on concluding the convention at the earliest date, by the seventy-first session of the General Assembly. That would show that the international community is determined and pledged to take concrete actions on counter-terrorism by filling the gaps in the existing regime. The second issue relates to proposals with regard to the overall coordination of counter-terrorism related initiatives within the United Nations. As we are aware, currently there are nearly 40 entities involved in different ways in the fight against terrorism. It would therefore be useful for a senior official or entity to coordinate the entire range of activities and bring more focus to such activities. We feel that would be useful to convey a clear signal that counter-terrorism has a significant place on the United Nations agenda. It would show that we recognize the urgent and serious nature of the threat posed by terrorism and we are ever-more determined in our intention to take on that threat collectively. It is our firm conviction that no belief, justification, political cause or argument can be used to justify acts of terrorism. The perpetrators of terrorist attacks, as well as the States that support, sponsor or provide safe havens to terrorists or terrorist groups, must be held accountable. It is essential, in our view, to reflect the determination of the international political will through this forum at the United Nations to join hands to counter terrorism more effectively.

The Russian Federation believes that the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted 10 years ago, is an important and unique contribution to strengthening cooperation in the area of international counter-terrorism efforts. The international community has clearly proved today its ability to cooperate effectively as one to counter the global terrorist threat. One of the most important aspects of the Strategy is its comprehensive approach to fighting terrorism, with law enforcement and the military fighting terrorist groups, accompanied by broad and systematic efforts to prevent and root out terrorist activities and eliminate their breeding grounds. Along with the specialized comprehensive conventions and resolutions of the Security Council, the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy forms the basic framework of the international counter-terrorism effort. Through the Strategy, numerous aspects of today’s terrorist threats have been prevented or thwarted. While today terrorism has retained and even increased in its deadly potential, that is not the fault of the collective decisions of the United Nations. It is a consequence of the fact that neither all of the solutions nor all of the elements of the Strategy have been duly implemented and fully and universally enforced. Once again, the Russian Federation is regretfully obliged to note that, within the arena of international counter-terrorism cooperation, there is still a system of double standards, whereby politicized practices divide terrorists and extremists into groups of “bad” and “not so bad”. Moreover, the instrumentalization of terrorist groups — including the most dangerous among them — is used in carrying out geopolitical machinations, interfering in the internal affairs of States, to destabilize and replace unwanted regimes. Such was the source of the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa, which lead to the unprecedented intensification of a new generation of terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State and Jabhat Al-Nusra. Faced with an unprecedented level of threat emanating from global terrorism, we propose rallying and working together within the framework of a united front of States and a broad international coalition against terrorism. Rather than being guided by individual ambitions, we should ground our work on common values ​and interests, based upon the Charter of the United Nations, applicable international law and mutually agreed decisions, the most important of which is the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In that regard, we view the work carried out on the review of the Strategy and on draft resolution (A/70/L.55, as well as today’s meeting, as timely and proper steps aimed at the necessary adaptation of a most important international instrument to existing circumstances and urgent tasks of the international community in the area of counter-terrorism. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the co-facilitators of the complex review process that led to today’s success in the form of a draft resolution. Russia notes that the final text of the draft resolution reflects numerous important elements as well as acceptable compromises. The draft resolution will help to further counter-terrorism cooperation. However, I would like to note the Russian position in favour of maintaining a balance between respect for human rights in the course of counter-terrorism measures, on the one hand, and, on the other, providing counter-terrorism security for States and society. Those two different tasks are mutually complementary and must be implemented simultaneously, and not to at the expense of one another. The current review of the Strategy reflects an emerging foreign policy trend over the past two years, namely, special attention given to preventing violent extremism that leads to terrorism. We are in favour of a more efficient and intensive collaboration among States and the international community on ways of preventing terrorism, including countering the spread of its ideology, especially aimed at youth over the Internet. Russia has actively participated in international efforts on those issues. At the same time, we have repeatedly provided our international partners and the Secretariat with our positions of principle, based on an extensive and successful national experience illustrated by centuries of interreligious and inter-ethnic harmony in Russia. However, our colleagues have not always listened to our assessments and suggestions, and that explains why we still have certain reservations with regard to the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action in this area. Today, it seems to us that a more balanced attitude towards fighting extremism has taken root in the heart of the international community. We are pleased to note that there has been progress in the text of the draft resolution, owing notably to the review of the Strategy. We energetically hope that international cooperation in the fight against extremists, which is gaining momentum, will be based, in the future, on the principles of international law, including, on the sovereignty and equality of States and non-interference in their internal affairs. A key role in combating extremism and terrorism should continue to be played by States and their competent institutions, which must be carried out according to their capabilities and mandates, necessarily including civil society organizations, religious groups, educational and research institutions, the business community, the media and non-governmental organizations. We also believe that effective international cooperation in countering extremism requires finally coming up with a definition of that concept, or at least coming to a general understanding, which, in all likelihood, will be linked to existing international legal formulations related to the concept of terrorism. That will ensure that our joint efforts will be more focused and effective. In principle, we support the assessment that counter-terrorism cooperation at the United Nations needs to be more efficient. We believe, however, that improving those efforts should be carried out through ensuring the harmonious interaction between the General Assembly and the Security Council, while maintaining the prerogatives of the Security Council and the structures underpinning it. Once again, Russia has significant experience in the area of countering extremism and terrorism, marked by success, at the international level, in its military, law enforcement and organizational and political arenas, but also at the civil level with regard to education and by maintaining an atmosphere that energetically rejects terrorist ideas and practice through our multi-ethnic and multi-confessional society. We are prepared to share that experience in all appropriate forums to ensure that all States are equally protected from terrorism. Against that backdrop, we have no doubt that cooperation in countering terrorism will remain the most relevant issue on today’s international agenda. Today and in future, all we need to do is to put it into action. That will take place only if States have the necessary political will. The Russian Federation has that will, as we have demonstrated on many occasions.

On the eve of the tenth anniversary of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, we gather here today to assess both the progress and the challenges in its implementation. Switzerland strongly condemns all deliberate attacks against civilians and terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of the reasons the perpetrators might invoke. Our solidarity goes out to the victims of such heinous acts. Switzerland is convinced that the United Nations has a key role to play in combating the scourge of terrorism. We are fully committed to the implementation of the Global Strategy, which remains the principle framework of reference and is based on four interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars — prevention, repression, capacity-building and respect for human rights. Since the fourth Biennial Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, in 2014, terrorism has been increasing and spreading. That has a lot to do with the rise of organizations such as Da’esh and Boko Haram, which control last swathes of territories, populations and resources. Fighters from around the world have joined their ranks, in particular Da’esh, which has been able to generate considerable revenue from a number of sources. A great part of terrorists’ crimes are related to contexts of armed conflicts, but we are also seeing an increase in terrorist attacks committed outside war zones by returning terrorist fighters and by persons who have having never joined a terrorist organization. Those developments are a wake-up call and remind us of the need to prevent violent extremism. It has become clear that the engagement of local communities, civil society and the private sector is pivotal. In 2006, the General Assembly adopted the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the landmark resolution 60/288. From the outset, Switzerland has promoted a comprehensive and balanced implementation of the Strategy. Our contribution to strategic thinking within the United Nations is mentioned in the written version of my statement. Switzerland thanks the Secretary-General, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and its entities for their reports (A/70/674 and A/70/826). We also congratulate the two co-facilitators, Argentina and Iceland, for their leadership and hard work, which will allow us to adopt draft resolution A/70/L.55 by consensus. Switzerland has pursued the following five priorities in the framework of the fifth review: enhancing prevention by addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and the radicalization process leading to violent extremism; generating more funding for prevention by engaging development actors in preventive activities, based on the criteria of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Development Assistance Committee, and in particular support the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, based in Geneva; protecting the humanitarian space by ensuring that measures taken to counter terrorism do not prejudice the efforts made in support of international humanitarian law, or humanitarian action based on those principles; applying the Convention on the Rights of the Child and international standards of juvenile justice for children accused of committing a terrorist offence, or of joining a terrorist group; and placing greater emphasis on planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Global Strategy. We are therefore pleased to note that draft resolution A/70/L.55, on the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy review, to be adopted this afternoon, includes the most important issues and developments of the past two years. The draft resolution recognizes the importance of preventing violent extremism. And we are also happy to find the reference to the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism, held in April and jointly organized by the United Nations and Switzerland. We must now focus on the implementation of the recommendations of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. To make prevention a reality, we will also need financial resources. We call upon Member States to increase funding for preventing violent extremism initiatives, including the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund, which is a public-private partnership enterprise that supports grass-roots initiatives and efforts to prevent radicalization to violent extremism. As the draft resolution underscores, it is importat to engage local communities and civil society in order to make a real difference on the ground and to highlight the important role of women and youth. Switzerland will continue to dedicate itself to the full implementation of the Global Strategy with a strong emphasis on prevention. We remain convinced that, within the framework of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly, it will be important for us to take the measures needed to ensure that the United Nations architecture on counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism genuinely responds to the needs of Member States and helps them to face new challenges. My delegation therefore very much looks forward to the options and recommendations that the Secretary- General will present by May 2017. In April, Switzerland adopted a foreign policy plan of action on the prevention of violent extremism. Federal, cantonal and local authorities are currently discussing a national plan of action. Activities and measures on an international and national level are integrated into the Swiss counter-terrorism strategy adopted in September 2015, which covers prevention, protection, prosecution and preparedness for a terrorist attack. The strategy is based on the notion that effective counter-terrorism measures and protecting human rights are not conflicting goals, but rather complementary and mutually reinforcing.

We thank the President of the General Assembly for convening this meeting on the biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We thank Ambassador Gunnarsson and Ambassador Garcia Moritán for taking on the formidable task of co-facilitating these extremely important negotiations. Their efforts and contributions are much appreciated by us all. The Strategy, whch we adopted by consensus 10 years ago, remains just as valid and relevant today as it was then. The nature and the extent of terrorism may have changed over the past decade, but the Strategy’s four pillars and its approach of supporting and promoting the rule of law and respect for human rights still serve as the best way to ensure, as Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has cautioned, that counter-terrorism is not counter-productive. As has been the case with many other Member States during the past two years, my country was recently shaken when a man committed an act of terror and hate that took the lives of 49 innocent people and injured many others in Orlando, Florida. We have seen civilians attacked again and again, most recently in Istanbul, but also in Brussels, Jakarta, Paris, Peshawar, Tunis and throughout Nigeria, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Mali, Kenya and Somalia. Sadly, the list goes on and on. It is clear that none of our countries or citizens is immune from this plague, and we must all partner together to counter it. That is why the United States joined other delegations to reach an important, and very much needed, consensus on draft resolution A/70/L.55. Despite several aspects of this package that proved challenging to accept, we are committed to furthering global progress in the fight against terrorism. We ultimately found this draft resolution to do so by welcoming the Secretary-General’s initiative to prevent violent extremism and by mainstreaming his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism within the context of the Strategy, while setting a concrete timeline for the General Assembly to finally review and decide on how to best shape the United Nations architecture for counter-terrorism. The key question is how we work together to counter terrorism. While the Security Council has come together to address terrorism-related issues in such resolutions as 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), it is the General Assembly’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy that still provides the general framework for addressing terrorism in all its manifestations. It is important to recall that the Strategy states that international cooperation and any measures we undertake to prevent and combat terrorism must comply with our obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law. What does that mean in practical terms? It means that, as we consider the task of countering terrorism, we all must recognize that the common goal of countering terrorist ideology should never be used as an excuse to suppress political dissent. It means that we need to focus on exposing the lies, distortions and falsehoods that underpin terrorist narratives, while simultaneously facilitating the free flow of information. Such openness expands access to the truth — and in this struggle the truth is unquestionably on our side. Counter-messaging, social media and an open Internet is how we defeat the ideology of Da’esh and other terrorists in the modern era, not through media restrictions, Internet filters or attacks on political opponents. In 2015 President Obama convened the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, at which Government, private sector and civil society leaders from around the world came together in acknowledgment that our collective efforts to counter terrorism would not be fully successful absent a more deliberate focus on the causes of radicalization to extremist violence and an understanding of effective responses to prevent and disrupt that process. The White House Summit raised awareness of the need for this more comprehensive approach and was followed by a series of regional summits to advance our understanding of how to counter and prevent violent extremism. We found through that process, involving more than 100 countries and hundreds of civil society voices, that there was a strong global desire to broaden our approach to countering violent extremism and to develop more effective tools to identify and address the drivers of radicalization and recruitment to violence by harnessing the inherent power of communities, civil society and faith leaders and the private sector to help our societies confront the current threat and to prevent future threats from gestating and taking root. Just in the past month, Secretary Kerry released a joint Department of State/United States Agency for International Development strategy to counter violent extremism. That document will serve as a guide for our international efforts in engagement on countering violent extremism. In that vein, we welcome the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. It spells out a valuable set of recommendations for the United Nations and Member States to consider and implement in order to develop a more effective counter-terrorism approach that enlists the whole of society and an all-of-UN approach. The United States supports the Plan’s many recommendations, which are relevant to all States. We would highlight the Plan’s first recommendation — that all legislation, policies, strategies and practices adopted to prevent violent extremism must be firmly grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law. It has never been more important that we all implement that and the Secretary-General’s other recommendations. We note that today’s draft resolution recommends that States consider implementing the Plan’s recommendations as applicable to national contexts, which means that States should implement them to address the particular threats that are most salient in each State. We see the Plan of Action as a living document that should serve as the catalyst for further research to provide more insights into the drivers of violent extremism in specific contexts, and how to counter them. At the same time, we must guard against any effort to see any justification for terrorism — simply put, there is and can be no such justification. Future biennial reviews should seek to incorporate new recommendations on good practices, including the rehabilitation and reintegration of returning foreign terrorist fighters, and further promotion of the need to work with youth and women. As we reaffirm our support for the Strategy, we must also consider whether the United Nations organizational arrangements for implementing it are fit for purpose. The number of United Nations and other entities now involved on these issues has far surpassed the current structure’s ability to manage its contributions effectively or efficiently. That is why the United States welcomes the draft resolution’s request that the Secretary-General present concrete suggestions to the General Assembly by May 2017, for consideration by the Assembly during its seventy-first session to improve the United Nations implementation of the Strategy, including in relation to preventing violent extremism. We welcome finally having set a concrete timeline to reform the United Nations counter- terrorism architecture. We look forward to the debate and decision before the end of the seventy-first session next summer. Moreover, the United States looks forward to continuing to improve coordination and coherence at the United Nations on those issues and calls for the creation of the post of a high-ranking official dedicated to helping implement the Strategy, including by serving as a global advocate and spokesperson who leads the coordination of the United Nations system for an all- of-UN approach and acts as the primary focal point for Members States’ engagement with the United Nations and the donor coordinator to mobilize resources. Of course, a coordinator position by itself will not revitalize the United Nations system on this issue, but without it the international community’s plans and programmes will continue to total less than the sum of their parts. If the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture is not improved, Member States will continue to face uncoordinated development of priorities and policy and the inefficient use of resources for capacity-building by the United Nations system to support humanitarian aid, protect and promote human rights and conduct peacekeeping operations. We stress that nothing in the draft resolution changes the obligation on States to prohibit their nationals, or those in their territory, from providing assets to terrorist organizations or individual terrorists for any purpose. That obligation applies regardless of whether such support was meant to further the terrorist or humanitarian goals of a terrorist or terrorist organization. In parallel, there is no obligation under international law that countries allow the provision of support to terrorist groups or individual terrorists for any purported humanitarian or other activities they may pursue. We also emphasize the important role that non-governmental, non-profit and charitable organizations play in combating terrorism and terrorist financing, and reaffirm the call by the Security Council for non-governmental, non-profit and charitable organizations to prevent and oppose, as appropriate, attempts by terrorists to abuse their status. The terrorism threat landscape remains dynamic. We must continue to enhance and adapt our efforts to stay ahead of emerging threats. The United States is committed to working closely with the Global Coalition to Counter Da’esh and with other partners to counter the threat posed by Da’esh and its adherents and other terrorist groups, including their affiliates, networks and adherents. Engagement through the United Nations on those issues is an essential part of our overall strategy. We will continue to support a strong role for the United Nations to help Member States prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism.

At the outset, on behalf of the Georgian delegation, I would like to thank the President for inviting my country to participate in this interesting event, as well as to express our sincere appreciation for the multilateral effort made to prepare draft resolution A/70/L.55, which will be adopted by consensus this afternoon. In that regard, Georgia would like to thank Argentina and Iceland for facilitating that far-from-easy process. On behalf of the Government of Georgia and the Georgian people, I would like to express my profound condolences with regard to the horrific terrorist attacks that took place at Attaturk International Airport. Allow me to convey to the Turkish Government and the Turkish people our support and sympathy at this time of grief and sadness. George fully aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. However, allow me to make a statement in my national capacity. Terrorism has become one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. Georgia opposes any form of terrorism and acknowledges the dangers caused by the growing threat of international terrorism and its new forms. Therefore, Georgia actively cooperates with the relevant international and regional organizations. My country is an active member of the global anti-terrorism coalition and participates in multinational anti-terrorism operations that give Georgia an opportunity to contribute to the activities of the global anti-terrorism coalition. Thanks to the all of the necessary steps that my Government has taken over the past years, the territory of Georgia where Georgian authorities exercise full jurisdiction and effective control enjoys low statistics on terrorism-related crime. On the other hand, the Russian-occupied territories of Georgia continue to represent a major challenge for my Government in our efforts to combat terrorism. Those areas, like black holes, serve as safe harbors for terrorists and other radical and extremist groups, as well as organized criminals that threaten the security situation in the entire region. Furthermore, due to the widespread corruption and absence of legitimate and effective police and security control, seaports of the Russian- occupied territory of Abkhazia, Georgia, could be used for jihadi travel by foreign terrorist fighters, as well as smuggling of weapons of mass destruction. The period after the fourth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy has witnessed some crucial developments in the context of plotting and executing terrorist attacks that significantly changed the security environment worldwide. The modus operandi of terrorist organizations, and most notably of Da’esh, changed significantly and became more sophisticated. As we find ourselves in a situation in which terrorist organizations compete with nation States for the hearts and minds of individuals, the issue of the utmost importance is to prevent them from boosting their personnel ranks with our citizens. Accordingly, the prevention of radicalization is of current importance within the framework of counter-terrorism policies and should definitively enjoy a prioritized status in that regard We should be focused on a whole-of-society approach via community engagement and empowerment of local communities, since the latter constitutes the best prevention mechanism. It should be underlined that community engagement initiatives must be driven by the relevant communities; the Government’s role in the process should be facilitation. Drivers of terrorism and violent extremism are important, as such factors trigger the radicalization of individuals. Member States must therefore continue to identify and monitor drivers of terrorism in their own societies, as the origins of violent extremism vary from State to State and take on different meanings in relation to the specificities of each community. We would like to suggest addressing those drivers in the context of prevention by identifying the respective triggers and aspects to be considered in responding to them. The latter requirement can refer to the promotion and protection of human rights as a means of countering violent extremism and in creating better conditions for an inclusive society in which there will be no space for the development of an extremist agenda. As we identified the roots of radicalization of the individuals that constitute the smallest societal group in my country, the Government of Georgia launched several projects aimed at improving the full-fledged integration of vulnerable groups into civil society through economic development and educational, cultural and other types of social engagement that were assessed as highly effective, bearing in mind implementation results. It should also be mentioned that modern technology is effectively used in spreading terrorist ideology, enhancing terrorist propaganda and waging psychological warfare. Moreover, recruitment no longer necessitates face-to-face communication. As investigations indicate, recruiters and foreign terrorist fighters are using modern encrypted networks. That creates huge obstacles for law enforcement agencies engaged in the detection, prevention and suppression of terrorism-related crimes. Therefore, we should be focused on the monitoring and early detection of terrorist activities in networks, with due respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. However, since information necessary for investigative purposes is stored in multiple servers located in different areas of the world, no single State can have full access to the data without proper assistance from foreign partners. It should be underlined that cooperation between law enforcement agencies with regard to the digital world cannot be considered an exhaustive measure in the efforts to combat international terrorism and violent extremism. Public-private partnership is crucial in countering that medium of radicalization. It is of the utmost necessity that every Member State create public-private cooperation forums aimed at deleting from the web content that is directly or indirectly connected to terrorism, violent extremism or respective threats. As the experience of my country demonstrates, public-private cooperation forums constitute a very successful tool in the process of confronting threats facing national security. Another important issue of the counter-radicalization pillar is to hinder the manipulation of sensitive religious topics on behalf of terrorist organizations. That aim cannot be achieved without the engagement of religious leaders. In that context, Governments should facilitate the involvement of moderate preachers who will explain religious narratives involving the peaceful coexistence of different religious and ethnic groups. Bearing in mind the rapidly increasing terrorist propaganda, religious leaders can also play a very positive role in countering the narrative process. Our practice clearly demonstrates that amending legislation is of the utmost importance in an effective fight against terrorism. Improvement to Georgian legislation has enabled law enforcement agencies to arrest a recruiter for the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in Georgia and three of his associates. In an effective fight against terrorism, it is of utmost importance that Member States have a common approach. Despite differences in their internal legal order, respective national legal acts should adequately respond to the threats entailed by terrorism and violent extremism. Since terrorism has attained an international character, no single country can ensure fulfillment of the very important task of countering it by overlooking cooperation with other States. Therefore, the Georgian Government has acceded to all major international counter-terrorism conventions and concluded dozens of bilateral treaties envisaging intelligence-sharing and law enforcement cooperation on terrorism crimes and related offences. In addition, our criminal intelligence-sharing internal procedures have been simplified significantly. The implementation of the those efforts by States can be accompanied by assistance from international organizations, and the United Nations is one of the most important actors in that regard. Respective structures of the Organization can be used as important discussion forums on counter-terrorism policies and, at the same time, have a practical impact in terms of conducting field operations in Member States. In our opinion, together with acquiring the status of a hub for sharing best practices, the United Nations can also assist Member States in implementing the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. In that respect, field missions can be a useful tool in terms of assisting Member States in identifying deficiencies in their efforts to combat terrorism and compensating for those shortcomings. In order to tackle the problematic issues I have mentioned, it is of the utmost importance to implement both hard and soft measures in countering the respective threats. It is therefore necessary that States fully implement the requirements enshrined in resolution 2178 (2014). In line with the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and in accordance with its four pillars, Georgia carries out all the necessary measures to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, with a view to preventing and combating terrorism and building the State’s capacity to fight terrorism, while ensuring full respect for human rights and the rule of law. Furthermore, Georgia deems it important to comprehensively reform its counter-terrorism system. In that process the requirements of the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy have become the guiding priorities. Accordingly, my Government has begun the elaboration of Georgia’s national counter-terrorism strategy and action plan, which will reflect core principles of the Strategy.

Before I begin my formal statement, I take this opportunity to express our rejection and condemnation of the recent terrorist attacks on the Istanbul airport in Turkey. The Government of Colombia expresses its condolences to the families of those who have died, while wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. Colombia reiterates its solidarity with the Government and the people of Turkey. Unfortunately such acts — which have also recently occurred in Bangladesh, France and the United States, among other places — show that the individuals who resort to terrorism have no limit in terms of attacking the values and principles of States and the fundamental freedoms promoted by the various bodies of the United Nations. Colombia condemns and rejects terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, because it cannot be accepted or justified under any circumstance. In the same vein, we must emphasize that terrorism cannot, and should not be, associated with any religion, civilization, ethnic group or nationality. My delegation thanks Ambassador Martín Garcia Moritán of Argentina and Ambassador Einar Gunnarsson of Iceland and their teams for leading the review process of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Colombia aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the Dominican Republic on behalf of the member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States. We welcome the presentation of the Secretary- General’s report (A/70/674), which highlights the progress made and the challenges we must face in order to advance towards a full implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The diversity and complexity of criminal activity that knows no borders and has shown that it can affect vastly different States and societies is a challenge for our countries. As the Secretary General reminds us in his report, States have witnessed the outbreak of new kinds of terrorist threats to international peace and security. The most significant challenge is the spread of violent extremist ideologies and the emergence of terrorist groups fuelled by them. Violent extremism is a complex phenomenon, without an internationally agreed definition. However, as the Secretary General mentions in his report, in recent years terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaida and Boko Haram have used it to promote hate speech that has spread throughout the world. These groups constantly cross national borders, which is why we must now work more closely than ever to prevent the spread of this ideology and to fight them decisively with a view to reducing their capacity for action against us. The Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism put forward by the Secretary-General is aimed at further bolstering efforts to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism by focusing further upstream, before the traditional point of intervention. That important message reminds us of the need to work on reducing situations that could lead to terrorism, an idea that has been taken up in the high-level reviews and processes that were undertaken in 2015, including the review by the High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations and the follow-up report of the Secretary-General on the future of United Nations peace operations (A/70/357), the global study on women and peace and security and the expert review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture. All actions to prevent and combat terrorism must be carried out in strict and full compliance with obligations under international law. This is a sine qua non for the global fight against terrorism to produce the results we hope for. Colombia believes that caring for victims of terrorism and protecting their rights are fundamental pillars in the protection and promotion of human rights. Victims of terrorism must be heard, and States must have mechanisms in place for protecting and promoting their rights and recognition. Strengthening national institutions and capacities, generating and disseminating specialized knowledge, sharing experiences and good practices and having efficient mechanisms for exchanging information are some of the areas in which international cooperation must be enhanced, as each State bears the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Strategy. Dialogue, cooperation and concerted efforts are the fundamental basis for achieving civilized coexistence free from the scourge of terrorism. As such, in our efforts to make our world safer, Colombia reaffirms its commitment to working with all Member States to ensure the successful implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

I would like to begin my remarks by extending our deepest condolences to the Government and the people of Turkey following the attack in Istanbul this week. Every lost life is a tragedy, and every terror attack must be strongly condemned. The State of Israel stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the many countries confronting the evil of terrorism. Draft resolution A/70/L.55, on the fifth biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, is an important document that will affect all States and all peoples. Today, we in the General Assembly have a historic opportunity to make an impact on the pressing issue of counter-terrorism. In the negotiations, most States came to the table with the understanding that the draft resolution was a way to craft a unified response to the challenges of global terrorism. However, it seems that not all States had the same objective in mind for the draft resolution. Some States aimed to inject language that would serve only to create division in the international community, rather than foster cooperation. Amazingly, in one of the versions of the counter-terrorism draft resolution, we saw the representative of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation shamefully use the opportunity to excuse and legitimize terrorism. They proposed that killing in the name of “self-determination and national liberation” did not constitute terrorism. Let me repeat: terrorism for the sake of “self-determination and national liberation does not constitute terrorism”, according to that absurd logic. This is an absolute outrage. Just yesterday, as New York was waking up, the State of Israel was already confronted with two terror attacks perpetrated by terrorists. Hallel Yaffa Ariel, may her memory be blessed, a 13-year-old girl, was enjoying her summer holiday just like millions of children around the world. She was calm and tranquil in the one place a child should feel safest — her own bed. She was asleep when a Palestinian terrorist entered her home and viciously and repeatedly stabbed her to death. Only two days ago, that young girl was performing at a dance recital, and yesterday she was buried by her father, her mother and her two sisters. This morning, as we were sipping our morning coffee on our way to work, a family of four was shot in cold blood while in their car. The father was killed, the mother is severely injured and the children, one of them only 1-year-old, are both injured, and are now in grave danger of becoming orphans. In this despicable reality, one day parents have to bury their child, and the next children have to bury their father. Let me ask: Do those murders not constitute terrorism? Do those attackers not constitute terrorists? Does Hallel Yaffa’s life matter any less than any of those in Paris, Brussels, Istanbul or Orlando? Is there no limit to the audacity of those trying to score cheap political points at the United Nations? The United Nations must decide whether it wants to be a relevant actor in facing the challenges that terrorism poses in the twenty-first century or to cave in to the narrow political interests of some States. It is unacceptable for there to be one definition of terrorism for the international community and another definition for my country. This sort of double standard would surely not be tolerated against any other country or in any other country. As a unified group, it is imperative that we all act decisively in order to combat terrorism, wherever it may be. Staying silent or getting distracted over the politics of draft resolutions will achieve exactly the opposite and embolden our enemies. As we speak, terrorist groups like Daesh, Hizbullah, Hamas, Boko Haram and others are distorting justice in the name of a skewed ideology in order to justify the murder of innocent people. Such groups continue to make a mockery of the values and principles that this institution holds so dear. They celebrate and glorify terror against civilians. They prey on people’s insecurities and are willing to use the most violent and brutal of tactics to achieve their goals. Global Terrorism is a disease that intimidates our families, uproots our communities and threatens all nation States. And in the face of increasing globalization, the challenges have become more persistent. Today, it is easier than ever for an average person to become radicalized. All it takes to major in terrorism 101 is the internet, a smartphone and a YouTube account. By 2015, more than 30,000 foreign fighters had fled their countries and homes all over the world to join Daesh and their likes in Iraq. They are inspired by manipulative leadership, vile images and propaganda meant to incite. The United Nations must take further action against this growing threat. We can no longer be satisfied with watered-down draft resolutions negotiated to reach the lowest common denominator. If we want to develop an effective counter-terrorism strategy, we need to make sure we address the real issues at stake. We need a strategy that unites, rather than divides, but also one that is able to promote concrete steps on the ground. Israel has always called for a balanced implementation of all four pillars, but, unfortunately, we see attempts to destroy that balance. One of the issues we have yet to address is the challenge of the use of civilian infrastructure by non-State actors and the use of civilians as human shields. We have received horrific reports from Fallujah about hundreds of civilians who were used as human shields, the same barbaric tactic Israel is facing against Hamas and Hizbullah. In the south, Hamas is preparing for the next round of conflict by building an ever- growing sophisticated weapons infrastructure, above ground and below. Hamas has previously shown its willingness to position its rockets alongside the civilian population of Gaza, under hospitals and in the vicinity of schools and United Nations facilities. Hamas is also reconstructing its offensive tunnel system, whose sole purpose is to perpetrate more stabbings, kidnappings and terror attacks on the people of Israel. While Israelis live under the shadow of threat from Hamas in the south, they also see the dark cloud of Hizbullah in the north. As we approach 10 years since the second Lebanon war with Hizbullah, the situation has not gotten better; it has gotten worse. Hizbullah has transformed villages in southern Lebanon into terror outposts and military infrastructure. Before 2006, Hizbullah had 15,000 rockets; today they have amassed more than 130,000 rockets. Which of the countries represented in the Assembly has more than 130,000 rockets? Hizbullah has that many. The situation is so grave that in some villages there are even more rocket stations than houses. Wherever there is terror, Iran is there. Iran backs and supports Hizbullah’s operations and activities. This path of funding is no secret, and Hizbullah officials do not even attempt to hide their footprints. Just recently, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said, “Hizbullah’s budget and funds come directly from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and as long as Iran has money we will have money.” When States create and fund vicious networks that incite and inspire terror, we must come together to form an even stronger counter-terrorism network. It is our duty as Member States to eradicate one of the main factors that leads to terrorism, namely, the worldwide incitement and indoctrination carried out by political, communal and social leaders. We regret that the Strategy does not address the incitement to terror and glorification of martyrdom by political and religious leaders — a key issue if we really want to eradicate terrorism. Real leaders should emphasize to our children and youth the sanctity of life, not the glorifrication of death. Our teachings should promote an education that preaches peace instead of hate, tolerance instead of violence and mutual understanding instead of martyrdom. If we fail to use this Strategy to fight such distorted extremist narratives and networks, we simply open the door to more terror.

Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. Let me begin by expressing our deepest condolences to the people and the Government of Turkey in the aftermath of the recent attack on the Istanbul airport. That horrible event shows once more that we need to redouble our efforts to fight terrorism and violent extremism. The international community needs to stand united against such individuals who terrorize innocent men, women and children around the world. Terrorism and the spread of violent extremism are the worst and most urgent global security threats we are faced with today. In order to tackle this challenge, we need strong and united action at the international level. At the national level, Member States must first and foremost adapt their domestic criminal codes to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions and the applicable international standards. German criminal law already covers a wide range of terrorist activities. Most important, German law criminalizes membership in, and support of, foreign terrorist organizations. In addition, visiting a terrorist training camp abroad has been a criminal offence in Germany since 2009. In recent years, Germany has taken additional legal measures to implement the latest Security Council resolutions in their entirety. First, a new provision criminalizes travel with the intention of committing a serious violent act endangering the State or providing or undergoing training for that purpose. Secondly, a separate criminal law that deals with the financing of terrorism was passed. The financing of terrorism is now uniformly punishable under criminal law. Thirdly, the German Parliament adopted an additional act to amend the law on identity cards; the aim is to prevent travel that might pose a threat to the State by potential terrorists. While those legal measures are signs of progress in the fight against terrorists, terrorism cannot be defeated in the long run solely by relying on law enforcement. We have to identify the root causes and analyse the drivers of terrorism. We have to focus far more on prevention to ensure that our youth are not lured into the dangerous ideologies of terrorists. We are very grateful for the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which the General Assembly has already welcomed. We would have liked to see a strong endorsement of the Plan of Action in draft resolution A/70/L.55, as the Plan rightly identifies prevention as the key to a sustainable solution to the problem of terrorism by preventing incitement to terrorism and radicalization. We deplore that the membership could not agree on a clearer message that States should invest a great deal more in preventing terrorism and the type of extremism that may lead to it in the first place. We commend the all- of-UN approach outlined in the Plan of Action, which makes preventing violent extremism an important part of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We must now advance an all-Member-States approach to implement the Strategy. Therefore, Germany is currently in the process of drawing up a national action plan to promote democracy and prevent extremism in an effort to ensure our measures dovetail better. In order for our efforts to be effective, the United Nations must stand ready to react to the complexities and challenges of terrorism and violent extremism in a coordinated and coherent manner. Therefore, we, along with many other States, have advocated for a complete overhaul of the architecture of the United Nations counter-terrorism system, under strong leadership. We need to create an architecture that will live up to today’s challenges, and we need an international coordination system that considers humanitarian stabilization and the political and law enforcement aspects of our fight against terrorism in parallel. As many have already said today, the fight against terrorism must be fought by the international community on multiple fronts, and through the combination of many different tools. It is a collective effort that will last for years, if not decades. The Assembly may rest assured that Germany is fully committed to doing its share.

The Chinese delegation expresses its appreciation to the co-facilitators of the fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the Permanent Representative of Iceland, Ambassador Gunnarsson, and the Permanent Representative of Argentina, Ambassador Garcia Moritán, and their capable teams. At present, international terrorist activities are running rampant and exhibiting new characteristics. Such terrorist organizations as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida are better organized, employ more brutal tactics and are engaged more frequently in cross-border activities. Terrorist organizations are using new technologies, including the Internet and social media, to raise funds, recruit personnel and plan terrorist activities, thereby posing a greater danger. Terrorist and extremist forces are spreading terrorist ideology and extremist ideas and inciting hatred, discrimination and violence, all of which have caused more devastating damage. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. The review of that Strategy has provided an important opportunity for the United Nations membership to enhance coordination, deepen cooperation and intensify efforts in the area of counter-terrorism. China appreciates the commitment demonstrated by all sides to strengthening international cooperation on counter-terrorism and the consensus reached on improving cooperation on enforcing counter-terrorism legislation and law enforcement, combating the use of the Internet and other platforms in spreading terrorist and extremist ideas and preventing and stopping terrorists from returning. We hope that the General Assembly will adopt draft resolution A/70/L.55, on this agenda item, by consensus, thereby creating conditions conducive to effectively combating terrorism. Terrorism is the common enemy of all humankind and poses a serious threat to international peace and security. Faced with new trends and characteristics in the evolution of terrorism , the international community should adopt a comprehensive approach and effectively coordinate and address both the symptoms and the root causes. China would like to propose the following six points. First, political input should be enhanced and consensus should be continuously sought in the area of counter-terrorism. The international community should uphold a single and unified standard with regard to combating terrorism. All terrorist activities — committed in any name, by any means and against any country — should be fought with resolve. International counter-terrorism operations must acknowledge the leading role of the United Nations and the Security Council and abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Terrorism should not be linked with any particular ethnic group or religion. Secondly, we should redouble our preventive efforts and establish floodgates at the source. Member States should take very seriously the trends of the spread of violent and extremist ideas by terrorist organizations and their luring of deluded young people to join their ranks. We must also resolutely combat the distortion of religious doctrines and other tactics with the purpose of inciting hatred and discrimination and advocating violence and other extreme ideas, with a view to eliminating the ideological basis of terrorism. Thirdly, we should stop terrorists from moving across borders and halt the flow of terrorism financing and the supply of weapons. All countries must strengthen border control and enforcement cooperation and effectively address the cross-border movement of foreign terrorist fighters, in particular the return of terrorists. The international community must take concrete measures to enhance cooperation on financial regulation and crack down on terrorism financing through the illegal trafficking of petroleum, cultural relics and narcotics. Fourthly, we must upgrade our counter-terrorism response and effectively combat the use of the Internet and social media for terrorist purposes. All sides must fully implement the relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, strengthen cyberspace regulation and combat and stop terrorist organizations from using the Internet to spread extremist ideas, recruit personnel, raise funds, seek and acquire equipment and materials for their attacks and plan and carry out terrorist activities. Fifthly, we must strengthen coordination and achieve counter-terrorism synergy within the United Nations system. The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force is responsible for coordinating 38 international counter-terrorism entities. The Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate maintains regular contact with Member States with regard to the counter-terrorism situation. Those counter-terrorism entities provide important platforms for promoting international cooperation on counter-terrorism. The United Nations should fully unleash their potential and improve coordination and the division of labour among them, so as to maximize their contribution and utility. Sixthly, we must promote dialogue among civilization and build a new type of international relations. The United Nations and the international community should actively promote dialogue among different civilizations and create an environment in which different ethnic groups, cultures and religions treat one another equally and coexist in harmony. All countries must actively build a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at its core and maintain an international environment conducive to peace, stability and sustainable development and eliminate the breeding ground of terrorism. As an important member of the international counter-terrorism community, China has been committed to fighting this scourge on both the domestic and international fronts. In December 2015, China promulgated a law on counter-terrorism. China will continue to prevent and combat terrorism in accordance with the law and safeguard our national security and the safety and security of our people and their property. China will continue to actively participate in and promote multilateral and bilateral counterterrorism cooperation, working together with all countries to address terrorist threats, in order to make an even greater contribution to maintaining world peace and stability.

Ten years ago we adopted by consensus the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. It was a major step forward for a coordinated, united, global response to the international terrorist threat. That strategy remains a vital reference point today. However, in the past decade terrorism has evolved, with new levels of barbarity and hatred. We need only look to the events this week in Turkey to be reminded that there can be absolutely no complacency. Those attacks serve to emphasize once again the need for a united international response to defeat those who seek to undermine our values and attack our way of life. The review draft resolution A/70/L.55, which we will adopt this afternoon, is a basis for further action. But I must be frank: the draft resolution was an opportunity to raise our ambition and do more together to prevent and halt terrorism. Collectively, we could have done more. The United Nations needs to improve its performance in this area, and we are clear that we believe that that would benefit the entire membership. I know there are some who remain sceptical of change, but I would challenge those who were resistant in the negotiations to reconsider how we should proceed. I believe there are three areas on which we should focus. First, we, the entire membership, each and every one of us, needs to play our part in defeating terrorism and combating violent extremism. That starts at home. The United Kingdom has implemented new legislation in line with its international obligations, updating measures to stop those travelling to join Da’esh and equipping law enforcement and local Government with the powers to tackle extremism. We must stop the spread of poisonous extremist views that foster grievance, isolation and intolerance. Our efforts include a counter-extremism strategy, which has committed to addressing all forms of extremism. Internationally, the United Kingdom plays, and will continue to play, a leading role in countering extremism. Besides military contributions, we lead — along with the United Arab Emirates and the United States — the Global Coalition Communications Cell, which is working to counter Da’esh narratives. Secondly, the United Nations must now fulfil the vision and ambition proposed in the Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We have all engaged in a robust discussion of the new and sometimes difficult policy ideas on preventing violent extremism. If implemented, we believe they can help protect vulnerable people from radicalization. There are still some disagreements, but such debate can only make our shared understanding of these challenges stronger. Therefore, we strongly welcome the proposal in the draft resolution for Member States to consider implementing the recommendations from the Secretary- General’s Plan. We also echo the encouragement to all the relevant United Nations entities to implement recommendations aimed at mainstreaming preventing violent extremism to their work. Thirdly, we must continue to push for a more coordinated, effective and strategic approach to countering terrorism by all the relevant United Nations entities. In the past two years, here in the Hall and at the Security Council, we have discussed many times our priorities, concerns, best practices and experiences in countering terrorism. Every Member State has a distinct viewpoint, yet all agree that counter-terrorism is a priority, and that the United Nations must do more. From that the United Kingdom takes a simple message: there is room for improvement. We must therefore return to the issue of the United Nations counter- terrorism bodies and coordination. We respect and value the work of all those United Nations staff, here and around the world, who strive to support Member States, analyse the terrorist threat and provide technical capacity-building. Their tireless efforts are a credit to this institution. Their efforts can be further enhanced through more coordination, so that every United Nations entity is pulling in the same direction, avoiding duplication and maximizing the impact of our collective resources. They can be bolstered with more communication, with clear, strategic messages and policy guidance that can resonate around the world. And they can be strengthened by more cooperation, spearheaded by senior leadership engaged with counterparts from Member States and all the relevant international, regional and subregional organizations. Yet recently — and today here in the Hall — we have heard that the time is not yet right for a substantive change to the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. Time for proper debate is vital, but we respectfully disagree; inaction cannot be a legitimate outcome of this debate, despite what others in this argument are saying. We therefore welcome the request for the Secretary-General to consult and provide concrete options on strengthening the capability of the United Nations system by May 2017. We look forward to his report with great interest. I would like to conclude by joining others in thanking the review’s co-facilitators, the Ambassador of Iceland and the Ambassador of Argentina, for running a professional, patient and efficient process. We could not have achieved this result without their tireless work and that of their experts.

The 10-year review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy provides an opportunity to take stock of the efforts of the international community over the past decade. We have certainly made progress on many fronts; however, in spite of those achievements, global terrorism has escalated and its consequences have been exacerbated. Why has the global threat continued to grow in spite of our enhanced capacity to root out and fight terrorism? We do not have simple answers to these complex questions, but Canada believes that part of the problem lies in the orientation of our efforts. Until now, it has been aimed at reacting and implementing security measures. Today, we are more aware of the importance of stepping up social efforts and managing or preventing the emergence of violent extremism. In 2006, we agreed that the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy should be based on four pillars, each of which is key to the success of the entire effort. Nevertheless, the pillars have not been implemented equally. The Secretary-General sought to establish balance through his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, an initiative that Canada firmly supports. As we have established over the past month, in New York, Geneva and elsewhere, we will not succeed in putting an end to the spread of violent extremism, unless we eliminate the conditions that give rise to it. (spoke in English) Allow me to emphasize that it is Canada’s conviction and experience that violent extremism is not particular to any specific region, religion, nationality, culture or ethnic group or any other marker. Manifestations of violent extremism occur across all cultures and regions. Let me also underscore that there can never be any excuse or justification for any act of terrorism. It is also Canada’s experience that effectively addressing violent extremism means working from the bottom up with communities and civil society to build resilient societies in an atmosphere of peaceful pluralism. Supporting the empowerment of youth and women, as called for in Security Council resolution 2242 (2015), is central to those efforts. Today is Canada’s national day. On this day, we celebrate the diversity in our society as a source of strength. Inclusive and accountable governance that respects diversity and the human rights of all members of society fosters peaceful pluralism, social cohesion and constructive engagement among individuals and groups invested as members of their society. This is relevant to our debates today. Turning to the 10- year review of the United Nations Strategy, Canada would first like to thank the Ambassador of Iceland and the Ambassador of Argentina and their teams for their tireless efforts and resolve to seek a consensus document. We look forward to the adoption of draft resolution A/70/L.55 by consensus later today. We welcome the General Assembly’s recognition in its draft resolution of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and its recommendations as an important step forward. Canada stands ready to work together with the United Nations and others to assist in the implementation of its recommendations. However, while the text is a negotiated balance, like others, Canada is disappointed that this body has been unable to agree to language on many of the important areas where we believe global action is possible and necessary. We are disappointed that the final draft resolution was not more streamlined to provide clarity and balance between the pillars of action of the Strategy. We would have wished to see stronger language in promoting the role and rights of women and youth, and we hoped for greater clarity on the way forward for United Nations architecture reform to enhance coordination of counter- terrorism efforts and address violent extremism. We look forward to having the new Secretary-General examine the proposals for architecture called for in the draft resolution. Canada will continue to advocate internationally — in the United Nations and elsewhere — for the critical action needed in this global effort. The United Nations must remain a key forum for unifying the international community and addressing this critical issue, and Canada will remain fully engaged in ensuring the effective implementation of this resolution.

At the outset, I would like to convey our deepest condolences to the Government of Turkey and to the families of the victims of the terrible terrorist attack in Istanbul. The fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is an important step forward in highlighting the emergent threats and evolving trends in international terrorism. It offers ways to enhance the implementation of our common obligations under all four pillars of the Strategy in order to ensure a more sustainable and effective process in the area of countering terrorism and respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms while fighting this threat; and to address underlying conditions conducive to its spread. We would like to express our appreciation for the dedicated efforts of the co-facilitators of the review, the Ambassador of Argentina and the Ambassador of Iceland and their teams, to secure the best deal possible for the balanced draft resolution A/70/L.55 to cap the Strategy’s 10-year anniversary review. However, we regret that the document that we are going to adopt later today could hardly be called an ambitious one, and it does not properly reflect major tendencies and advances in countering terrorism and violent extremism. Among those advances is the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, to which we gave our support, both during the debates in the General Assembly meeting in February and in the Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism held in Geneva in April. In our view, the findings and recommendations of the Plan of Action were not fully taken into account in preparing draft resolution A/70/L.55. Punctually addressing the underlying factors that provide opportunities for violent extremism, and subsequently terrorism, to flourish, combined with military means, may become a viable solution for eliminating the ongoing outbreaks of such threats throughout the world. We deem military invasions and prolonged, unresolved international conflicts to be among the major drivers of violent extremist and terrorist activities. Ukraine, unlike any other country, as a target of aggression of the Russian Federation, which began in February 2014 with the occupation of Crimea and continued with military aggression in Ukraine’s Donbas, hardly concealed by the local puppet terrorist formations of the so-called Donetsk an Luhansk People’s Republics, takes seriously the threat posed by violent extremism and terrorism. It is undeniable that the terrorist component of Russia’s undeclared war against Ukraine is clearly visible and has emerged as an important phenomenon in the everyday life of the occupied areas in the eastern part of Ukraine. The international community has witnessed numerous terrorist acts in the occupied areas of Ukraine, in particular the mass number of murders and hostage-taking, the downing of the civilian Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-17 and the shelling of civilians in Ukrainian cities, notwithstanding the Minsk agreements on a peaceful settlement of the conflict. It has also been evident that Russia has discredited itself as a predictable and reliable international player because of its efforts to export terrorism to Ukraine. Among the facts brought to the attention of the international community, both in the framework of the United Nations and that of other international and regional organizations, are the continued supply of weapons to terrorists, the organizing of their recruitment and training in Russian territory and their transfer to the eastern part of Ukraine to strengthen the combat capabilities of local terrorists. Ukraine also submitted that information in its national capacity for the Secretary-General’s report on the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/70/674). To our great regret, this year’s report does not contain an integral section — an annex on Member States efforts to advance the Strategy. We expect that the Russian Federation will follow the draft resolution’s call to refrain from organizing, instigating, facilitating, participating in, financing, encouraging or tolerating terrorist activities, and stop using its own territory for the training of terrorists and the preparation or organization of terrorist acts in Ukraine. By doing so, the Russian Federation will return to normal and peaceful activity, not as a rogue State but as valuable partner of the international community. That will significantly contribute to implementing the Strategy. We fully recognize the key role of the United Nations in preventing and countering terrorist activities. Ensuring the effective implementation of the Strategy requires closer cooperation among Member States and all of the counter-terrorism agencies and bodies of the United Nations family. Yet present-day terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida, have grown beyond what once was a regional menace into a global threat challenging international peace and security. That requires further enhancement of the cooperation and coherence of United Nations counter-terrorism activities across the four pillars of the Strategy, both at Headquarters and in the field. We were disappointed that no feasible proposal was given by the Secretariat. That sent a dissuading signal to the United Nations membership. Moreover, owing to the flat position of several delegations, an immediate tuning-up of the United Nations counter- terrorism architecture, alongside the decision of the current review, was characterized by procrastination. As the majority of representatives suggested during the negotiations on the final draft document of the Review and in these debates, we too would prefer to appoint a high-ranking coordinator for the implementation of the Global Strategy. That would fully correspond to the proposed all-of-UN approach, whereby a functionary with “one ring to rule them all” would ensure that the Organization is capable of providing strategic planning and wide-ranging management of its programmes on countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism, conductinga robust analysis of terrorism threats, assessing Member State’s vulnerabilities and overseeing the delivery of international technical assistance in that area. The United Nations counter- terrorism architecture would thereby be able to withstand the current challenges posed by terrorism and provide Member States with the international assistance needed, including by mobilizing the necessary resources for such projects. We expect that comprehensive options of respective institutional arrangements will be submitted by May 2017 for prompt consideration by the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. In concluding my statement, I would like once again assure you, Sir, of Ukraine’s determination to support global efforts aimed at fighting international terrorism and increasing the effectiveness of the United Nations system to that end.

My delegation welcomes the tireless efforts of the co-facilitators, the Permanent Representative of Iceland and the Permanent Representative of Argentina, and their teams to bring positions closer together during the fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. We align ourselves with the statement made earlier by the representative of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Given its extra-territorial nature and manifold forms and manifestations, terrorism affects people’s lives in numerous ways, while its international nature poses a challenge to the legal and moral framework that guide the international community. Today, Iraq is defending that legal and moral framework on behalf of other countries throughout the world. The number of victims of terrorism in Iraq from 2003 to 2016 has reached approximately 177,000 martyrs. Da’esh and other terrorist groups target the various different segments of the Iraqi population, with the aim of weakening the stability of the country, unending national cohesion, sowing discord among Iraqis and spreading extremist ideas that run counter to the precepts of Islam and humankind. Our experience in the fight against terrorism leads us to reaffirm the importance of international cooperation and of Member States respecting their commitments in line with Security Council resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), with regard to preventing the general and logistical financing of Da’esh armed groups and the trafficking of oil, arms and cultural property in Iraq and in Syria. The Executive Directorate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee has taken stock of the priority needs in Iraq on the legal, operational and institutional levels in the fight against terrorism, culminating in the appropriation of funds to strengthen its counter-terrorism capacities. We call on the international community to meaningfully provide financial resources to reinforce operational and the technical capacities of Iraq with regard to counter- terrorism efforts. We also encourage the international community to provide the greatest possible assistance for rehabilitating and reintegrating victims of terrorism and extremism through training and support programmes to help them leave their physical and psychological suffering behind. We therefore welcome the provisions contained in draft resolution A/70/L.55, to be adopted this afternoon, on developing and implementing programmes of assistance and support for victims of terrorism and on countering violent extremism. Violent terrorist groups, such as Da’esh, conduct the most abject acts of terror in the name of Islam, while Islam has nothing to do with the group’s barbaric ideas and acts. The United Nations, through the Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, is duty-bound to define and root out the sources of such extremist ideas, raise awareness among Member States of the legal mechanisms that must be put in place to eradicate rogue takfiri ideology and encourage the participation of Member States and religious leaders in finding an alternative to the extremist narrative that is being spread locally and worldwide, while also implementing best practices and lessons learned. We support draft resolution A/70/L.55 and thank the Secretary-General for his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Iraq will make every effort, in coordination with Member States and the United Nations, to implement the Plan of Action, given that Iraq is the country that has been affected the most and is the most directly impacted by the phenomenon of violent extremism, including international terrorism, which is a key extremist tool being used throughout the world.