S/PV.7670 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Qatar, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab Republic, Thailand, Tunisia and Turkey to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following to participate in this meeting: His Excellency Mr. João Vale de Almeida, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations; His Excellency Mr. Téte António, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United Nations; and His Excellency Mr. Ahmed Fathalla, Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States to the United Nations. I propose that the Council invite the Permanent Observer of the Observer State of the Holy See to the United Nations to participate in the meeting, in accordance with the provisional rules of procedure and the previous practice in this regard. There being no objection, it is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/306, which contains a letter dated 1 April 2016 from the Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary- General, transmitting a concept paper on the item under consideration. I would like to welcome His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, and to give him the floor.

I thank His Excellency Ambassador Liu Jieyi, President of the Security Council, for convening today’s open debate on countering terrorism. It is clear that both terrorism and the violent extremism that can be conducive to it are at the top of the international agenda. I have just returned from Switzerland, where, together with Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter, I co-chaired the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism. It was encouraging that many ministers and heads of regional and United Nations organizations, as well as civil society, came together to focus on solutions. Two weeks ago, the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, D.C., adopted an important action plan in support of the key role that the United Nations can play in mitigating the threat and managing the response to the possible use by terrorists of nuclear, chemical, biological and radiological materials. Recent attacks around the world have destroyed lives, heightened fear and defied all norms of international law and our common humanity. Terrorism and violent extremism are global threats, transcending cultures and geopolitical boundaries. They should not be associated with any one religion, nationality or ethnic group. While recognizing the importance of measures to counter terrorism, we also need to engage earlier and address the drivers of violent extremism. We know that violent extremism flourishes when groups are marginalized, political space shrinks, human rights are abused and people lack prospects and meaning in their lives. My Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism asks each country to develop a national plan that engages key communities and focuses on conflict prevention. The Plan also calls for the resolution of long-standing conflicts, which would give hope to those enduring oppression and eradicate the breeding grounds of violent extremism and terrorism. Da’esh is adept at raising funds through nefarious activities and has shown an ability to radicalize and recruit disaffected youth, including women and girls, through strategies involving the Internet and social media. More than 30,000 people from all over the world have joined Da’esh’s campaigns in Iraq and Syria. These foreign terrorist fighters also pose a significant security threat to their home or third countries when they return. We need to focus on implementing the relevant provisions of Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), and other resolutions and measures that sanction terrorist groups and individuals. We also need to implement all four pillars of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in a comprehensive and balanced manner, recognizing that security and respect for human rights are mutually reinforcing. Member States need to take more concrete steps to stop fundraising through the smuggling of oil and gas, the illicit trade in cultural artefacts, kidnapping for ransom and donations from abroad. We must also curtail the ability to abuse and misuse the Internet and social media to radicalize and recruit young people by identifying global and regional solutions that involve Governments, private enterprise and civil society. Strategies to counter the threat of online radicalization will also require legislative and law enforcement measures at the national level. We also need an effective approach to strategic communications, moving beyond counter-narratives to reinforcing the values of peace and tolerance. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre has made this a priority area in its new five-year programme. To stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, we need to intervene at all stages — from their initial radicalization to their travel and return. Resolution 2178 (2014) called on all Member States to cooperate in this effort and, at the request of the Security Council, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) developed the United Nations Foreign Terrorist Fighters Capacity-Building Implementation Plan, which includes 37 mutually reinforcing project proposals to be carried out by 12 CTITF entities. The Security Council also called on Member States to provide the needed financial assistance. While the Counter-Terrorism Centre will support several of these projects with catalytic funding, more funding will be required for implementation. We must also be sure that our approaches to preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism respect our shared values, as reflected in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights and humanitarian law. Too often, this basic understanding has been broken or ignored. We must also have the courage to address certain difficult situations, such as the support that violent extremists and terrorists may receive — directly, indirectly and perhaps even unintentionally — from Governments. We must also recognize that, too often, Government counter-terror strategies are so heavy-handed and discriminatory that they end up being counterproductive, generating further alienation among targeted communities and even more terrorists than there were beforehand. Through the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and the Capacity-Building Implementation Plan, the United Nations system has come together through an all-of-United Nations approach to provide support to Member States in their struggle. As we look ahead to this year’s General Assembly review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on its tenth anniversary, I hope that Member States will find consensus on a strong outcome resolution that reinforces international unity in the face of the divisions that terrorist groups and violent extremists seek to create. The Security Council has a key role to play, and I look forward to continuing our shared efforts to address this global menace.

I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. I shall now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

Allow me at the outset to thank China for having convened this very important debate at a time when the world and humankind as a whole are facing the very serious challenge posed by the threat of abject terrorism. Egypt has had broad experience in fighting terrorism since the 1920s, and we therefore reiterate the importance of adopting a global approach to that struggle. We must address all the causes of terrorism and extremism that unleash violence. These causes may be political, economic, social or ideological, including Islamophobia, or linked to policies that exacerbate marginalization, race-based discrimination and ethnic alienation in certain countries. Another cause is the ongoing foreign occupation that violates human rights, annexes territory and tramples upon the dignity of people living under occupation. Other issues remain unresolved. Furthermore, a global approach also encompasses the fight against all terrorist organizations or groups, wherever they may be, without distinction and within the framework of the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We have to bear in mind that those terrorist groups adopted the same ideology and approach, based on the use of force and violence, in order to achieve their ends. Given such a vision, we have seen the development of the tools used by terrorist groups to propagate their ideas and crimes, recruit their affiliates and obtain financing. Furthermore, those terrorist groups work very quickly and have an unprecedented ability to manoeuvre, and, in the future, we will have to concentrate on the following points. First, we must make sure that the resolutions and recommendations adopted at the United Nations are reflected in concrete measures that will have an impact on the ground. We also have to implement projects aimed at strengthening the capabilities in several countries, while still observing the principle of national ownership. Secondly, we have to fight globally against the messages and ideology of terrorist organizations, in particular Da’esh, Al-Qaida and all other affiliated terrorists groups. Thirdly, we have to fully implement the resolutions of the Security Council with regard to the financing of terrorism. We need the political will on the part of the international community to force countries that finance and support terrorism to stop such activities and to help countries strengthen their capabilities, so that they are able to fulfil their obligations within the framework of those resolutions. Fourthly, the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters is one of the most serious dimensions of the terrorist threat. It is a multifaceted threat and can be attributed to several causes and is an example of the problems that we need to resolve. Efforts at the national level, as well as joint efforts and coordination, are therefore important. In that connection, the Security Council adopted resolution 2178 (2014), the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate published several relevant reports, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) adopted guidelines for combatting the phenomenon in July 2015. Despite all of those efforts, the most important component remains the implementation of all of the relevant instruments. That must also be accompanied by a political will focused on ending the flow of foreign terrorist fighters in conflict zones and the adoption of a firm stand against enabling parties. Fifthly, the international community is trying to deal with a major problem, while at the same time stressing the need to respect the principle of the freedom of expression. The Internet and social media have become some of the most sought-after means used by terrorist organizations, including Da’esh and Al-Qaida, for the very purpose of terrorism. The international community cannot remain indifferent and silent in the light of that problem, given the differences between domestic laws and the criteria in other countries. We must reach a common understanding in order to confront that dangerous problem, without undermining the principle of the freedom of expression. Sixthly, it is important that the United Nations fulfil the role expected of it in confronting terrorism, given that the Organization is the framework within which work in that area is to be undertaken. That role will be discussed in full detail at the fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. I would like to say that among the most important points in that the area is the improvement of coordination among United Nations entities involved in the fight against terrorism and the coordination between the United Nations and regional organizations, as well as efforts agreed upon outside of the framework of United Nations to share experiences and avoid countervailing or redundant efforts. That must also be mirrored in the structure and responsibilities of the Secretariat. It is also essential to mobilize the necessary resources to finance capacity-building projects within States aimed at fighting terrorism and the violent extremism that leads to terrorism. Finally, I reiterate that ending terrorism first requires political will and respect for international law with a view to achieving effective implementation of the resolutions of the Security Council and the promotion, coordination and mobilization of the necessary financial resources. Within that framework, Egypt, in its functions as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, is working to achieve tangible results to the extent possible with regard to all aspects involved in fighting terrorism. As an example, I will mention some extremely useful and valuable meetings that were held to achieve that goal, such as the joint meeting that was just held and those that will be organized with the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, and the meeting held in order to obtain adequate support for implementing technical capacity- building in the area of counter-terrorism in Iraq.

I want to thank China for initiating this open debate, which provides an important opportunity to consider one of the most serious and complex challenges facing the international community. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. Global terrorism is not a new phenomenon. But the threat that it now poses is unprecedented in its scale, reach and human cost. The past two years have been among the bloodiest on record. Around the globe, on a nearly daily basis, indiscriminate attacks have been destroying the lives of everyday people, leaving trauma and fear in their wake. And while a relatively limited number of States continue to bear the brunt of that carnage, the rise of new pernicious global networks and their sophisticated use of modern communications technology mean that no country can consider itself safe from that menace. There are no quick or simple solutions. What is clear, however, is that, now more than ever, international cooperation is vital to keeping our communities safe. The United Nations has a central role to play in ensuring that we remain united in our resolve and in supporting a coordinated and effective approach at the national, regional and global levels. Over the years, a range of measures, such as the designation of terrorists and terrorist organizations and steps to suppress the financing of terrorism have been adopted to address the threat. More work is needed to ensure that those measures are implemented effectively. While the Council has a key role to play, including through its sanctions committees, Member States and other actors, such as the Financial Action Task Force, are crucial to those efforts as well. Today’s joint briefing by the Chairs of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, which is being held in another room at Headquarters, provides a further opportunity to consider those issues. Security cooperation has an important role to play, particularly in countering groups such as Da’esh, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram that seek to impose their will through fear and force. New Zealand is playing its part through its support to the Iraqi Government in its efforts to combat the forces of Da’esh within its territory, but security responses alone are not an effective and enduring solution to the terrorist threat. A comprehensive approach remains critical — one that also addresses the underlying drivers of violent extremism. As the Secretary-General has just reminded us, this year’s biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-terrorism Strategy presents an opportunity to assess whether the structures, information-sharing mechanisms and resources currently in place are sufficient to support effective and efficient cooperation within the United Nations, among Member States and with relevant actors in the private sector and civil society. It also is timely for the Council to consider what steps it can take to strengthen the United Nations counter- terrorism architecture, catalyse necessary action and ensure that all parts of the system are working together and without unnecessary duplication, while facilitating effective capacity-building. The Council also has an important role to play in identifying and addressing critical gaps in international counter-terrorism efforts. In that regard, I wish to highlight two specific areas that we feel warrant particular attention in the months ahead. First, we need to ensure an effective response to the challenges posed by the increasing flow of foreign terrorist fighters returning to their homes or travelling to third countries. The Council took decisive steps in resolution 2178 (2014) to address the flow of foreign terrorist fighters into conflict zones. With an estimated 30,000 foreign fighters from more than 100 countries currently active and as the tide in the battle for territory turns, we must have strategies to address the enormous social challenges and security risks that will be posed by returning former fighters. Security- and law-enforcement measures will be important, but rehabilitation and reintegration also need to form a significant part of our response, if we are to prevent further alienation and radicalization. We must also ensure that our response is compliant with, and deeply grounded in, the values that are central to the Organization: respect for the rule of law and for fundamental human rights. International cooperation in the form of information-sharing, the exchange of good practice, judicial cooperation and targeted capacity- building also has a central role to play. Those countries most at risk cannot be left to face these challenges alone. Secondly, the Council needs to play its role in taking forward recommendations from the Secretary- General’s recent report on preventing violent extremism (A/70/674). We cannot hope to meet the unprecedented terrorist threat we currently face without reducing the appeal of terrorist narratives and addressing the factors that drive vulnerable young people to join such groups. That is long-term work across decades and generations that requires a commitment to building social cohesion and engagement and to fostering inclusive, tolerant communities. We need national responses targeted to the circumstances of specific countries and communities. The Council also needs to consider what role it can play in supporting such efforts and how its actions, statements and decisions can support our collective response to countering these insidious narratives. Those are issues that we consider warrant serious reflection by the Council.

We thank you, Mr. President, and the Chinese presidency of the Council for convening this important meeting and for the concept note (S/2016/306, annex) to guide this open debate, which offers the entire United Nations membership an opportunity to renew its commitment to the fight against terrorism  — a scourge that the international community in its entirety must contain and destroy if we are to live in and build a more just and peaceful world. We also thank the Secretary-General for sharing with the Council his insights on an issue that has become a matter of extreme concern for us all. In fact, terrorism is a serious threat to international peace and security and an unprecedented challenge, due to the characteristics it has assumed, with ambitions of conquering and administering territories under a programme aimed at bringing the peoples under the yoke of darkness and obscurantism in total contravention with the norms of civilized existence and in total denial of diversity, be it cultural, racial or religious. Contemporary terrorists, with their backward interpretation of religion, are turning the present world into a dangerous place in which to live. In Africa, terrorism is spreading widely and dangerously. Boko Haram in Nigeria, Al-Qaida and its affiliates in the Islamic Maghreb, Ansar al-Sharia and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Libya and Al-Shabaab in Somalia spread misery, death and terror without mercy. The Sahel region, Mali, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are also targets of terrorist groups in a rampage of evil and destruction. This is a troubling situation that threatens peace, stability and security throughout the continent. In recent years, a disturbing development has emerged, linked to the growing number of individuals involved in conflicts worldwide. It feeds a new type of so-called international terrorism, giving rise to the unprecedented phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters. Terrorist groups such as Al-Qaida, the Al-Nusra Front, ISIL, Boko Haram and others continue to recruit adherents and to viciously abduct young people to be transformed into terrorist fighters all over the world. The situation has put the international community under alert on the need to identify and address the root causes of the phenomenon and to apply the best approaches to counter this worrying trend. It is understood that the resolution of ongoing conflicts, fundamentally in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Mali, would have a direct impact on the driving forces of ISIL terrorism, in the Sahel region and elsewhere, where terrorists have pledged allegiance to the self- proclaimed caliphate of Syria and the Levant. The Secretary-General’s report on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat (S/2016/92) makes relevant recommendations on the measures States and the United Nations should take to counter such unprecedented threats. The report reminds us that States, while bearing the primary responsibility to counter terrorism, are unable to do so when acting in isolation. The global dimension the terrorist threats have assumed requires global responses for which the United Nations and other international organizations play a critical role by adopting a comprehensive, concerted and coordinated approach. Such a strategic approach aims at strengthening the capacity of States to counter the financing of terrorism by preventing and disrupting terrorism financing, implementing in full the sanctions regimes imposed by the Security Council against the terrorist organizations, strengthening regional cooperation in the application of instruments related to transnational organized crime, given its organic link with terrorism, and strengthening financial intelligence in the investigation of terrorist activities. It also aims to counter the recruitment of would-be terrorists through the Internet and to use the Internet in fighting radicalization and violent extremism; to prevent, disrupt and criminalize the travel of foreign terrorist fighters; to address the issue of terrorist fighters who return to their countries of origin; to disrupt the capacity of terrorists to plan and carry out attacks; and to protect the cultural heritage so disgracefully destroyed by terrorist groups. We reiterate Angola’s full commitment to combating the threat posed by terrorism. The Angolan Government established the National Anti-Terrorism Observatory, under the coordination of the Ministry of the Interior, comprising a group of multisectoral experts from various Government departments, including defence and security, with the task of monitoring any potential or current terrorist threats. Resolution 2178 (2014) sets up concrete action to mobilize the international community to fight foreign terrorist fighters, including by adopting relevant national legislation. Angolan legislation applies heavy prison penalties for anyone collaborating with a terrorist group, either through the provision of information or material means, including weapons, ammunition, tools for committing crimes, shelter, meeting places or by helping to recruit members for terrorist organizations. International cooperation is a fundamental tool in countering the threat of terrorism, and in that context resolution 1373 (2001) provides guidelines to promote cooperation in combating terrorism. In applying those guidelines, Angola cooperates with member States of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and of subregional organizations, namely the South African Development Community and Economic Community of Central African States, in the exchange of information, administrative and judicial cooperation in preventing and fighting terrorism. A Regional Early Warning Centre was established to improve communication among the 14 member States of the Southern African Development Community. The Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa operates, at the African Union level, as a mechanism for cooperation, coordination and exchange of information. Bilaterally, Angola cooperates with the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, based in Algiers. Regarding the financing of terrorism, the Angolan Parliament adopted a law on the prevention of and fight against terrorism and the African Union Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism. Additionally, a number of legal measures were put in place ratifying the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the Anti-Terrorism and Money Laundering Law. In order to centralize and process all the information related to money laundering and terrorist financing, Angola created the Financial Intelligence Unit within the National Bank. To conclude, I would like to renew the commitment of Angola to continue working with the United Nations in the implementation of the relevant resolutions, programmes and plans of action aimed at effectively preventing and fighting the threat posed by terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Let me thank you, Mr. President, for convening this very important debate and for the clarity of purpose in the concept note (S/2016/306, annex). I thank the Secretary-General for sharing with us the growing concerns on the increasing terrorist acts in may trouble spots and the capacity of terrorism to lurk unsuspectedly in many parts of the world. We look forward to the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and our discussions today are useful in articulating our common concern on why we need to act together to face this scourge of humankind. We align ourselves with the statement to be delivered by the representative of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. Since 1972, the United Nations has invested many resources in and devoted much attention to addressing the challenges to international peace and security posed by terrorism and the perpetrators of terrorist acts. We have witnessed the many faces of international terrorism and their perverted cost. Our response over the years, whether by the Council, the General Assembly or other organs has resulted in a solid and meaningful corpus of international law, norms and standards. Those include the many legal and other instruments ranging from declarations, conventions, resolutions, strategies and plans of action, not to mention the establishment of and ongoing work undertaken by institutions and structures, such as the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre and the Committees established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism, and resolution 1540 (2004), among others. The efforts at the international level are increasingly mirrored at the regional level. Particularly in South- East Asia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations saw the necessity for the region to act collectively as one and has in place its own convention on counter- terrorism, which is an integral part of the region’s legal and normative framework. Despite all the focus and attention that we have given and the positive momentum we have created to provide the framework for international and regional cooperation, terrorist attacks and instances of violent extremism have unfortunately risen in recent years. It is increasingly disturbing that many recent attacks indicate evidence of a greater degree of sophistication, complexity and coordination in the planning and execution of attacks, but also with regard to recruitment and radicalization activities by the terrorists. Terror has become a horrifying enterprise. We do not need to be reminded of the horrifying barbarity perpetuated by known terrorists, such as Al-Qaida, Da’esh and Boko Haram and their affiliates and supporters in parts of Africa, the Middle East, Europe and even in South-East Asia. We saw their capacity for destruction of our common heritage. We saw their abuse of human dignity and rights. We saw their heretical belief and apocalyptic visions and we have seen enough. Our focus on combating and eradicating this menace must be on our collective resolve to share responsibility and join coordinated efforts at all levels. We must deconstruct their narrative and we must not help them to provide air time for terror. Our response must be robust. It must be targeted and we must not be lured onto their ideological turf or provide reasons for them to win more recruits. Our response must be premised on the full respect of international law, including human rights and international human rights law. We must also deny them the sources through which they fund their activities. Although it is not my intention to delve into a theological debate, it is unfortunate for the majority of Muslims that we are unjustly and wrongly misrepresented by these heretics who claim that their actions are sanctioned by Islam, a faith of peace and compassion, which ironically they purport to profess. It is gratifying to note that the world is not persuaded by their outrageous misrepresentations of the faith that many peaceloving Muslims profess. It is therefore of utmost importance that peace-loving Muslims and moderates from the Muslim world begin to work in earnest to provide the right narrative to the vulnerable and disenchanted youth and address the root causes in order to stem terror groups recruitment drives for both local and foreign terrorist fighters. The path to salvation is through righteous deeds and not through harnessing miseries and self-annihilation. Malaysia’s fight on terror began during its formative years as a nation. In the early pages of its modern history, Malaysia had some experience to share particularly encountering the political or ideological aspects of terrorism. From 1947 to 1989 during the insurgency, Malaysia was embroiled in an ideologically driven conflict perpetuated by unspeakably brutal terrorists seeking to impose their unacceptable political construct on the peaceloving multi-ethnic and multiracial Malaysians. Against that threat, Malaysians of all races and creeds had to learn hard lessons in resilience and unity in order to triumph over terror. In the early years of the conflict, the Government was especially mindful and sensitive to the needs of the populations, who, through no fault of their own, were caught in the middle of an essentially political conflict characterized by violent extremism, not unlike what we are seeing in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. In Malaysia’s experience, peace was ultimately won through the Government’s approach of seizing the moral high ground from the terrorists primarily by providing safety and security and opportunity for socioeconomic development. Additionally no effort or resources, including through international assistance, were spared in supporting the Government’s commitment to ensure a better future for all nations and a common space for all under the Malaysian sun. Moreover, any claim to legitimacy or popular support by the terrorists was ultimately denied due to their own brutality and despicable actions. I am justifiably proud that Malaysia stands out as an example where the strategy of winning hearts and minds was scrupulously pursued and successfully implemented. Clearly, in order to provide an effective response and enjoy wide support and legitimacy among those we seek to protect, utmost care must be taken so as not to play into the terrorists hands. That will require political wisdom and dexterity. In conclusion, Malaysia remains committed in its final fight against global terror and international terrorism and will continue to play a constructive role in preventing terrorist groups from becoming a menace to society. We shall spare no efforts in this collective endeavour to challenge, expose and unmask terrorists for the vile criminals and violent extremists that they are. God willing, together we shall prevail.

I would like to thank the People’s Republic of China for convening this debate, which, unfortunately, is timely and necessary. Terrorism is not only one of the main threats to international peace and security, but it is also something that affects us all. It is a global phenomenon and, therefore, it requires a united and collective response. This debate is therefore timely, as will be the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, to which the Secretary- General referred. The review this year has a very particular importance. First of all, due to the unfortunate prominence that terrorism has acquired on the international agenda and the oft-mentioned changing nature of its threat, terrorists’ capability to adapt requires of us swiftness, decisiveness and flexibility. We therefore have to tackle negotiations on the Global Strategy with a determination to strike at terrorism in a way that will defeat it and with sufficiently nimble and flexible tools, which would make it possible to respond immediately to terrorist attacks. A few new elements have already been considered by the Security Council, such as the issue of foreign terrorist fighters, which were the subject of resolution 2178 (2014), and the Madrid guidelines for its optimal implementation. Also at issue are new sources of financing, which we have considered in a series of instruments that led last year to resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015). Another new element in 2015 was the presidential statement on the fight against terrorism at the national level. Hence we are gradually closing in on terrorism. We are not going to be able to eliminate it once and for all, with a decisive blow. That would be difficult, but not, however, impossible. But we can try to eliminate it by asphyxiating it. It is vital that we not let down our guard. In some areas, such as cybersecurity, we still have some leeway to develop new instruments. Another important area is that of justice, where we can bring more pressure to bear in order to eradicate terrorism. Spain, during its upcoming presidency of the Council, in December of this year, intends to explore the possibilities of increasing international judicial cooperation. Also in December we will review resolution 1540 (2004), which calls for preventing weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of non-State actors with terrorist objectives. We need hardly stress the importance of this threat, and therefore I would like to ask all Member States to participate to the fullest, so that we can make this review a truly effective instrument. Various measures have also been adopted by States at the national level, and as a whole, we have enough individual experience and good practices in order to become a formidable opponent of terrorism. I would like to turn once again to the review of the Global Strategy to make a few comments. With respect to prevention, which is the first pillar, we have at our disposal an instrument that Spain greatly values: the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action, referred to in General Assembly resolution 70/254, of 12 February. Let us not get bogged down in Byzantine discussions about what is or is not violent extremism. We all know that there is an aspect of extremism that facilitates and leads to terrorism, and it is those aspects on which we should take action. In that context, we deem it important that the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism be carried out in the framework of a comprehensive approach that is also reflected in the concept of tackling the life cycle of radicalization, which the Global Counter-terrorism Forum has given priority to in its work. Within this comprehensive approach, I would underscore, for the sake of brevity, just two specific aspects: the need to include all social sectors, and the need to develop effective counter-narratives. States, in the face of violent extremism, must promote a mechanism to include all and to conduct a dialogue with all, including communities that are susceptible of being radicalized at the State, regional or local level. But this will not happen by itself, and so we have to create mechanisms and devise national plans and possibilities for cooperation, as rightly stated in the Plan of Action. I will give the example of two initiatives that have been put into practice by my country. We set up a centre for the coordination of information on radicalization, and five months ago we launched an initiative on stopping radicalization. To promote civic cooperation, citizens have access to a webpage and an e-mail address, as well as a toll-free phone line, that guarantee confidentiality as well as total anonymity. There is also a special icon on the AlertCops application for smartphones. In five months, we have received 150 communications, of which 45 per cent have proved to be worthy of police investigation. Along those lines, I will speak about the narrative that we must develop in the face of violent extremism. It should not be limited to negative aspects but should also have a positive dimension, underscoring elements that all of the members of the international community agree on: pluralism, coexistence, respect for differences and an invitation to all to participate. In this respect, the participation of victims, with their example of not seeking revenge and their call for justice, offers us one of the most authoritative voices against violent extremism. That is why Spain, along with the United States, last October brought for the first time before the Security Council the voices of victims of terrorism. I should like also to underscore the importance of the role of women in the fight against radicalization and terrorism, as can be seen in resolution 2242 (2015), adopted last October, also during the Spanish presidency. Furthermore, the implementation of the Secretary- General’s Plan of Action makes clear the need, and this also represents an opportunity, to strengthen the structure of international cooperation. Thus we reiterate the idea that we should create a high-level post of representative of the Secretary-General against violent extremism. With respect to the second pillar, I have already expressed a few ideas on the need to react quickly, decisively and nimbly. I will simply stress that we ask the Member States during negotiations not to lose sight of the fact that the objective of the Global Strategy is to defeat terrorism; that is its only objective. With respect to capacity-building, which is the third pillar, the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre offers us ways to strengthen those capabilities where it is most necessary. The commitment and participation of States will help significantly to strengthen our societies in the face of this scourge. I cannot but close with a reference that bears repeating, even though it is quite obvious: the need to respect human rights, which is the fourth pillar, because they are an essential element of the DNA of our societies, such that if we fail to protect human rights, even indirectly or temporarily, we would be altering the essence of our way of life and coexistence; hence we would be handing terrorists their first victory. I would like to conclude with a saying that the terrorist threaten us with repeatedly: that they need to be lucky only once, and we need to be lucky all the time. What they overlook is that our societies and our ways of life are robust and deeply rooted in our consciences, and cannot be defeated. We have demonstrated this, because one, 10 or 100 times, terrorists can be lucky, but we can work to prevent them from even having the option of trying to be lucky.

I wish to thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this debate, and the Secretary-General for his briefing. Terrorism is the scourge of our time. We are reminded almost daily of the brutality and human cost of terrorist attacks and violent extremism. They strike indiscriminately, in everyday places, an airport in Belgium, a school in Pakistan, a university campus in Kenya, a market square in Syria. And behind each headline lie shattered lives. So many of these stories start and end with the actions of Da’esh, with its warped ideology and false claims of statehood. They are a challenge to the core United Nations values that bind us together. Faced with this and other threats, countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism has become a priority for us all — a collective challenge that needs a collective response. The United Nations is playing its part. The Council is leading the fight, adopting ground-breaking new resolutions to tackle Da’esh. The Secretary-General has provided a crucial basis for international action through his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and the General Assembly continues to build consensus on the way forward under the auspices of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Those efforts, together with the actions of the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, are bearing fruit. Da’esh has lost 40 per cent of the territory it once controlled in Iraq and has lost significant territory in Syria. We must now sustain that pressure. To do so, I believe that there are two top priorities — stopping the flow of money to Da’esh and silencing its message of hate. When our Finance Ministers met in the Council last year (see S/PV.7587), we committed to choking off the sources of funding that Da’esh needs to survive. Our efforts are working. Its finances are being squeezed. Its fighters’ salaries are being cut. We all have a role to play in sustaining that pressure. The United Kingdom has joined global efforts to degrade Da’esh-controlled oil resources so that we can deprive it of that illicit revenue. We are helping partners in the region to reinforce their border-control capacities, cutting off Da’esh access to resources and recruits. We have the strongest legislation against kidnap-for-ransom payments in the Coalition so that we can prevent this most heinous of acts being used to finance even more hatred. But to truly shut down Da’esh’s finances, all States must work to a common purpose, implementing the resolutions adopted by the Council and the provisions of the Da’esh and Al-Qaida sanctions regime. Our actions need to be targeted resolutely and consistently against those terrorist groups. In parallel with targeting their money, we need to silence their messages of hate. Da’esh and other groups use the Internet to spread their views and draw in support at a pace and scale that we have never seen before. The United Kingdom takes the threats from online terrorist and extremist propaganda extremely seriously, and we have taken significant steps to address them. We work in partnership with industry and police to remove terrorist and extremist material online. We disrupt the circulation of extremist and terrorist ideology through direct referrals to a dedicated referral unit and by supporting civil society groups in providing effective online counter-narratives. Since 2010, United Kingdom referrals have led to a 150,000 pieces of terrorist-related content being voluntarily removed by industry. Removal requests now average 1,000 a week and approximately 70 per cent of them are Da’esh- related. This voluntary partnership is one of the many ways of addressing terrorist use of the Internet without resorting to excessive restrictions. We will continue to work with industry to improve that approach, and I hope other members will play their part, too. Let me close with this final thought. The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is now 10 years old. In the past decade, terrorism has evolved, with new levels of barbarity and new tactics for advancing its cause. In order to sustain our efforts, we need to make sure that we have the most up-to-date approach possible, shaped by emerging trends. That is why the United Kingdom supports an ambitious, forward-looking review of the United Nations strategy this year. To remain relevant, we must consider how best to structure and manage United Nations resources and ensure that new agendas, notably preventing violent extremism, get the resources, structures and focus that they require. We look forward to debating options and ideas with all Member States during the review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy this summer. Through collective action, we can and will address the threat of terrorism and violent extremism to international peace and security.

I thank you personally, Mr. President, and China for organizing this important debate. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and for his continued leadership on that critical issue. On a warm spring evening just over two weeks ago, families packed into one of the largest parks in Lahore, Gulshan- i-Iqbal. It was Easter Sunday and the crowd included Christians celebrating the holiday. At around 6.30 p.m., a suicide bomber walked through the gates and blew himself up near a children’s swing set. Seventy-five people were killed, including 29 kids. At least 300 were wounded. At a hospital later, a woman named Nasreen Bibi was waiting for an update on her wounded two-year-old daughter and she told a reporter, “We were just here to have a nice evening and enjoy the weather. What kind of people target little children in a park?” That horrific attack occurred less than a week after three bombs exploded in Brussels, killing 32 innocent people. A day before, that a bomb in Istanbul killed four tourists. This past Saturday, a suicide bomber targeted a restaurant in Mogadishu, killing at least three Somalis at lunchtime. Those attacks remind us that the threat posed by terrorists is not limited to one country or one region; it is not limited to members of just one faith. The thousands of Muslim victims attest to that. Even in the Lahore attack the vast majority of victims were Muslims. And the threat contained to any one battlefield; rather the enemy seeks to attack all of us wherever it can. Our response to that threat must be just as comprehensive and far-reaching as their ambition. That is why the Security Council has met so frequently to address different elements of the threat and to build a more comprehensive approach to effectively counter terrorism. In the past two years, we have adopted resolutions to counter Da’esh in Syria, Iraq and Libya to cut off the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to and from conflict zones and to target key funding sources for terrorist groups, such as oil, antiquities and kidnapping. We have also importantly expanded the conversation beyond diplomats by convening the first-ever Security Council meeting of Interior Ministers to strengthen border security (see S/PV.7453) and the first ever session of Finance Ministers (see S/PV.7587) to restrict Da’esh access to funds. In the General Assembly, we will begin negotiations in June on how to better implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, informed by the Secretary-General’s important Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Those are key steps, but this is a long-term battle and more must be done. We have to double down on efforts to prevent terrorism groups from recruiting, radicalizing and inspiring others to their cause by better addressing key drivers of violent extremism. Violent extremist groups purport to offer an alternative to corrupt or authoritarian regimes, an antidote to cultural marginalization, and a path of greater purity. We must counter their propaganda and expose the hollowness and hypocrisy of those claims, while engaging those communities most susceptible to their advances. At the same time, the international community must also take every measure to degrade and destroy the terrorist groups that threaten our collective security. That goal has been at the heart of the Council measures I described earlier. On the battlefield, coalition air strikes have targeted Da’esh forces, its cash-storage sites, its energy infrastructure and other revenue-generating facilities. Recent military advances, such as those in Iraq and Nigeria against Da’esh and Boko Haram, respectively, have dealt further blows to terrorist groups. As we remain on the offensive, we must continue to strengthen our defence, including through increased information-sharing and international cooperation, so as to further disrupt those groups’ access to foreign terrorist fighters and revenue. Such cooperation is also essential to preventing terrorist access to chemical weapons through collaborative efforts such as resolution 1540 (2004), whose tools we must strengthen through the comprehensive review process. Let us be clear, though, that this shared commitment to preventing terrorist access to chemical weapons in no way lessens our determination to identify the State actors responsible for their use. There is no mistaking the severity of the terrorist threat, the barbarism of its perpetrators or the need to employ every tool in our respective arsenals. However, let us be clear: doing so need not and cannot require the abandoning of the core convictions enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Let us consider one of the issues that have been raised today. There is no doubt that terrorist groups have become dangerously adept at using the Internet and communications technologies to propagate their hateful messages, recruit adherence and urge followers to violence. That is why all Governments must work together to target the online criminal activities that facilitate terrorism, such as illicit money transfers, attack planning and coordination, criminal solicitation and the provision of material support to terrorist groups. It is also why Governments must work closely with private companies, which define the terms under which they will allow customers to use their services. Such targeted efforts must not be conflated with calls to restrict access or censor the Internet or even, as some have suggested, to effectively shut down whole corners of the web. Such measures would not advance our security. Recruitment and radicalization to violence continue to occur through person-to-person interaction. Such restrictions would cut off the free flow of information and alternative ideas and would therefore restrict one of the best antidotes available to the hate and lies propagated by terrorist groups. As President Obama has said, “Ideologies are not defeated with guns. They are defeated by better ideas  — a more attractive and compelling vision.” The challenge before us is real. We must use the Internet as effectively as our adversaries do in order to highlight that vision and to reveal the fallacies of their ideologies. Imposing wide-ranging limits on the Internet, though, would mean abandoning our foundational commitments to freedom of expression and opinion. Here in the United States, incitement to eminent violence is not protected speech, but most content on even the most vitriolic websites and social media accounts is protected from Government suppression by our Constitution, and that is by design. As Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson put it, “Freedom to differ is not limited to things that do not matter much. That would be a mere shadow of freedom.” Justice Louis Brandeis argued, “Freedom to think as you will and to speak as you think are means indispensable to the discovery and spread of political truth.” It is the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida that are most afraid of the truth. Depriving people of opportunities to discuss, debate and express themselves online is not going to increase our security. It will increase division among different countries and different people and between citizens and their Government. The threat that terrorists like Da’esh pose to all of our citizens is clear, and the urgency with which we must counter them could not be greater. But in today’s debate we must recognize not only the danger they pose to our safety and security, but the danger that we might overreact, to the detriment of our societies and to our security. We must not deprive our citizens of core freedoms like expression, peaceful assembly, association or religion just because terrorists have taken advantage of them. Doing so would fall precisely into their trap. The international community’s victory over terrorism will come through its determined efforts to counter violent extremism and to defeat terrorist groups. The terrorists in the Lahore park I described earlier were targeting Christians, and they hoped to drive a wedge between them and their Muslim neighbours. However, in the days that followed, that did not happen. Instead of being driven apart, Pakistanis of all faiths came together to queue up in long lines to donate blood at hospitals and to voice outrage and solidarity. A canteen owner who had been serving food near the bombings said, “It is wrong this is happening. Christians are like our brothers and sisters.” Their reaction mirrored the shows of solidarity witnessed after other recent attacks and points to the final reason why these terrorists will never win. However despicable and barbaric, their attacks do not leave us scattered in fear. Rather, as I think this Council has proven, they unite us ever tighter in our determination to defeat them.

At the outset, let me thank you, Sir, for organizing this open debate, and to endorse, in advance, the statement to be delivered on behalf of the European Union. Today I would like to focus on three main themes that should, from my country’s viewpoint, be priorities for the international community and our Organization. The first is violent extremism, which feeds the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon. I would like to begin by thanking the United Nations and Switzerland for having organized a high-level conference on this subject in Geneva on 7 and 8 April. It produced fruitful exchanges, as the Secretary-General just highlighted. Just who are these individuals who go to Syria and Iraq to join the ranks of jihadist groups, foremost among them Da’esh? They are young people, with varied profiles  — men, women, converts, minors, and so on, from more than 100 countries. In France, this phenomenon has reached extremely alarming proportions, with 600 individuals present in the area, including 217 women and 18 minors. To adapt to this new face of the threat, we have taken some important steps. In April 2014, the French Government adopted a plan to combat terrorist networks and violent radicalization. An interministerial committee is responsible for coordinating the strategy to prevent and treat radicalization. The Government has also established a territorial mechanism to monitor persons that have been reported and to assist families in order to respond appropriately to each case. Finally, the law of 13 November 2014 introduced into our law several major innovations. It instituted a ban on leaving the territory and a prohibition on entry into and residence in national territory for foreigners not residing in France that constitute a danger to national security. At the international level, it is essential that the United Nations remain committed to stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and to preventing violent extremism. The full implementation of resolution 2178 (2014) and following up the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism are the two primary axes of that action. The Secretary-General’s Plan in particular aims to unite and better coordinate efforts that we all undertake, Member States and United Nations, at the national, regional and international levels to prevent radicalization, which is an essential aspect of the fight against terrorism. That Plan makes concrete the strategic role of guidance and coordination that the United Nations should play in this area. I take the opportunity provided by this debate to announce that in September, France will co-organize with UNESCO a seminar in Paris on the prevention of violent extremism through education. Preventing the radicalization of youth will also be one of the topics discussed at the sixteenth Summit of la Francophonie, in Madagascar in November 2016. The second priority for us all is the fight against terrorist financing and the full implementation of resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015). The funding of Da’esh was greatly affected by the strikes of the coalition, forcing the group to decrease the salary that it pays its fighters. However, we will manage to drain the finances of that organization only through increased international mobilization. We call on all our partners to implement the United Nations resolutions and to adopt robust measures. I welcome the holding, at this very moment, of a joint meeting of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter- terrorism and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, on terrorist financing, with the presence of the President of the Financial Action Task Force on Money-Laundering. At the national level, France has a plan to combat the financing of terrorism. The plan has three objectives. to reduce anonymity in the economy in order to better trace financial transactions; to improve monitoring, through the mobilization of financial actors in the fight against terrorism; and to strengthen the capacity to freeze assets held by the actors of terrorism. France is also fully mobilized in the fight against the trafficking in works of art and antiques. We have drawn the attention of antique dealer associations to the trafficking of works of art from Syria and Iraq and to the fact that such trafficking may contribute to the financing of Da’esh. Customs has enhanced the surveillance of imports of cultural property, particularly items from the Middle East. The President of the Republic announced at UNESCO the introduction by France of a customs control of the importation of cultural property and the creation of safe havens in France to hold endangered cultural property. These provisions have been included in a bill currently being debated in Parliament. Finally, the third area of work, combating terrorist propaganda, which is undertaken pursuant to resolution 2253 (2015), is another fundamental area where mobilization of the international community is indispensable. The ease with which terrorists use the Internet and social networks so as to spread their messages of hate is particularly worrisome. We stress that any initiative in this area should respect the freedom of expression. Upholding human rights and the rule of law, as well as education, inclusion and social harmony, will be key factors in the long term in any strategy to prevent or of fight violent extremism. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that combating terrorism, which is so crucial to the safety of our fellow citizens, necessarily goes hand in hand with upholding human rights. Given a threat of this scope, we have no other choice but to strengthen international cooperation. Specific progress is possible, as was demonstrated by the adoption today of the passenger name registry by the European Parliament. In each of these areas, the United Nations has a great added value to provide, be it in the creation of standards, strategic guidelines or mobilizing the international community. The review of the United Nations global strategy in May would be a time to continue these discussions on how to strengthen international cooperation in counter-terrorism and preventing violent extremism. France will play its full part in these debates.

Mr. President, the delegation of Senegal thanks you and welcomes your initiative to convene this public debate on counter-terrorism. It cannot come at a better time, given the almost metronomic recurrence of terrorist attacks across the globe. International terrorism, which continues to spread, has reached hitherto unseen proportions and remains of utmost concern for the international community, including for the countries of West Africa and the Sahel that have been struck hard by attacks, kidnappings, summary executions and unprecedented violence perpetrated by armed groups with such names as Al-Shabaab, Al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Dine, Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Boko Haram and others, but their methods are as similar as they are barbarous, sowing the seeds of destruction, terrorism, massacres and desolation within our communities. Given this threat, it is urgent that the international community provide its support to the West African and the Sahel-Saharan regions in the implementation and operationalization of action plans and other subregional initiatives, including the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel, the African Union initiative to create an African force to fight against terrorism, the Nouakchott process and Group of Five for the Sahel force project. To be effective, any initiatives to counter terrorism or fight violent extremism should first address both the structural and contextual factors that lead to the rise of terrorism, including ignorance, marginalization and discrimination as well as poor governance and the lack of socioeconomic prospects, the erroneous interpretations or the instrumentalization of religion and the abuse religious vocabulary. My point is that authoritarian repression or a military approach is not enough in and of itself. It is therefore key that, on the one hand, we ensure the effective implementation of development programmes and that, on the other, we also support initiatives that give priority to dialogue, tolerance and understanding among civilizations, cultures, peoples and religions. In all these cases, intolerance should never be associated with a religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. This is a global scourge that affects the international community as a whole, placing it in a state of emergency — indeed, a state of siege. In its efforts to implement measures to counter international terrorism and violent extremism, Senegal has adopted an approach that combines prevention, cooperation and quick response with, inter alia, the adoption, in 2007, of two laws that provide for severe punishment of perpetrators of terrorist acts and, in 2009, a law that combats the financing of terrorism. These measures strengthen the Senegalese reality, which is characterized by a successful ethnic blending, religious harmony — religious symbiosis, even — in a State where the rule of law, democracy, human rights, good governance and the fight against the impunity are cardinal values. Terrorist groups are masters in the art of using the Internet and social media to incite violence, recruit fighters, and finance and plan terrorist acts. In this respect, the relevant provisions of resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2253 (2015) must be implemented in a coordinated, methodical and effective manner by Member States, in particular through pursuing cooperation in intelligence and better collaboration with private organizations that provide these services, all of this in order to improve enforcement systems. To finance their activities, terrorist cleverly — or I should say, cynically — exploit gaps in financial systems and regional, national and international legal instruments to collect funds, including through the illicit exploitation and sale of such natural resources as oil and precious stones, as well as through kidnappings for ransom, trafficking in human beings and weapons, various forms of extortion, looting and sale of valuable cultural artefacts. To counter these activities, it is necessary to readapt the international financial system by making it more secure, calling upon Member States to apply the standards set by Financial Action Task Force rules on terrorist financing and strengthen partnerships with the private sector, in particular charitable organizations, so as to identify suspicious activity. In this regard, we think it important to recall the Secretary-General’s recommendations made in his report (S/2016/92) on the implementation of resolution 2253 (2015), while working to keep the fight against terrorism and its financing from having a detrimental effect on migrants, refugees and displaced persons. Nor should the countries of origin of these migrants be penalized, as they benefited in 2014 from around $400 billion in remittances by emigrants, which is more than three times official development assistance. The recruitment by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and other extremist groups, foreign terrorist fighters from a hundred different countries and whose number exceeds 30,000, according to United Nations statistics, is another major challenge that we have to face in an urgent, effective and coordinated manner. These combatants constitute a real threat to countries of origin, transit countries and destination countries. To eradicate these phenomena better cooperation in border control is imperative. However, measures to be taken in this context should not undermine the principle of the free movement of people and goods. It is in this spirit and in this framework that a subregional workshop will be held in Dakar in May 2016 on border control in West Africa, Central Africa and the Sahel. Promoting dialogue and preventing conflicts, involving the people by mobilizing youth, empowering women, education, strengthening competencies and improving access to jobs are just as important to a good strategy for countering violent extremism, the radicalization of young people and recruitment by extremist organizations. Considering how difficult it seems to be for the international community to come up with successful strategies, it is crucial that we take an inclusive and united approach with a view to the long term that strengthens cooperation at all three of the subregional, regional and international levels. In that regard, it helps when Member States, acting in full sovereignty, devise national strategies and plans of action that are based on local realities and therefore better adapted to their own socioeconomic and security contexts. The international community as a whole and the United Nations in particular should assist in strengthening States’ capacities in that regard. We believe that the upcoming June review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy will be an excellent opportunity for deeper reflection on the effectiveness of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture and on the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We should take advantage of the event to ensure the relevance of the Strategy, which has to be able to adapt to today’s new challenges and realities. I would be remiss if I did not commend the outstanding work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which has united 34 international entities in the fight against this scourge and plays an essential role in coordinating United Nations efforts in the area. Similarly, the Counter-Terrorism Committee, established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) and effectively chaired by the Egyptian delegation, deserves all our support and cooperation for its numerous activities implemented under the leadership of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, whose recommendations in its country visit reports should receive regular follow-up and evaluation as well as information exchange with the countries concerned. Lastly, I would like to reiterate Senegal’s willingness and unwavering commitment to making every effort in our shared fight against terrorism, including in the as yet unfinished task of drafting an international convention on combating terrorism, and especially in view of the fact that Africa already has a regional convention on the subject in place, with a dedicated research centre headquartered in Algiers.

I would like to join other delegations in commending you, Mr. President, on your initiative in holding today’s open debate and for the concept note (S/2016/306, annex). I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his comprehensive briefing. Inevitably, I will be revisiting some issues that have already been covered by previous speakers, and I will therefore try to modify my statement somewhat. Uruguay firmly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorism demands no exceptions to its barbarous brutality. There is no political, ideological, philosophical, religious, ethnic, racial or any other justification for it. We are extremely worried by the disturbing frequency of these devastating acts around the world. Terrorism today has transcended national and regional boundaries to become a global phenomenon, and no State or person can be considered safe from it. We are horrified by the levels of barbarity and cruelty we see in the criminal acts perpetrated by groups such as Da’esh, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, the Taliban, Al-Shabaab and others. Terrorists do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. Their attacks, whether targeted or indiscriminate, are aimed at innocent populations and individuals. The threat is global and our response must be global, too. More than ever, the international community must stand united if it is to reject and combat terrorism, and that requires coordinated action. Terrorism takes many forms and evolves in time and space, which makes it difficult to fight, and its enormous capacity for destruction and grave violations of human rights makes it a serious threat to international peace and security. The complexity of this issue, and the frequency and atrocity of its acts and their terrible consequences should goad the international community to redouble its efforts to protect its citizens. We must strengthen and increase our cooperation at every level, between States and among international, regional and subregional organizations, in order to share best practices and to strengthen States’ national capacities for preventing and suppressing terrorism in all its forms. We must also consider the participation of organizations that represent civil society, the private sector, academia, educational institutions, community and religious leaders, young people and women. We would especially like to emphasize the importance of the role of women in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, as the Security Council recognized in resolution 2242 (2015). We share the belief in the importance of ensuring women’s empowerment as a central factor in strategies to combat terrorism and violent extremism. We would also like to highlight the crucial role that religious leaders should play in fighting violent extremism, without ignoring the fact that political and social unrest, economic problems and cultural decadence create fertile ground for terrorism to grow. We appreciate the Organization’s efforts and actions conducted through the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and all the United Nations entities that go to make it up, as well as those of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate and the various sanctions committees. We support the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and await the results of its review in June. We are committed to the efforts aimed at strengthening its implementation and we understand the importance of acting collectively. We would also like to emphasize that the fight against terrorism must be conducted with respect for and in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, particularly international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. Prevention must be a key element in any strategy for combating terrorism, along with the pursuit and prosecution of the perpetrators of terrorist acts. Every State has a responsibility to prevent the emergence internally of extremist ideologies that can incite terrorist speech or methods. It is important to formulate national prevention strategies with the support of the United Nations and by sharing best practices and technical assistance where necessary. We appreciate the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We join the General Assembly in urging States to refrain from financing or encouraging terrorist activities, and from supporting them in any other way or by providing training for them. We know that States must also focus on combating domestic complicity with terrorist groups, wherever they may be. The fight against terrorism must be won in the realm of ideas and with respect for the law. We therefore emphasize the importance of the role of education and public debate as a means of combating extremism and intolerance. We must raise awareness of the value of human life and banish indifference. We stress how crucial it is that States have judicial frameworks and stable, functional institutional structures. It is also vital to develop and strengthen international cooperative judicial instruments and effective mechanisms for border controls and financial oversight regimes. Uruguay expresses its great readiness to contribute within its abilities to the fight against this scourge. In that respect, it is developing a national strategy and striving to closing the identified gaps in its institutional capacity. Uruguay recognizes that in combating terrorism, it is essential to attack its funding sources and its involvement in organized crime, which threatens the transparency of the economic and financial system and undermines public order and security. Uruguay actively participates in regional and multilateral entities related to security issues in general and terrorism in particular, and maintains bilateral exchanges of information and good practices. It has also made progress in its accession to various instruments relating to the international fight against terrorism, most recently the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism, which came into force in my country on 3 April. Uruguay also seeks to increase its deterrent capacity against terrorism and organized crime, in which border control is key. Uruguay recently installed the most up-to-date passenger control systems in its airports for immigration purposes and used by Interpol under the rubrics automated border control, passenger name recorder and advance passenger information. The task of combating and eliminating international terrorism is large and complex. The onus lies with all members of the international community. Multilateralism is a fundamental principle of Uruguay’s foreign policy and the keystone of its international relations. In that regard, Uruguay approaches this vital challenge with commitment, solidarity respect for international law and human rights.

I want to thank you, Sir, for convening this open debate to discuss one of the most pressing issues on the Security Council’s agenda. Ukraine condemns the phenomenon of terrorism unreservedly in all its forms and manifestations. We support the central role of the United Nations and the Security Council in promoting international cooperation in fighting terrorism, including in the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Ensuring its effective implementation requires closer cooperation among Member States, the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and other United Nations family agencies and bodies. Ukraine is a party to all counter-terrorism treaties and is closely engaged in this endeavor with relevant international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe, the Financial Action Task Force, and the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and others are not just a regional menace but a global challenge whose violent ideologies constitute a threat to the entire international community. My country strongly condemns the crimes and acts of mass violence that these terrorist groups are committing against civilians from Syria and Iraq to France and Belgium. We are fully committed to the international coalition’s efforts to combat this global threat. The escalation of conflicts nowadays is directly influenced by the influx of foreign terrorist fighters. We believe that the primary obligation to prevent the movements of foreign terrorist fighters lies primarily with the source countries, which have to spot and stop them at the earliest stages. Ukraine is actively contributing to global and regional efforts aimed at stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters by countering the recruitment and transit of terrorists, in line with the relevant resolutions. During the past year alone, eight ISIL transit points have been identified in Ukraine and shut down by the national security services. Twenty-one ISIL supporters have been detained and deported to their source countries. Over the past two years, about 600 foreign citizens have been denied entry into Ukraine on the basis of information about their involvement in ISIL activities. International terrorism and violent extremism threaten our core values and principles, including human rights, the rule of law, democracy, equal opportunity and freedom. It goes without saying that fighting these threats only through military means does not have a long-lasting effect. Eliminating their visible manifestations without removing their root causes propagates continuous outbreaks of terrorist attacks all over the world. In this regard, Ukraine would like to extend its full support for the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which has capped international endeavours in this field. Combating the activities of individual terrorists and terrorist groups will be insufficient if the problem of terrorist financing, including of State-sponsored terrorism, is not properly addressed. We underline the particular importance of effective efforts at both the international and national levels to prevent and counteract the financing of terrorist activities and terrorist organizations, as well as to ensure the ultimate prosecution and punishment of individuals or organizations that provide such funding in any form and by any methods. These efforts should be based on relevant United Nations legal instruments and those elaborated within the framework of the Financial Action Task Force. Ensuring the genuine  — and not merely declarative  — cooperation of States and the mutual assistance of their law enforcement agencies in preventing the financing of terrorism is the key to overcoming this phenomenon, which has become rampant at the regional and global levels. Any link between this crime and Government agencies or officials must trigger the international responsibility of States to prosecute the crime of financing terrorism. In this very context, I cannot fail to mention the topicality of this issue for Ukraine, which has been dealing with the challenge of terrorist activities in the Donbas region, carried out with the direct support of the Russian Federation, since 2014. The policy of terror against Ukrainian civilians in the Donbas is one of the dreadful hallmarks of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The terrorist component in the undeclared war against Ukraine is clearly visible and has become a fact of life of the occupied areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. During the past two years, Ukraine has received irrefutable evidence of the terrorist nature of the organizations known as the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic, and of the direct involvement of the Russian Federation in the fmancing, support and coordination of these terrorist groups, which have perpetrated numerous crimes and carried out terrorist activities against civilians, in particular in Mariupol, Volnovakha, Kramatorsk, Donetsk. Kharkiv and many other Ukrainian cities. The shocking reality is that foreign terrorist fighters, primarily from Russia, constitute a significant part of the approximately 40,000-strong illegal armed group fighting against the Government of Ukraine in the Donbas. Weapons and manpower continue to flow from Russia to Ukraine’s east through uncontrolled sections of the Ukrainian-Russian border. The observer mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe at the Russian checkpoints on the border has continuously reported high numbers of persons in military-style clothing crossing the border in both directions. In particular, since the beginning of the Mission’s operation in July 2014, over 26,000 crossings of this category have been reported by the mission from only two border crossing points. The Russian military continues to train terrorists and the fighters of illegal armed groups at the military camps set up in the occupied Crimea and parts of the Donbas, as well as in the Rostov, Belgorod and Tambov regions of the Russian Federation. Having been directly involved in all these terrorist activities, the Russian Federation is clearly violating its commitments undertaken in accordance with a set of legally binding international instruments on the prevention of and combating international terrorism, including the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, as well as relevant Security Council resolutions. Apart from that, Russia has launched a mass- media campaign aimed at the radicalization of the population in the occupied territories of the Donbas, which creates fertile ground for the spread of terrorist narratives. Moreover, the Russian media and nationalist circles glorify the Russian terrorist fighters as they depart to Ukraine and return to Russia, instead of being prosecuted. As for Crimea, yesterday the Russian occupation authorities adopted a decision to suspend altogether, and with immediate effect, the activities of the Majlis of the Crimean Tatars — their only legislative body. This is not just one more crime in the genocidal spree launched by Russia against the Crimean Tatars. This outrageous act by the aggressor country has a direct bearing on our debate today, for it will but further radicalize the already desperate and highly charged fabric of Crimean Tatars — the youth first of all — with consequences that are hard to predict. We call on the Security Council and the Secretary-General to unequivocally condemn this lawless act. We therefore consistently urge the international community to put additional pressure on the Russian Federation to stop war and terrorism in the heart of Europe. In recent decades, the international community has registered remarkable achievements in adopting legally binding instruments to counter terrorism. However, more should be done to prevent and combat this scourge. Our major task is to conclude the work on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, which would supplement the existing international legal counterterrorism framework and provide States with a useful tool. One of the major obstacles on this course is finding a clear definition for the act of terrorism. Resolving that problem would allow the international community to address more efficiently some outstanding issues related to bringing to account not only individual terrorists and organizations but also those States responsible for organizing, financing, encouraging, providing training or otherwise directly or indirectly supporting terrorist activities. Our view is that certain principles of the Geneva Declaration on Terrorism, adopted in 1987 by the International Conference on the Question of Terrorism, as well as the proposal put forward in 2007 in the Sixth Committee of the General Assembly, could be taken as the bases for a new legally binding instrument. Another aspect that increasingly warrants our close attention is the protection of critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks capable of disrupting the functioning of banking and finance, telecommunications, emergency services, air and rail transportation, energy and water supplies, and of causing numerous civilian casualties. Ukraine is of the opinion that the Security Council should expeditiously address this problem by mobilizing international efforts aimed at diminishing the mere possibility of such attacks. Ukraine strongly believes that one of the most important aspects of countering international terrorism is to commemorate its victims. Unless it remembers the lessons of the past and educates the generations to come about them, humankind will be doomed to repeat the dark chapters of its history. In this vein, I would like to recall the initiative of Ukraine with regard to the establishment of the international day of commemoration of the memory of the victims of terrorist acts. Finally, we see great merit in having the Council address the issue of the terrorism scourge on a regular and systematic basis, including this coming September at the highest possible level.

We welcome the initiative of the Chinese delegation to lead discussions on the most topical aspect of fighting terrorism in the framework of an open debate. We believe that it is very timely. Right now, with the fight against terrorism in Syria and Iraq in full swing, there is a clearer picture of the whole range of issues facing international counter-terrorism cooperation. We call for a frank and open discussion of those issues and a determination of where the capacities for their resolution lie. The steadily increasing activities of terrorist organizations is at the centre Council’s attention. Resolutions 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015) adapted United Nations mechanisms to the most recent threats from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Jabhat Al-Nusra, Al-Qaida and affiliated groups. The obligation of Governments in the implementation of sanctions regimes and in the suppression of illicit flows of financing and human resources to terrorists was stressed. At the same time, despite the declared convergence of positions and the existence of necessary tools for the Security Council, in practice, combatting international terrorism is far from ideal. The reasons lie largely in the unprecedented spread of that scourge in the Middle East and North Africa. In that region, carrying out external geopolitical schemes, accompanied by gross interference in the internal affairs of its States, led to an erosion of Government institutions and pumping resources into opposition forces and the uncontrolled spread of weapons and ammunition. It was triggered by an unprecedented surge in radicalization of local populations. Several countries are ready to use terrorists and extremists as a means of pressuring legitimate Governments, and double standards in appraising the activities of radicals have in the last analysis led to an outburst of groups such as ISIL and Jabhat Al-Nusra. These double standards are, unfortunately, obvious in the implementation of counter-terrorism decisions taken by the Security Council. The largest portion of oil products, artefacts and other items exported by ISIL from the territories it controls continues to be sold through Turkey, owing to its complacency or inaction. Turkey’s borders with Iraq and especially with Syria are the main transit routes for foreign terrorists fighters and weapons, most of which fall into the hands of the terrorists. In that regard, we believe it is relevant, in the name of counter-terrorism, to consider closing the Turkish-Syrian border. We might also want to consider levying a comprehensive economic and trade embargo against ISIL. If Turkey believes that it is doing everything necessary to curtail the flows of supplies to terrorists, that could be corroborated by independent monitors. We call on the Turkish Government to invite international observers to the Syrian border and the Ceyhan port, on a voluntary basis, for that purpose. To date, we have not seen any explanation for the bad-faith implementation by Turkey of its obligations under Security Council resolutions, other than Ankara’s desire to carry out its own agenda in Syria and Iraq. In future joint work, we need to take into account the specifics of terrorist threats, especially as they have taken shape in recent years. In that regard, we would necessarily underscore the threat of chemical terrorism. Fighters from various radical groups, as recently as this year, have used toxic chemical agents on several occasions. There is a known case of ISIL having used mustard gas in Deir ez-Zor. Russia has long expressed concern that terrorist groups, which are rampant in the Middle East, have obtained a formidable capacity to wage war using toxic substances. We believe that the Council has yet to exhaust all of its options to combat that threat. Yesterday, with our Chinese partners, we circulated a draft resolution to the Security Council, clarifying the counter-terrorism portion of the mandate of the joint investigative mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for incidents involving the use of chemical weapons in Syria, pursuant to resolution 2235 (2015). We hope that there will be a speedy adoption of the draft resolution by the Council. As of now, the main phase of the operations of Russian air forces against ISIL and other terrorist groups in Syrian territory has been completed. The objectives of the mission set out for the forces have been carried out successfully. The terrorists have suffered considerable damage and have been removed from a number of areas in the country. A striking symbol of ISIL’s retreat was the liberation of the ancient city of Palmyra by Syrian forces, with Russian support. However, to fully defeat the terrorists, much remains to be done. We once again call for strengthening of coordination and cooperation among States to defeat ISIL, Jabhat Al-Nusra and affiliated groups. That is necessary and should be done by dispensing with double standards, with the United Nations playing a central coordinating role and on the sound footing of international law. I necessarily have to comment on the statement made by the representative of Ukraine. Unfortunately, the Ukrainian delegation is once again using the Council to diffuse its anti-Russian propaganda. I believe that several of the statements made are absolutely scandalous. The Security Council does not benefit from that, and neither does the image of Ukrainian diplomacy. There is a need to stick to the agenda, which today does not contain an item on the settlement of the situation in Ukraine. The full-scale hostilities were begun in 2014 against the civilians in the eastern part of the country by the Kyiv politicians who came to power after a bloody coup d’état, and they continue to try to justify their actions unsuccessfully.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to you, Mr. President, for raising this timely and important topic. I would also like to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his insightful briefing. We witness almost every week terrorist attacks all over the world. In March alone, they occurred in Pakistan, Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Tunisia. I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families, as well as to the Governments and the peoples of each of those countries. Japan condemns terrorism in the strongest terms, and we are determined work with the international community to overcome terrorism. On Monday this week, in Hiroshima, the Group of Seven Foreign Ministers expressed their determination to stand united in countering terrorism in all its forms and wherever it occurs. The fight against terrorism requires diverse efforts. Today, I would like to focus on two issues. The first is foreign terrorist fighters. It is estimated that around 30,000 fighters, from more than 100 Member States, are attracted to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and their associated groups. In order to stem the flow of such fighters, it is important to implement all relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular, resolution 2178 (2014). Today, many of those fighters travel from their countries of origin to another country before travelling on to the final destination, which helps them avoid detection; that is called “broken travel”. In order to detect broken travel, it is necessary not only to obtain passport details through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS), but also to obtain passenger name records (PNR), which contain passengers’ booking information, such as their itineraries, the names of travelling companions and payment methods. The Permanent Representative of Uruguay already pointed out the importance of those systems. The Security Council recommends that Member States utilize both the APIS and the PNR systems as outlined in resolution 2178 (2014) and presidential statement S/PRST/2014/23, respectively. To my knowledge, only about a quarter of the 193 Member States have introduced APIS, and even fewer have introduced the PNR system. Only a small number of Member States have adopted those systems, which is not effective enough to detect broken travel. I therefore urge all Member States to introduce the systems as soon as possible. In that connection, I was very encouraged to hear from the delegation of France that the European Parliament approved the introduction of the PNR system today. No country is immune from terrorism. Japan is on high alert for the risk of terrorist attacks in preparing the upcoming important events that Japan will host, such as the Group of Seven Summit in May this year, the Rugby World Cup in 2019 and the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020. We are committed to enhancing counter-terrorism measures, so that people from around the world can feel safe and will be secure when visiting Japan on those occasions. The second aspect that I would like to address is the importance of tackling the root causes of terrorism. Many previous speakers, including my neighbour Malaysia, have also highlighted the importance of that aspect. Among the root causes, I wish to focus on how we can prevent violent extremism that can be conducive to terrorism. One possible way to prevent violent extremism is to provide assistance aimed at creating a society that does not give in to violent extremism. In that context, Japan attaches great importance to supporting women and girls so as to make societies more resilient. By empowering women, we can empower other members of their families and communities. To that end, Japan has continuously funded projects of UN-Women, as well as those of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. One of this year’s projects seeks to reinforce women’s leadership through their engagement in political dialogue in the Sahel region. I hope that women’s participation in political dialogue will contribute to building communities that are resilient against violent extremists, such as Boko Haram. Finally, I would like to stress that violent extremism has broad aspects in its nature, and so, preventing it requires a comprehensive approach, utilizing all the knowledge and experience of all United Nations agencies, funds and programmes. Japan commends and strongly supports the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), which provides the basis for an all-United Nations approach. The Plan of Action and an all-United Nations approach should be reflected in the review of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy to be held in June in the General Assembly. I wish to conclude by expressing Japan’s willingness to participate constructively in that debate.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your delegation’s initiative to convene this open debate to address this issue to which my country attaches particular importance, namely, the threats posed by terrorism to international peace and security. We also value the concept note (S/2016/306, annex) prepared by your delegation, which contains key elements for the discussion of this problem of global scope, with a view to intensifying international efforts to prevent, combat and eliminate this scourge. We also welcome the presence of and briefing by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and thank him for his valuable contribution to the topic of our deliberations today. As usual, my delegation supports the statement to be made shortly by the Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. Terrorism is not a new phenomenon, given the fact that its use has been a constant feature in various political conflicts in our modern history. However, in recent years, terrorism has assumed new dimensions, which greatly affect the manner in which it can be combatted. Terrorism in the Middle East has become an insurgency on the part of a sector of the population that uses terrorist methods to achieve their political goals. Those groups, actual armies, have been able to take advantage of unprecedented military and logistical capacities, which has enable their expansion into significant countries in the Middle East, North Africa and the Sahel, with significant impact even on other parts of the world, including Europe and Asia. The acts committed by terrorist groups endanger the territorial integrity and political unity of States, thereby contributing to the destabilization of legitimate Governments and violating their constitutional order, with the ultimate aim of overthrowing them. All of that not only produces adverse outcomes for the economic and social development of peoples, but also includes the destruction of their infrastructure and institutions. In that regard, we should ask ourselves what conditions are conducive to the spread of terrorism and violent extremism. The situation experienced today by the brotherly peoples of the Middle East and North Africa is no coincidence. It is due, in our opinion, to the military intervention by major Powers in Iraq in 2003 and in Libya in 2011, directed towards overthrowing the Governments of sovereign countries, which, in turn, created the conditions for Da’esh, Al-Qaida and Ansar al-Sharia, among others, to develop in those regions in order to implement their strategy of destruction, based on terror and denial of the Other. Today, the violent actions of these terrorist groups and their associated entities have inflicted sectarian violence on several African and Middle Eastern countries, leaving in their wake a trail of destruction, which is worsened by the fact that, shielded by a sectarian interpretation of religion, they are carrying out ethnic cleansing of vast areas of Iraq, Syria and Libya, among others. It is important to consider the effect that the military interventions in the wars since 2003 have had on the societies of those countries. Children who at the time of the interventions were six, seven or eight years old are the young people today, who are 20 or 25 years of age and have joined terrorist groups en masse. They were children in societies that in those years experienced a culture of death, a contempt for life, sectarianism and intransigeance. Terrorism and violent extremism are problems of a global scope that threaten international peace and security. This is reflected in the unprecedented threat represented today by the self-proclaimed Islamic State, which has been joined by at least 34 terrorist organizations from different regions of the world — not only in the Middle East and North Africa  — and is exacerbated by the grave phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters whereby more than 30,000 people, including women and young people, from at least 100 countries from different latitudes, have joined these terrorist groups, not to mention the threat posed by lone wolves. The use of violence and terrorism to subjugate societies, civilizations, religions and beliefs is taking on new forms, such as the recruitment of children, kidnapping, the destruction of the cultural heritage of humankind, slavery and sexual violence as a weapon of war, as well as the use of chemical weapons. However, deep down, those despicable practices, which have severely impacted civilians  — in particular ethnic and religious minorities and the most vulnerable groups whose human rights have been systematically and deliberately violated leading to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis — are still the result of practices that respond to intolerance, violent extremism and sectarianism. The experience of those actions paint a clear picture of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and the perpetrators of those actions must be brought to justice. Experience teaches us that terrorist groups feed on despair, injustice, frustration, lack of opportunities, the denial of human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly in devastated societies, to promote practices that resemble those of fascism, as well as their criminal, ideological and political agendas. Poverty; social and economic inequalities; political, ethnic and religious intolerance; and violations of the sovereignty of peoples and nations, among others, are also part of the so-called push factors of terrorism. In addition, protracted crises further exacerbate conflicts and serve as a breeding ground for violent extremism and terrorism to fuel organized transnational crime and to facilitate the flow, financing and training of foreign terrorist fighters, thereby enhancing terrorist organizations’ capacity for action. Hence the long-term solution to the threats posed today necessarily involves, among others, a political settlement of the conflicts in countries, such as Syria, Libya, Iraq and Palestine. We would like to draw the attention of the Security Council to the elements that are mentioned in the concept note and that we believe are crucial to be able to have an effective counter-terrorism strategy. First of all, we must determine how the terrorist groups have achieved such a military and logistical capacity. They are terrorist groups that have heavy weapons; they are terrorist groups that have missiles; they are terrorist groups that have chemical weapons. Who has given those weapons to those terrorist groups and who maintains them? The terrorist groups occupy wide swaths of territory in Iraq, Libya and Syria. They are capable of defeating and containing national armies from those countries and they are capable of resisting the actions of coalitions and other international efforts aimed at defeating them. Not only do they occupy and govern in those territories, but they also impose their fascist and extremist ideology. That is only possible with foreign support. Furthermore, terrorist and extremist groups also receive a great deal of financing, which is the result of the illicit trafficking in oil. It is not easy to sell oil illegally. There are mechanisms that are perfectly monitored by all international organizations, and we do not understand how they do not condemn or do not take clear action to put a stop to that financing of terrorist groups, which is the result of oil sales. To sell oil one must transport it and store it. It must be transported on ships. Therefore, the Security Council should act honestly on the basis of the resolutions that it has adopted in order to stop the illegal flow of those resources that fuel terrorism. In addition, we ask ourselves how it is possible that the international financing system, which is controlled and regulated by the large centres of power, is not capable of detecting and blocking those financial flows. We believe that this is an activity that should be tackled with genuine commitment. Another serious problem is the trafficking of small arms and light weapons. We have said that the Security Council must promote a resolution to prohibit the trafficking of small arms and light weapons, which is a euphemism because small arms and light weapons range from heavy submachine guns to missiles. However, in the area with that technical designation, we have allowed weapons to be distributed to violent non-State groups. Those violent non-State groups then become terrorist groups, which is what is happening and has happened in Syria, where non-State armed groups are trained, armed and equipped with advanced destructive technology and then go on to join Al-Nusra and other terrorist groups. In order to defeat the Government of President Muammar Al-Qadhafi, thousands of tons of weapons and munitions were distributed in Libya. Today they are in the hands of various militias and factions and have been distributed and spread in Africa, especially in the Sahel region, which is one of the main threats for the security of those brotherly countries in Africa. The issue of terrorism cannot be dealt with by using a double standard. We cannot instigate the creation of terrorist groups to defeat, combat and destabilize Governments. This is not the first time this has happened and experience has shown that these extremist groups then become a problem and a threat for the Governments that stimulated their creation. That was the case in Afghanistan and it is the case in Libya. We hope that we do not have to wait for documents to be declassified to understand that this was one of the main causes that has fuelled the current terrorist groups. Furthermore, the concept note draws attention to the use of social networks as an instrument to destabilize Governments. The use of that mechanism is nothing new. The fact that the tremendous and penetrating capacity of social networks to destabilize legitimate Governments is now being used has been condemned on various occasions. That happened in Iran and with other Governments. It is just that now terrorist groups also use that platform to spread their fascist and extremist ideology and recruit young people around the world. The fact that more than 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters have entered Syria has a great deal to do with the incitement that is carried out from countries of origin against specific Governments. That was the case of the brutal campaign in some European countries against Syria, which has led young people, for various reasons, to join the terrorist groups that are fighting the Government of President Bashar Al-Assad. We believe that the Security Council must act to combat this problem, because all of the social networks use technology platforms that are under the absolute control of the large information technology corporations. Finally, Venezuela condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There are no good or bad terrorists. We deplore the fact that the Security Council did not express regret when the terrorist group Da’esh occupied Palmyra last year and killed more than 500 people. They killed the archaeologist who was in charge of protecting this world cultural heritage and then began the destruction of the society of Palmyra. At the time, the Security Council was not able to deplore those acts. Nor was the Council, following the liberation of Palmyra, able to express its satisfaction at the liberation of the city of Palmyra and at the fact that its rebuilding had begun. The Security Council has the responsibility of condemning all terrorist acts, whether or not for any reason they favour their national interests. We believe that all countries are victims of such terrorist acts. On a daily basis, Syria, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan and European countries all are affected by this phenomenon, which we must condemn. Terrorism is a violent expression of the fascist extremist ideology with clear political objectives. Hence the response of the Security Council must be a political and military one. The Council has the responsibility of preventing conflicts that due to a lack of political response, as in the case of Palestine and Western Sahara, could turn into violent conflicts and even lead to the expansion of terrorism as a result of the frustration and despair of those peoples. Lastly, our country supports an inclusive United Nations counter-terrorism strategy that would be the result of a broad-based debate in the General Assembly and in which the Security Council, as the organ responsible for international peace and security, would take part constructively, in strict adherence to the Charter of the United Nations, international law and in particular international humanitarian law.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of China. China thanks Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his briefing. Currently, international terrorist activities are rampant. Terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Qaida are now better organized, and terrorists move across borders more frequently. They have a great variety of financing channels and are increasingly using new technologies such as the Internet and social media to spread their extremist ideas and engage in terrorist activities, thus posing a grave threat to international peace and security. Terrorism is the common enemy of humankind. The international community should increase its cooperation and take effective countermeasures while formulating new and targeted initiatives in the light of emerging trends and characteristics in the evolution of terrorism. The international community should use political, economic and cultural means in an integrated manner to address both the symptoms and the root causes of terrorism. In this connection, China wishes to make the following six points. First, it is necessary to increase political input in counterterrorism and forge a greater international consensus. The effects of terrorism transcend national boundaries. No country can deal with it on its own, and no country is immune to it. The international community should adhere to uniforms standard in counterterrorism and combat it with zero tolerance and no differentiation. All terrorist activities, under whatever pretext, against which our country and by whatever means, must be firmly suppressed. Terrorism should not be linked to any particular ethnic group or religion. In the fight against terrorism, the leading role of the United Nations and its Security Council in particular must be given full play. The purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations must be complied with and effective coordination enhanced so as to form a united international front against terrorism, suppress terrorists relentlessly and put them under great pressure. Secondly, we must block the flow of terrorists across borders and be vigilant in an effective fight against those who return. The frequent movement of foreign terrorist fighters across borders constitutes a grave threat to the security of countries of origin, transit and destination. The international community must pay great attention to this problem, and the countries concerned should cooperate closely so as to strengthen border control and step up law-enforcement cooperation. They should create databases for counter- terrorism as soon as possible, share intelligence and destroy networks that facilitate the flow of terrorists. All of the parties concerned should enhance communication, provide intelligence support for one another and step up law-enforcement cooperation so as to effectively respond to the threat of returning terrorists and ensure that terrorists are severely punished wherever they may try to seek safe haven. Thirdly, update the means of response and effectively suppress the use of the Internet and social media for terrorism. The Internet and social media have now become an important platform for terrorist organizations. The international community should, in the light of the characteristics of cyberspace, adopt effective measures to resolutely combat the criminal activities of terrorist groups, including posting audio and video materials on the Web to disseminate extremist ideology, raising funds, promoting materials, recruiting for terrorist attacks and planning terrorist activities. All parties must comprehensively implement the relevant Security Council resolutions, strengthen the regulation of the Internet and suppress the use of the Internet for terrorist activities. The relevant organs of the United Nations should identify the right breaking points and points of action and come up with new ideas and initiatives to promote international cooperation and strengthen coordination in cyberregulation. Fourthly, there is a need to strengthen comprehensive cooperation and eliminate sources of funds and weapons for terrorists. Terrorist groups such as ISIL depend heavily on the exploitation of natural resources as a way to finance their operations. The international community should effectively implement resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), among others; strengthen cooperation in the regulation of the financial and other sectors; and effectively prevent terrorist groups from raising funds through trafficking in oil and cultural relics. Countries should be highly vigilant against the real threat of nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism, strengthen their coordination and cooperation, focus on scaling up the security of the relevant materials, boosting international information-sharing and improving the relevant laws and regulations so as to close the Internet channels by which terrorist organizations attempt to acquire nuclear, biological and chemical materials. Fifthly, intensify prevention and upstream checkpoints in the fight against terrorism. All countries must give serious attention to the dissemination of violent extremism and incitement of national and religious hatred by terrorist organizations, in an effort to comprehensively implement Security Council resolution 1624 (2005). Countries should adopt robust legislation to effectively combat incitement to terrorism, and suppress, according to the law, the dissemination of violent extremist ideas. Sixthly, countries should work together to build a new type of international relations with win-win cooperation at its core; establish a common, holistic cooperative and sustainable security concept; resolutely promote global security governance; promote universal development and prosperity; and engage in cultural exchange so as to achieve harmony while respecting differences among different cultures. Countries should treat each other as equals, drawing inspiration from each other in order to create a social and cultural atmosphere in which different nations, cultures and religions coexist harmoniously. Attention should be given to promoting the political settlement of regional conflicts, maintaining an international environment conducive to peace, stability and sustained development and eliminating the breeding grounds for terrorism at an early date. China is an important member of the international counter-terrorism camp. The East Turkestan terrorist forces, represented by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, is a real threat facing China today. In recent years, the East Turkestan terrorism movement has been constantly inciting and organizing terrorist activities that have seriously threatened not only China’s national security, but also regional security and stability. The Chinese President, Mr. Xi Jinping, has stressed that China will fight terrorists on both the domestic and the international fronts simultaneously and will further enhance its international counter-terrorism cooperation. In that regard, China has established counter-terrorism cooperation mechanisms with over 10 countries and engaged in substantive cooperation with them. China is also deeply involved in multilateral cooperation mechanisms, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, thus making an important contribution to the international fight against terrorism. China will continue to take an active part in and push forward bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, scale up counter-terrorism intelligence sharing and provide, to the best of its ability, matériel and capacity-building assistance in the fight against terrorism to other developing countries. China is willing to continue to uphold the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation on an equal footing, work with all other countries, strengthen exchanges and cooperation, and strive to advance cooperation on international counter-terrorism in order to enable us to build a tightly woven network against terrorist organizations and forces, which will leave no blind spot for terrorism, thus ensuring regional and global peace and security. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I wish to remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than four minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. I would also like to appeal to speakers to deliver their statements at a reasonable speed so that interpretation may be provided accurately. I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Mr. President, I would like to greatly thank your delegation for having convened this debate. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. I would like to begin by reiterating that my country firmly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Likewise, we are trying to adopt effective measures against terrorism, at the national, regional and international levels, while fully respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. All States have an obligation to act in strict compliance with international law, in particular the Charter of the United Nations, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law. It is crucial that terrorism not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. Political, religious and community leaders must guarantee that messages issued about terrorism and how to tackle it promote tolerance, respect and the culture of peace, avoiding the dissemination of xenophobic and discriminatory messages. Since 2002, Mexico has led the initiative on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism (General Assembly resolution 68/178), both in New York and Geneva. General Assembly resolution 70/148 reiterates the commitment of the international community to respect its obligations in that sphere. It also reiterates the importance of civil society and humanitarian organizations, as well as the right to privacy and the participation of women, in formulating counter- terrorist measures. In the light of the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which is to take place in June, I would like to make the following four specific points: First, greater coherence and coordination are needed among the various United Nations offices that make up the Strategy. That means reviewing the Strategy’s architecture and the definition of mandates. Secondly, we must improve communication and coordination between the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. Thirdly, it is important to guarantee that the efforts of the Strategy are properly based on the four action pillars, incorporating a broader agenda in terms development, security and respect for human rights. Fourthly, we must always favour a preventive approach. That means addressing the causes that lead to terrorism through two main actions: enhancing the capacity-building of States and strengthening development. While it is understandable that we are trying to prevent violent extremism so as to avoid the proliferation of terrorism, it is crucial to think about the implications. Mexico is concerned by the temptation to merge the two concepts, which could lead to an overly broad application of counter-terrorist measures and potentially punish types of behaviour that under no circumstances can be described as terrorist acts.

I now give the floor to the representative of Saudi Arabia.

First, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for presiding over the Security Council for this month. I am sure that your able leadership and experience will produce positive results. Allow me to express our appreciation for the convening of this high-level open debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing, which was most valuable. Terrorism is one of the most significant challenges facing various communities, individuals and States, whatever their religion or ethnicity may be. It is a phenomenon that garners significant financing and is an obstacle to development. Terrorism knows no nationality nor country of origin. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasizes once again, therefore, its rejection and condemnation of all terrorist acts, in all forms and manifestations, whatsoever their objectives may be. They are heinous crimes rejected by Islam, crimes without any basis or foundation. We reiterate the fact that extremely violent hate crimes that terrorize Muslims across the world are being committed. Some believe that these Muslims are responsible for the actions of terrorists. Such a belief is unjust, creates discrimination against Muslims, and increases both the danger of terrorism as well as its spread. We reiterate the importance of our cooperation and participation in international and bilateral efforts to combat terrorism and its financing, as well as to extirpate the roots of this phenomenon, in particular the application of all Security Council resolutions relevant to the fight against terrorism. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is working to combat terrorism and has always rejected the phenomenon at the national and international levels. We have grappled with it nationally and condemned it internationally. We have also worked to curtail its sources of funding. Those efforts include the criminalization of acts of terrorism, incitement to terrorism and travel to conflict zones, and measures to address terrorism financing. My country’s efforts illustrate the importance of protecting local communities against terrorists, and putting a stop to terrorist cells. Security measures have enabled us to be proactive in fighting attempts to spread terrorism and to combat those who finance it, who represent an equally important threat. The Saudi public has roundly rejected terrorism. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has played a leading role at the international level in calling on the international community to combat terrorism. We have called for the adoption of a global action plan in the framework of international legislation so as to eradicate terrorism and to uphold the sovereignty, security and stability of countries. We have hosted several international conferences on this topic, and participated in the creation of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre. Furthermore, we recently announced our contribution of $10 million to establish a specialized centre for nuclear counterterrorism at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters. Moreover, we announced a contribution of €500,000 to the modernization of the IAEA laboratories in Seibersdorf. In addition, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to support the international resolutions on nuclear peace, having ratified the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material. We are also members of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The Muslim world is the first to suffer from the impact of official, organized terrorism arising from the occupation and seizure of land and property, as well as terrorism that uses religion as a pretext. There has been a failure to denounce the official organized terrorism perpetrated by Israel and the impunity it enjoys with regard to the crimes committed by its colonial army and terrorist settlers. Those crimes include systematic killings, occupation, Judaization and ethnic cleansing, all of which may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. The failure to condemn such terrorism ultimately leads to its exacerbation and spread. Moreover, the policy of double standards adopted by some countries and the upholding of the interests of the strongest — setting aside equality — are all factors that serve to exacerbate violence, terrorism and extremism. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has adopted a very firm position with its Arab brothers against the policy of interference adopted by Iran in the Arab region. That policy seeks to amplify conflicts and crises in the region, export the revolution and create conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, violence and terrorism that uses religion as a pretext. That policy seeks to destabilize the region and to support terrorists and intercommunal conflicts. It also seeks to support militias, armies and terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, and other religious militias. Iran has also created terrorist groups in Bahrain that are trained and financed by the Guardians of the Revolution. Furthermore, Iran continues its attempts to smuggle explosive materials and weapons into Yemen. That is a flagrant violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Following the exacerbation of the terrorist threat in various Muslim countries, we announced the creation of an Islamic alliance composed of 34 countries to combat terrorism. The alliance will be an effective international partner at all levels — cultural, ideological, financial and technological — to strengthen security. The alliance will be a solid force against terrorist organizations. Moreover, my country is ready to participate in any international effort to eradicate Da’esh and Al-Qaida in Syria and any other country. On numerous occasions, my delegation has warned about the despicable crimes perpetrated by spoilers in Syria and foreign groups that use religion as a pretext there and create conditions conducive to the spread of the actions of Da’esh and the Al-Nusra Front, and have exacerbated terrorism in the region. I wish to call attention to the fact that in spite of the unstinting efforts made to stop acts of aggression in Syria, which have been committed in violation of resolutions 2254 (2015) and 2268 (2016), Syrian forces have violated the cessation of hostilities 900 times, leading to the deaths of more than 150 civilians. Furthermore, Syrian forces have targeted hospitals, schools and civilians, and used such indiscriminate weapons as barrel bombs. They continue to besiege civilians and impede the transport of humanitarian assistance. The pursuit of such actions could undermine the agreement on a cessation of hostilities. We reiterate that the fight against terrorism in Syria and the region is inextricably linked to a political solution on a provisional Government entity, in line with the first Geneva communiqué (S/2012/523, annex). Such an entity would have operational global prerogatives and lay the foundations for the future of Syria  — a Syria that rejects terrorism, violence, intolerance and extremism, and that has no place for those who have killed Syrian people. The protection of civilians against occupation and systematic killings, the rejection of the spread of sectarian and ethnic conflicts, and the upholding of international instruments are not merely moral obligations; rather, they are vital prerequisites, the absence of which would lead to the spread of terrorism. Such actions should enjoy priority among international counter-terrorism efforts. My country’s delegation will therefore maintain its international cooperation in order to ensure the security and stability of the region and the maintenance of international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Hungary.

I wish first to thank China for organizing this very important open debate. Hungary, of course, aligns itself with the statement to be delivered later on behalf of the European Union, but I should like to say a few words in my national capacity. Hungary truly believes that terrorism is a global problem that has to be tackled globally. We always say that terrorists cannot win, and we can counter terrorism only through the broadest possible international cooperation and with the help fo a comprehensive set of instrucments, ranging from security measures to preventive tools. Hungary believes that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomever they are committed. Terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. Hungary believes that the United Nations is the best placed to play a leading role in the coordination of international counter-terrorism cooperation. It is the best placed to assess and monitor international priorities, set international strategies and policies, and play an important role in capacity-building. In this regard, we fully support the all-of-United Nations approach laid out in the Secretary- General’s recent Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism. We also believe that the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy will offer a unique opportunity to reach consensus on the robust framework of international cooperation and coordination that is needed to counter terrorism today. Hungary supports all international and regional efforts aimed at cutting off the sources of terrorism. The Hungarian criminal code criminalizes terrorism financing and money-laundering for such purposes. We believe that the efforts and specific activities of the relevant financial intelligence units of Member States must be harmonized on the basis of shared information and joint investigations, as appropriate, to more effectively hamper the capacity of terrorist organizations to function and survive. The most recent tragedies in Brussels have also painfully reminded us of the importance of curbing the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. More effective border control is needed if we are to be able to manage the security threat caused by foreign terrorist fighter returnees. Interoperable databases and real-time information-sharing should help more us to effectively monitor the travel of foreign terrorist fighters and ensure swift action by all stakeholders when needed. A comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy cannot be based solely on security measures. Enhanced preventive measures are also critical elements for success. Good governance, the rule of law, full respect for human rights, quality education, youth participation, intercultural dialogue all play an important role in preventing radicalization. We must also engage all members of society, including religious leaders, women leaders, leaders in the arts, music and sports in this regard. One of the greatest challenges of our time is to create an Internet that is a free and safe environment for our children and youth and prevents terrorists from exploiting the Internet for their own purposes. We must learn from examples of responsible online activism that effectively engages young people to contribute to inclusive societies and a sustainable future for all. We support all efforts aimed at confronting terrorists’ distorted propaganda, including the activities of those Muslim communities, Islamic leaders, imams and other Islamic opinion-leaders who commit their actions to making a clear difference between Islam as a religion and Da’esh propaganda, which goes against it. We are also pleased that various service and content providers are open to cooperating with the international community when terrorist online content is reported to them.

I give the floor to Mr. António. Mr. António: Allow me first of all to congratulate you, Sir, upon your assumption of the Security Council presidency for this month, and for convening this important and very timely debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his very insightful briefing. Today’s debate is taking place against the backdrop of ever-increasing challenges in the area of peace and security due to the rise of terrorism and violent extremism. The recent terrorist attacks in many capitals of the world, which shocked the conscience of the international community, came as a further illustration of the magnitude of the challenges at hand. I reiterate the African Union’s strong and unequivocal rejection of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as its strong condemnation of all terrorist acts, which cannot be justified under any circumstances. I once again express the continent’s solidarity with the affected countries and victims, whose plight should be fully acknowledged and addressed. It is also our strong belief that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or civilization. Likewise, terrorism should not be equated with the legitimate struggle of peoples under foreign occupation to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination. In Africa, terrorism and violent extremism still represent the most serious threat to peace and security. This threat has, in the past decade, assumed greater proportions by expanding geographically and displaying unprecedented levels of violence in various parts of the continent. In the face of these challenges, the African Union (AU) and its regional mechanisms have remained committed and actively engaged in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. The relevant AU policy organs have articulated a comprehensive framework for the implementation of AU and international counter-terrorism instruments in Africa. The 1999 Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Terrorism and its 2004 Supplementary Protocol, as well as the 2002 plan of action and the establishment of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, continue to provide a sound legal and institutional basis for enhanced cooperation among member States. The African Union has also undertaken numerous capacity-building initiatives to enhance the capacity of its member States to combat terrorism. The commitment of the African Union was further demonstrated during the recent Summit of the AU Peace and Security Council, held on 29 January, which, among other things, reviewed the AU efforts against terrorism. The Summit reaffirmed the continued relevance of the instruments adopted by the Organization of African Unity and the AU in past years and called for renewed efforts to combat extremism and radicalizing religious interpretations that foster intolerance and violence. The Summit also agreed to pursue and intensify efforts to support the establishment of regional cooperation mechanisms aimed at addressing specific transnational threats in different parts of the continent. In that regard, it is worth recalling that a number of security cooperation mechanisms have already been established to encourage better coordination and information exchange among member States, notably within the frameworks of the Nouakchott Process, the Sahel Fusion and Liaison Unit, the Djibouti Process for Eastern Africa, and the Eastern Africa Fusion and Liaison Unit. In that regard, the progress made on the ground by the troop-contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia in the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab should be acknowledged and fully supported in every way by the international community. Any reduction in its resources will have a very bad impact on the gains realized so far. The recent operationalization of the African Mechanism for Police Cooperation will also greatly enhance the continent’s capacity to address the threat posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime. With regard to the issue of financing terrorism, the African Union has frequently expressed its deep concerns about the reported financial flows coming from outside the continent in support of terrorist and extremist groups, and has stressed the importance of investigating the matter in order to determine the extent of the problem and make recommendations on how to address it comprehensively. It should also be noted that the African Union prohibits the payment of ransoms in exchange for hostages and requests that such acts be considered crimes. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the commitment of the AU to fully shouldering its share of the responsibility in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. We should also be mindful of the fact that we all have that responsibility and that we must act collectively to confront this scourge, which not only undermines international peace and security but also the very values and principles that have long characterized our diverse and democratic societies.

I now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

I would like to thank the Chinese presidency of the Council for its initiative in holding today’s open debate and for the concept note accompanying it (S/2016/306, annex). Effective and comprehensive action in the face of threats such as terrorism, violent extremism and foreign terrorist fighters is becoming increasingly urgent. Every day we see people from various countries and regions around the world fighting in conflicts that are totally alien to them or for violent causes in situations far from their native lands. The ways in which terrorism, violent extremism and hate speech have recently spread affects our ability, and that of future generations, to live together. We have an ongoing duty to build social and cultural environments that do not glorify violence. Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, ethnic group, community or nationality, and we must therefore join forces to combat terrorism comprehensively and objectively. All our actions should be based firmly on respect for international standards and the rule of law. That is the only way we can make progress and thereby prevent this threat from continuing and growing stronger in future. As the Secretary-General said earlier, it is only when we respect the standards of human rights and international humanitarian law that we can ensure that the strategies we use to fight this scourge do not become counterproductive and worsen the effect on the communities we want to protect. Colombia is part of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and promotes the adoption, implementation and application of the various international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, as well as the relevant Security Council resolutions, as an effective way of preventing, sanctioning and eliminating terrrorism through close cooperation. The strong links between terrorism and the various forms and manifestations of transnational organized crime have enabled terrorist organizations to expand both their size and scope. The international community must deal effectively with the economy of terrorism, with particular emphasis on its finances and the laundering of the proceeds from its illicit activities. The shared challenge to us all that terrorism represents is evolving daily, and we can fight it only through the concerted efforts of Member States and our Organization. As the concept note indicates, the gravity and importance of a phenomenon such as this make it vital that the Security Council shoulder its principal responsibility for addressing international peace and security and promote cooperation with the General Assembly and the Secretariat, with a view to joining forces for efforts that can lead to terrorism’s definitive neutralization and to the climate of international peace and security that the world needs if it is to make progress on development. The fight against terrorism cannot succeed in the continued absence of a general convention on international terrorism. Years of discussion have already been expended on efforts to formulate such a convention, and the seriousness of the problem of international terrorism demands that act urgently to make the necessary decisions, however difficult they may be. A convention would enable us to complement existing instruments, bridge gaps that remain and strengthen the internationally binding legal mechanisms for tackling this crime. Columbia emphasizes how important it is to promote open and inclusive consultations in this multilateral forum in order to achieve a speedy agreement on a general convention, and we believe that a consensus text would be a sign of the commitment of all Member States to the shared benefit that the elimination of terrorism represents.

I now give the floor to the representative of India.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today’s open debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Today, terrorism is a global phenomenon that no country or society can remain immune or indifferent to. According to authoritative accounts, 2,850 people have lost their lives, and nearly 4,000 more have been injured, in terrorist-related violence in 38 countries during the first three months of this year alone. In effect, terrorism is extracting a deadly price. We therefore welcome your initiative in holding this debate as one step in a global approach to a collective challenge. While the international community has made progress in evolving a rule-based order for managing many aspects of globalization, it still has some way to go in addressing evolving security threats such as terrorism. Today terrorists are globally networked. They have expanded their footprint and mutated into hydra-headed monsters. Alas, the international community’s counter-terrorism efforts are still in an embryonic form. The United Nations is uniquely placed to provide the platform necessary for real cooperation and coordination in our common fight against terrorism. Such cooperation should include establishing standards and making rules as well as formulating practical and specific ways to counter terrorism. That is why we feel that the actions of the Security Council alone, however effective they may be in responding to identified threats, cannot provide a sufficient response to the global scourge of terror. To put the counter-terror efforts that many Governments now undertake in a broader normative construct, the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism is an imperative. It would put in place a framework that enables local action to fit with global norms. It would generate coherence in national responses against what is a challenge to all of us collectively. Even as we work to advance the prospects of a normative framework in the form of a comprehensive convention, there are several other steps that can be taken to delegitimize terrorism. First, we agree with the proposition in the concept note (S/2016/306, annex) that all terrorist acts are criminal, no matter whenever, wherever or by whomsoever they are committed. The world today does not accept any cause as justification for terrorism. Every outcome document referring to terrorism therefore needs to reinforce this approach. Statements of solidarity when attacks happen and expressions of policy independent of happenings have a value that is often underestimated. Secondly, frameworks such as the Financial Action Task Force, which sets standards with respect to combating money laundering and terrorist financing or the Egmont Group, which is an informal network of financial intelligence units, are important elements in degrading and defeating terrorist organizations. Thirdly, we need to effectively control upstream and downstream activities associated with terrorism and also address the ecosystem that spawns terrorism. We therefore support the formulation of a legal framework to criminalize foreign terrorist fighters. Fourthly, in terms of tangible support, the Security Council’s sanctions committees need to foster greater responsiveness to Member States’ requests for preventive listings to counter terror. They also need to follow up complaints against violations by listed individuals and entities more vigorously. Fifthly, the procedures of unanimity and anonymity of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999),1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida,and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), need to be revisited. Currently, they result in a lack of accountability under the cloak and garb of unanimity and anonymity. Each of the 15 members now has a veto and none except these 15 members is told which it is that has wielded the veto in a specific instance. The general membership of the United Nations is never, ever formally informed of how and why requests for listing terrorists are not acceded to. Counter-terror mechanisms such as the sanctions committees, which act on behalf of the international community, need to build trust, not engender impunity by the use of this form of a hidden veto. I hope that deliberations of this debate will feed in positively to the ongoing consolidation of the comprehensive convention on international terrorism and the upcoming discussions on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Although we have made progress on some fronts, forging a broad-based consensus on an issue like countering terrorism is a test we have yet to pass at the United Nations. Yet, it is also a test that none of us can afford to fail.

There are still a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. I intend, with the concurrence of the members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m.