S/PV.7670 Security Council

I wish to remind all speakers to kindly 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 the texts in writing 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 the interpretation can be provided accurately. I now give the floor to the representative of Sweden.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of Denmark, Finland, Norway and my own country, Sweden. At the outset, I would like to welcome the initiative of the Chinese presidency to hold this open debate, which is timely, especially in the light of the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. I would also like to thank the Secretary- General for his excellent briefing this morning. The scourge of terrorism continues to plague our societies. Last month, eight cities across Africa, Asia and Europe were targeted by terrorist attacks — attacks against the very foundation of peaceful, democratic and open societies. In times like these, there is a risk that we allow divisiveness, fear and hatred to get the upper hand. Political rhetoric is calling for banning Muslims from entering our territories or for equating Syrian refugees with terrorists. We must resist all forms of scapegoating or fearmongering. Targeting a certain religion, region, nationality or ethnic group plays right into the hands of the terrorist ideology that we seek to counter. A comprehensive and balanced implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is needed. All four pillars should be given emphasis. First, we need to continue to strengthen measures to enhance security. Killing is killing, regardless of any ideology invoked in its defence, and terrorism is a crime, whatever its cause. It is essential to ensure without delay the full implementation of Security Council resolutions on the financing of terrorists, on foreign terrorist fighters and on sanctions. Secondly, we need to put more emphasis on two pillars that are often overlooked, namely, dealing with the conditions conducive to terrorism, and ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law. They are essential to making our work against terrorism sustainable over the long-term, as well. The Secretary-General’s Plan of Action on the Prevention of Violent Extremism is both timely and critical. We all agree that dealing with the root causes of violent extremism and radicalization is essential. In that regard, the initiative launched by the United Nations Development Programme Regional Bureau for Africa, “Preventing and responding to violent extremism in Africa: A development approach”, is a good example of how development initiatives can make a contribution. Thirdly, ensuring a tailor-made implementation at different levels will be key. Regionally, the United Nations system must work with organizations, such as the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Those organizations bring added value, given their networks, established programmes and the internal collaboration among their member States. Nationally, the United Nations must work closely with Governments and stand ready to support the development of national action plans, when invited. Locally, the potential for working with civil society must be fully realized. Women’s groups, youth networks and faith-based organizations play a fundamental role in promoting the kind of tolerance, dialogue and inclusion that is essential if we hope to succeed in preventing violent extremism and terrorism. Finally, a better coordinated United Nations approach is necessary, so as to utilize scarce resources efficiently and to support countries in capacity-building. The interconnectedness of the decisions of the Security Council, the actions of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counterterrorism, and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate with the other parts of the United Nations system, including funds and programmes, should be strengthened. Terrorists seek to divide communities and spread fear. Dialogue is the best long-term method for neutralizing the divisive forces of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia. No one is born a terrorist. The strongest counter-narrative against polarization is inclusion. At this critical point in time, we must be resolute and stand united. In June, we will have an opportunity to demonstrate our unity, adopt a comprehensive approach and reaffirm our support for the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We hope that we can seize that opportunity.

I now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Switzerland thanks the Chinese presidency for having convened this open debate. We would like to take this opportunity to emphasize two elements: first, the importance of prevention in countering terrorism and violent extremism, and secondly, the recent Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism, which was organized by Switzerland and the United Nations. Terrorism continues to spread around the globe. It constitutes one of the gravest threats to international peace and security, aggravated still further by the emergence of terrorist groups like Da’esh, which control vast swathes of territory, the people who live there and their resources. In our battle against terrorism, we must make use of preventive as well as punitive measures. Preventing terrorism and violent extremism means stepping up efforts to promote the rule of law, human rights and, in situations of armed conflicts, international humanitarian law. Fighting against terrorism through the prevention of violent extremism is a priority for Switzerland, a fact that is given concrete expression in the Swiss framework of commitments to peace, security, development and human rights. We are convinced that national security is inextricably interwoven with human security and human rights, and secondly, that preventing violent extremism is the most effective way of countering terrorism. In order to underline our commitment to prevention, Switzerland has developed a foreign policy plan of action for the prevention of violent extremism. We welcome the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which gives renewed energy to United Nations prevention activities and to pillars I and IV of the 2006 United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. On 7 and 8 April, Switzerland, with the United Nations, organized the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism. The Conference, attended by 125 Member States, gave participants the opportunity to present their views on the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action. The Conference helped to highlight the need for a more comprehensive and balanced approach to tackling terrorism, which includes systematic measures to prevent violent extremism. The participants recalled that security solutions alone cannot solve the problem of terrorism and reiterated that violent extremism cannot, and should not, be linked to any particular religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. Moreover, the Conference offered an opportunity to stress the importance of the first and fourth pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, ahead of its review to be held in June in New York. Other results of the discussion at the Conference can be found in the Co-Chairs’ conclusions, which were circulated at the end of the Conference. We hope that the Conference is able to provide a valuable contribution following these discussions in the Council.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines.

The Philippines thanks the Chinese presidency of the Security Council for convening this open debate. Without a doubt, terrorism and violent extremism are two of the biggest threats to international security. Our individual and collective actions must, therefore, rest on two parallel tracks: prevention and countering its spread. The two are not mutually exclusive and must be taken simultaneously for our efforts to be effective. The Philippines advocates a whole-nation approach to countering and preventing terrorism and violent extremism within our borders. It entails engaging non-traditional Government agencies, academe and the private sector in implementing community-awareness campaigns and target-hardening programmes. The Philippines is also proactively engaged in various domestic undertakings to strengthen its counterterrorism preparedness. We continue to pass laws aimed at assisting in combating terrorism and violent extremism. The anti-money laundering law and anti-terrorist financing law were passed and amended to further strengthen our counter-terrorism and counterviolent-extremism efforts. The Human Security Act of 2007, our landmark law against terrorism and violent extremism, is undergoing its final phase of review. We have also been collaborating with country partners, through bilateral talks, agreements and joint projects, and with international organizations to ensure that our front-line agencies and offices have an integrated and synchronized approach to countering terrorism and violent extremism and are abreast of international developments. Here at the United Nations, the Philippines, together with 10 other countries, are members of the Group of Friends of Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear Risk Mitigation and Security Governance, which seeks to shine a spotlight on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear issues, including those that relate to terrorism and violent extremism. Information sharing plays a key role, not only in ensuring greater coordination, but also in enhancing intelligence sharing among Government agencies. We established the Philippines Regional Anti-Terrorism Council Convergence Groups in the various regions of the country, which are tasked with ensuring a rapid response to any potential threat. An Inter-Agency Working Group on Persons of Interest and Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Conflict Areas has devised a plan of action on information collection, collation and processing. We intend to establish a special investigations committee on foreign terrorist fighters to study what penal laws would enable us to prosecute those who travel for terrorism or related training, pursuant to resolution 2178 (2014). On the prevention side, the Philippines continues to develop its capacity to detect and prevent insider threats from homegrown violent extremists. We support grassroots-based efforts to help communities understand how to protect themselves against extremists or terrorist propaganda. Deradicalization programmes are being strengthened through partnerships with local religious leaders and religious schools to improve their capability to promote moderate or tolerant religious teachings. The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism has also been assisting us in that effort. We have started a comparative research study on radicalization in Zamboanga City in Mindanao in an effort to identify and isolate the drivers or motivating forces that lure the vulnerable sector to become violent extremists. Through the study, we are working on a conceptual model of the radicalization of communities that could strengthen our preventive efforts. As we review the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy in June, it is our hope that we will be able to infuse new and effective ideas into our collective approach that will ensure long-term success in our fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Australia also welcomes the timely initiative of the People’s Republic of China in convening this open debate. The debate takes place during a time of great challenges posed by terrorist organizations, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida, and other non-State actors threatening the global order. Australia strongly condemns all acts of terrorism, wherever committed and whatever the purported motivation. Terrorism’s growing transnational nature, including recruitment, facilitation and funding, and the indiscriminate nature of attacks and victims underscores the importance of international cooperation to combat that pernicious threat. The United Nations has a unique international role to play in preventing and fighting terrorism. Its conventions and resolutions on terrorism have set valuable international norms and established legal instruments. United Nations sanctions regimes are also an important enforcement tool, particularly in disrupting the sources of terrorist financing. Australia has established invaluable counterterrorism partnerships in forums such as the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, and the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund. We also continue to work bilaterally with various country partners, helping to build their capacity to combat terrorism. Australia also strongly supports the critical role of community groups and civil-society organizations in countering violent extremism and extremist messages. We need to counter the narrative from terrorist groups such as Da’esh, which have been using social media to spread their destructive ideology. Governments need to work together to contest the social media space. We also need to engage the private sector and industry, because of their significant role in countering violent extremism and extremist messages. We also need to create an environment that is conducive to social and religious tolerance, harmony and cohesion. The issue of foreign terrorist fighters is one of great concern to Australia, with an estimated 25,000 foreign terrorist fighters originating from over 100 Member States involved in the conflict in Syria and Iraq. Australia continues to advocate for full implementation of resolution 2178 (2014), which focuses international attention on the foreign terrorist fighter threat. Australia supports the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. In particular, we welcome the Plan’s call for countries to develop national and regional plans to prevent violent extremism. The Plan aligns well with Australia’s strategy for countering violent extremism and provides a framework for advancing the outcomes of Australia’s Regional Summit to Counter Violent Extremism held in Sydney in June 2015. Looking ahead, the June Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review will be another key opportunity to ensure that our international efforts to combat terrorism are the best they can be. Australia remains firmly committed to working at all levels to bolster international action against terrorism. We urge Member States to ensure that any measures taken comply with the Charter of the United Nations and their other obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law.

I now give the floor to the representative of Brazil.

I would like to start by thanking the People’s Republic of China for organizing this open debate and by thanking the Secretary- General for his briefing. This meeting provides a timely opportunity to exchange views on how to enhance international efforts to prevent and fight terrorism. The United Nations is the appropriate forum to identify ways and means to tackle that global threat. Discussions that took place just a few days ago at the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism also provide useful inputs for the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Brazil is a country committed to the elimination of the scourge of terrorism. The Brazilian Constitution establishes the repudiation of terrorism as one of the guiding principles for our foreign policy. Moreover, Brazil is a signatory to 14 international legal instruments against terrorism negotiated under the auspices of the United Nations. Our commitment to effectively preventing and countering terrorism, including its financing, has also been translated into domestic legislation. In October 2015, Brazil adopted a law specifically designed to facilitate the implementation of Security Council resolutions concerning sanctions against individuals and entities affiliated with terrorist organizations. Last month, in March 2016, we also adopted legislation defining the crime of terrorism. As Brazil prepares to host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro this summer, we have redoubled our efforts to counter terrorism, including through the creation of platforms for the exchange of information and good practices, as well as for the sharing of intelligence. The absence of a universally agreed upon definition of terrorism is detrimental to the shared goal of eliminating it. We are convinced that filling that legal gap would contribute to enhancing cohesion in counterterrorism efforts. It would also properly establish the relationship between concepts, such as terrorism and violent extremism. It would create improved conditions for harmonizing regional and national initiatives in terms of the due process of law and compliance with human rights. As several reports on peace and security have reminded us in 2015, prevention is always the best policy, and that template should also be applied to fighting terrorism. In that context, we should give due consideration to the underlying causes, including those associated with social, political, economic and cultural exclusion. Approaches that rely exclusively on military strategies have demonstrated their limitation in tragic ways: today, terrorism is more widespread and claims more lives than 15 years ago. Terrorist groups, such as Da’esh, have been attracting recruits by offering them a sense of purpose, belonging and identity that they have probably failed to acquire elsewhere. Social exclusion and youth unemployment have been increasing the vulnerability of youth to violent extremist narratives that are conducive to terrorism. The promotion of genuine inclusion in all countries will undoubtedly contribute to inoculating societies against terrorism. In that regard, we must also take a critical look at certain types of response to the refugee crisis. Such responses may be increasing rather than decreasing the risks associated with violent extremism conducive to terrorism. We cannot argue that there is a responsibility to protect civilians when they are victims of waves of terrorism and human right violations in theatres distant from our homes and then ignore their plight when they knock on our doors. Countering terrorism is a goal that has a galvanizing potential. That can be demonstrated by the fact that the Council has often been able to reach consensus on decisions related to counter-terrorism, even as it remains divided on other important issues. In the particular case of countering terrorism, recent experience should encourage the Security Council to recommit to diplomatic efforts as the privileged vehicle for promoting peace based on justice. At the same time, let us not lose sight of the protracted conflicts that directly or indirectly fuel terrorist agendas. Our collective failure to deal adequately with ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the Israel-Palestine conflict, is an obvious case in point. We can no longer fail to acknowledge that strategies that privilege the use of force and unilateral interpretations of Security Council mandates have generated more harm than good. The presence of Da’esh in countries, such as Iraq and Libya, cannot be dissociated from the local and regional instability provoked by military intervention. The Charter of the United Nations is both our best ally and our best defence against terrorism. Our efforts will only be effective to the extent that they are consistent with international law, including human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. The Council has a duty to condemn terrorism and prevent its spread in a coherent and universal manner, that is, wherever and whenever international terrorism strikes. There can be no justification for terrorist acts. Brazil reiterates its commitment to a multidimensional response to that serious threat to peace and security and remains convinced that cooperation and dialogue within the United Nations will enhance our capacity to achieve the results we are all looking for. We will only succeed if we join efforts on the basis of shared values and enhanced multilateral cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of Poland.

I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate and thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. Poland aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of European Union. I would like to add a couple of comments from my national perspective. Terrorism has become one of the biggest challenges to international peace and security, and no region or country is fully safe from its widespread consequences. This sad reality should not, however, lead us to despair; rather, it calls for united and resolute efforts on the part of the international community aimed at tackling this common challenge. We are about to review the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June this year. While reflecting on our priorities, we must bear in mind that countering the scourge of terrorism is not possible through forceful means alone. We have to be aware of the direct link between security and development. We cannot be effective in combating terrorism without tackling its root causes. In that context, Poland welcomes the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism presented by the Secretary-General. In the process of its implementation, it is essential to ensure a high level of coherence with ongoing initiatives aimed at countering violent extremism conducted by the European Union and other international organizations. To address the root causes of terrorism, we need to reflect also on the issue of the radicalization of youth, an increasingly challenging aspect of the fight against extremism. The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy indicates in its first pillar the socioeconomic conditions that are conducive to the spread of radicalism. Unemployment, lack of education and basic social services, and poor perspectives for personal development are among the major factors that make young people so vulnerable to propaganda. Terrorists offer them the illusion of security and power. The cynical propaganda of terrorist groups is masterful in taking advantage of the economic struggles and idealism of youth. These factors underlie the phenomenon of the approximately 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters who have already travelled to conflict zones. To tackle it, we need adequate legal mechanisms at the national level as well as close international cooperation between security services. In taking these actions, we should remember, however, that radicalization and violent extremism are not exclusive to any religion or nationality. All of the efforts within the hard security area have to be combined with actions that promote greater levels of social inclusivity. Ensuring access to education, including the human rights component, as well as working with local communities and media, and raising awareness among young people through programmes on the Internet and social media seems to us of the utmost importance in combating violent extremism. Poland welcomes the actions taken by the Security Council aimed at cutting off the sources of financing of terrorist groups. We strongly condemn the looting and illicit trafficking of cultural properties perpetrated on an unprecedented scale in Syria and Iraq, especially by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. In this regard, we call for strict implementation of all relevant Council resolutions by the international community. As underlined in the concept note (S/2016/306, annex) prepared for this debate by China, terrorism is a common enemy of humanity. We need to stand committed and united to respond to it.

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

From Brussels to Istanbul and from the Ivory Coast to Tel Aviv, the world is facing an unprecedented surge of terrorism and violent extremism. Radical extremist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have declared war on our societies. Terror is the common enemy of humankind and requires a unified effort to fight it. The State of Israel, my State, stands shoulder to shoulder with the international community in this global effort. Unfortunately, the reality of terror is one that the people of Israel have known for decades, and it continues today. From the Fedayeen attacks of the 1950s to airplane hijackings in the 1970s and suicide bombings in the 1990s, Israel has faced wave after wave of terrorist violence. In the last six months alone, we have endured more than 300 attacks. That means two terror attacks a day, every day, for half a year. Thirty-four people have been killed and hundreds injured. In order to defeat this terror, we must have moral clarity. The decision to pick up a knife or put on a suicide vest is not about human nature. There is nothing natural about repeatedly stabbing an innocent woman in front of her home or shooting a young husband and wife in front of their children. Terrorism must never be excused or justified; it must be fought. And there can be no double standards in this fight. Since the beginning of this wave of terror, the Security Council has not condemned a single terror attack against Israel, not even one. The lives of Israelis killed in the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are no less precious than those of Europeans murdered in Paris and Brussels. The attacks against Israel must be condemned by the Council. Terror is terror is terror. In order to fight terror effectively, the Council must speak out against all terrorist groups, without distinction. Hizbullah, a terrorist proxy of Iran, openly threatens to launch attacks against Israeli civilians. Just recently, the leader of Hizbullah, Hassan Nasrallah, warned of an attack on the ammonia storage tanks in the Israeli city of Haifa. He described it as “exactly the same as a nuclear bomb”. Let me remind all present that Hizbullah has more than 100,000 rockets and long-range missiles that can target any place in Israel. It has transformed the villages of southern Lebanon into terror outposts, placing rocket launchers next to schools and United Nations facilities, and storing missiles in living rooms. The Secretary-General warned only recently that Hizbullah was ready and willing to use those weapons. He has condemned Hizbullah’s alarming rhetoric. He emphasized the very grave consequence of this military buildup not just for Israel but for the entire region. Even the Gulf States and the Arab League have called Hizbullah a terrorist organization. So why does the Security Council refuse to call this terror organization by its proper name? If it makes threats like a terror organization, if it stockpiles weapons like a terror organization, if it shows disregard for human life like a terror organization, then what is it? Hizbullah is a terror organization, and it is preparing for another round of violence. The Council must take action now. Resolution 1701 (2006) must be enforced. Hizbullah must be disarmed. The major source of violent extremism in our region is Iran, the world’s leading State sponsor of terrorism. Iran sponsors terror groups throughout the region, including the deadly activities of Hizbullah in Syria. Recently Iran conducted ballistic-missile tests. These missiles are designed to carry the nuclear warheads they have promised not to build. Written in Hebrew on the side of these missiles were the words “Israel must be wiped off the face of the Earth”. Such a threat by one State Member of the United Nations against another Member State is outrageous and unacceptable. The voice of the Council must be heard. Iran must be condemned. While Iran supports Hizbullah in the north, it sponsors and supplies Hamas in the south. Hamas, an internationally designated terrorist organization, also employs the cynical terror tactic of using civilian infrastructure for terror operations. And it has never stopped working to achieve its goal: the destruction of the State of Israel. Ever since the end of the last conflict, Hamas has worked to rebuild it arsenal of rockets and reconstruct its network of terror tunnels. When groups like Hamas and Hizbullah are more interested in warfare with Israel than in the welfare of their own people, it is a recipe for disaster. The Council must denounce these terror organizations by name. Because of the ongoing need to protect our people, Israel has developed techniques, technologies and tools for counter-terrorism unmatched by any other country. We are committed to sharing this knowledge and expertise through bilateral collaboration and constructive engagement here at the United Nations. As I said at the beginning, Israel stands firmly with the family of nations in the fight against terror. We expect that the international community and the Council will stand with Israel in our own fight against terror. If we stand united, we can defeat global terrorism and stop those who seek to undermine our way of life.

I give the floor to the observer of the European Union. Mr. Vale de Almeida: I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its 28 member States. Ten other countries align themselves with this statement: the candidate countries Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association process and potential candidates Bosnia and Herzegovina; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Armenia and Georgia. I would like to thank you, Mr President, for organizing this debate ahead the upcoming anniversary review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and following on the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism presented by the Secretary-General. I would like to thank the Secretary General for that and for his briefing. Horrific terrorist attacks around the globe remind us of the need to join forces and give a comprehensive response. Terrorism cannot be defeated with security measures alone; we need to act together and we need to strengthen our preventive dimension to respond to radicalization and recruitment in a holistic manner. All these measures should uphold the rule of law and respect for human rights, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. The European Union has a long-standing and comprehensive engagement in countering terrorism and preventing radicalization and recruitment. Yet there is long way to go. Our foreign affairs Ministers recently renewed their commitment to comprehensive counterterrorist measures with enhanced and more coordinated action. We have strengthened our approach at the internal and external levels with non-EU member states and others. We have presented our renewed vision in a European Agenda on Security. Terrorist organizations, as well as individual terrorists, need financing to maintain their networks, to recruit and supply, and to commit terrorist acts. Cutting off their sources of financing is imperative yet increasingly challenging, due to the new trends that have emerged with Da’esh and the returning terrorist fighters, such as trafficking in resources and cultural heritage artefacts. These need to be addressed through modernized legislation, better multilateral and bilateral cooperation, and exchange of key information. When it comes to detecting the movement of funds, tracking systems such as the Terrorist Financing Tracking Programme are key tools; nevertheless, there is a need to also focus on low-cost terrorist operations that can still have a devastating effect and that use new modalities of payment, which are difficult to track. In response, the European Union has already taken important steps. Following the adoption of the resolution 2199 (2015), we started the review of our legislative framework in order to meet enhanced requirements for the criminalization of the financing of terrorism. The European Commission has proposed a draft directive on combating terrorism that is expected to be adopted by the end this year. The European Council, our leaders, is currently preparing a decision to amend the listing criteria in line with the resolutions 2253 (2015) and 2178 (2014); it will be complemented by a Council regulation to determine the specific restrictive measures to be applied to those persons and entities listed. The European Commission has also issued an action plan to strengthen the fight against terrorist financing, identifying shortand medium-term measures aimed at, first, tackling the abuse of our financial system for terrorist purposes and, secondly, at targeting the sources of funding, including by considering a wider response to illicit trafficking in cultural goods and wildlife. This set of measures is also linked to our engagement at the external level, where we have increased our support to partner countries for capacity-building and compliance with the legal requirements of Security Council resolutions and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force. Stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and tackling their return is another complex challenge where international cooperation is needed. We strongly support action under resolution 2178 (2014) and the recommendations for its implementation contained in the guiding principles adopted in Madrid in July 2015, as well as efforts to bolster international action to prevent violent extremism. As the top tier of terrorists is removed or brought to justice, it is increasingly important that we increase preventive actions to ensure that they are not replaced by new recruits who are younger and more technically sophisticated. From the criminal justice perspective, we are in the process of ratifying the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism. We are currently negotiating comprehensive criminal law provisions in the draft European directives on combating terrorism and on passenger name record data. In addition, ongoing efforts are also being undertaken in order to support knowledge-sharing within the European Union. Some 2,000 European practitioners — such as teachers, healthcare workers, social and youth workers, prison officers and non-governmental organizations — exchange good practices on the prevention of radicalization. This approach is based on understanding root causes and the goal is to proposed practical tools and recommendations to both practitioners and policymakers. We are ready to share our expertise in the United Nations framework. Externally, we are an active member of various initiatives, such as the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF) and its working groups, where members and non-members exchange good practices on a variety of subjects related to the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Such subjects include detention, reintegration, the rule of law and criminal justice efforts that are needed, preventing violent extremism, foreign terrorist fighters. We are also actively supporting the three GCTF inspired institutes: the Hedayah Centre, the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund in Switzerland, and the International Institute on Justice and the Rule of Law in Malta. Education, youth participation, interfaith and intercultural dialogue, as well as offering employment possibilities and promoting social inclusion, are key to preventing radicalization by promoting common values, fostering social inclusion, building resilience and enhancing mutual understanding and tolerance. In support of EU member States, the European Commission is developing a series of concrete actions. At the external level, we also address root causes by continuing to provide material support and capacitybuilding to developing countries, aimed at poverty reduction, ensuring sustainable economic, social and environmental development, democracy, the rule of law, good governance and human rights. These are critical pieces of the anti-radicalization challenge. As you, Sir, rightly identify in the concept note (S/2016/2016, annex) prepared for this debate, misuse of the Internet and social media by terrorists in order to target our youngest, most vulnerable citizens with messages of violence is another complex challenge that we need to tackle while simultaneously upholding the fundamental human rights of freedom of expression and freedom of information. We have launched an EU Internet Forum, which serves as a platform for relevant stakeholders, such as ministries, law enforcement agencies, Internet companies and civil society, to work together to identify common tools, best practices, innovative and new solutions to tackle all IT-related issues of terrorism. Main priorities in that domain should be to reduce the accessibility of terrorist content online, empower civil society partners to increase the volume of effective narratives that are more attractive to young people than terrorist content. We have also set up a referral mechanism with the European Police Office to help EU countries and Internet companies to identify terrorist material online. Initial results have been very positive and we are again ready to share our experience with the United Nations on that initiative. We are also active in developing strategic communications outside the EU. We have set up a task force on strategic communications working with Middle Eastern and North African countries to identify shared values and develop concrete communication actions. In conclusion, terrorism and violent extremism are global challenges, and the United Nations has a central role in supporting Member States in this endeavour. Only together can we pool the sufficient resources and expertise required to address them. A joint approach based on our shared values is a sine qua non.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

I thank the Chinese presidency for initiating and convening this open debate on the critical subject of terrorism, which is today destabilizing both regional and global security. International terrorism has grown increasingly sinister. It has moved from isolated acts in individual countries to a large-scale terrorist aggression across Europe, Asia and Africa. The activities of terrorist groups undermine the foundations of the existing world order far beyond the conflict zones of North Africa and the Middle East, even reaching the Central Asian region. That is quite evident in the fact that citizens of various Member States have been recruited or are volunteering to fight in Syria and Iraq. The everincreasing violence there has led to an escalation in the number of civilian victims, mainly women and children, as has resulted in the forced migration of people to Europe at an unprecedented rate. That uncontrollable exodus, together with the destruction of cities, sites and historic monuments is of great concern to all of us in the United Nations community. Moreover, it may be just a matter of time before nuclear weapons and the technology that produces them fall into the hands of terrorists. Our world is once again in danger and the risks cannot be underestimated. It is with this in view that President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan presented a new security paradigm document entitled “Manifesto: The World. The 21st Century” at the fourth Nuclear Security Summit held recently in Washington, D.C. The document features a critical take on the issues of war and peace. The President has proposed to establish, under the auspices of the United Nations, a global coalition of States for peace, stability, trust and security. Its common task for the next decade is “to end wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and Syria, in eastern Ukraine, and the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation”. In September, my President also suggested establishing, under the auspices of the United Nations, a unified global network comprised of various entities to counter terrorism in order to defeat this scourge and bring perpetrators — and their supporters — to justice (see A/70/PV.13). My delegation is deeply convinced that the fight against international terrorism demands a long-term comprehensive approach and cooperation at all levels with the active participation of all Member States, global and regional structures and civil society. Kazakhstan is party to all the major international conventions and instruments against terrorism and is also guided by the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. My country proposes that current United Nations mechanisms, including the Global Strategy, be made legally binding through relevant Security Council resolutions. We call on all delegations to support this bold and forward-looking approach and to speedily adopt a comprehensive document on international terrorism, which has challenged our efforts for the last 20 years. We also call on all Member States to work together on the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We congratulate the organizers who are present for the very successful meeting held recently in Geneva. Kazakhstan has also acceded to a number of regional and global instruments on countering violent extremism, and the illicit trafficking of arms, ammunition and explosives. Currently, we are engaged in the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia. That document was elaborated by five states of the region, in close cooperation with the United Nations, global and regional powers and organizations. We have hosted two meetings in Almaty on this regional plan, as well as two training workshops of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and the South and Central Asia Regional Conference on Countering Violent Extremism in Astana. We believe that all of these symbolize our sincere contribution to the united fight against the scourge of terrorism. To order to ensure peace and security in the entire Asian region, here at United Nations Headquarters in 1992 Kazakhstan initiated the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia, a forum for collaboration on how to counter new terrorist threats and challenges. It has become a unique pan-continental security forum. Kazakhstan, as the 2010 Chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), hosted the organization’s first conference on the prevention of terrorism. The Astana Commemorative Declaration was adopted at that conference, confirming the commitment of participating OSCE States and partner countries to combatting terrorism. Those activities continue even today within the framework of Kazakhstan-European Union cooperation. We listened very carefully to the statement of the Observer for the European Union. In addition, my country also cooperates on counterterrorism matters with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization within the framework of the individual partnership action plan, thus expanding collaboration with the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. Spiritual and religious leaders play a significant role in fostering inter-ethnic and interreligious harmony, and so Kazakhstan regularly convenes the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, bringing together religious and political leaders to promote peace. At the national level, we adopted a Programme to Counter Religious Extremism and Terrorism to ensure public and societal safety through the direct engagement of our citizens in prevention and rehabilitation outreach activities. In a few weeks, on 6 May, Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, President of the General Assembly, will organize a high-level conversation on Religions for Peace, initiated by Kazakhstan and supported by our partners, with a view to demonstrating the power of religious unity against the destructive nature of terrorism and violent extremism. In conclusion, Kazakhstan is committed to working closely with the international community as a part of its deep commitment to combat the ever-growing scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

I give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

We thank you, Sir, for organizing today’s open debate. The scourge of terrorism is among the most serious threats to international peace and security of our times. We appreciate your effort to focus on this phenomenon in order to strengthen international cooperation to counter it. I would also like to commend your delegation for preparing a useful concept note (S/2016/306, annex) to inform this debate. We agree with you that terrorism can be defeated only when all Member States unite and effectively coordinate their efforts. Your initiative is also timely, Sir, as we approach the review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on its tenth anniversary this June. My country condemns all terrorist acts perpetrated anywhere in the world for whatever reason. We fully endorse the need for the international community to join hands to combat this menace, urgently and effectively. In the past 15 years, the United Nations and its Member States have made huge investments in countering terrorism. But despite all these efforts, our goal remains elusive. We have had successes, substantial successes, but with each success, we also encountered a new challenge, at times more imposing than the one we surmounted. It is time to assess why that is so. Ten years ago, when Member States deliberated upon the draft of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, Pakistan was a leading voice urging the international community to focus on the root causes of terrorism. In our view, security measures alone were not enough to address the underlying drivers of terrorism. In fact, the more we resorted to kinetic means alone to defeat terrorist groups, the more we saw their splintering and proliferation. Today, the terrorist threat has become more pervasive and has evolved in complex and unpredictable directions, posing an even greater danger to international peace and security. Now, in addition to existing challenges, a multitude of small terrorist cells and violent extremists perpetrating guerilla-style or lone-wolf attacks have emerged. Now that the international community has finally acknowledged the need to craft preventive approaches to violent extremism, it is important that we address all its drivers, both local and international, in a comprehensive manner. In today’s globalized world, little operates in isolation. We must deal with both the external and internal dimensions of this phenomenon and recognize the complex interplay between local and international factors to prevent violent extremism that leads to terrorism. At the same time, our focus on a preventive approach should not be at the cost of counter-measures against terrorism. Member States must continue to act individually and with the United Nations to implement relevant Security Council resolutions as well as to take steps beyond their international obligations. Pakistan’s commitment to the campaign against terrorism is clear, present and tangible. We have adopted a comprehensive approach to what after all is a multifaceted phenomenon and we have a diverse policy toolkit to address it. Half of our national action plan to counter terrorism focuses on a preventive approach; the other half focuses on security measures. Most of the action points in this plan go well beyond our international obligations. Pakistan is perhaps one of the few countries that has a ministerial-level committee to oversee implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. Over the past five years, we have taken significant strides in upgrading our measures to counter the financing of terrorism. The Financial Action Task Force acknowledged these steps last year, as we continue to cooperate with it and strengthen our implementation measures. On the security front, we have made significant gains. We have sought to eliminate all terrorist groups through forceful law-enforcement actions and targeted military operations. Operation Zarb-e-Azb, as we call it, launched in June 2014, is the largest anti-terrorism campaign anywhere in the world and has produced remarkable results. Thousands have been killed or captured. The rest are on the run. At the same time, through a well-coordinated intelligence-based law enforcement operation across Pakistan, as I speak, a focused campaign is under way against terrorist sleeper cells, their supporters, sympathizers and financiers. With the Operation now in its conclusive phase in North Waziristan, the few remaining hideouts of the terrorists will be cleared out. Pakistan has been at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. We have lost tens of thousands of lives in this fight, but that has not shaken our resolve to continue the fight until the last terrorist is eliminated from our soil. It is therefore reprehensible that some cast aspersions about our contribution. Baseless accusations only set us back and undermine our joint efforts to counter terrorism. In conclusion, I would like to say that the need for all States to work together in a coordinated and cooperative manner to address this menace comprehensively in all its forms and manifestations has never been as compelling as it is today.

I now give the floor to the representative of Germany.

Mr. President, I would like to thank you for convening today’s debate. Germany aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union. As illustrated by recent attacks in Turkey, Belgium, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire and Pakistan, terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida and other groups continue to commit atrocities and extreme violations of human rights. While the threat level has increased also in Europe, terrorism remains highly concentrated, as most of its activity occurs in just five countries: Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria. This disturbing observation dramatically belies one of the core claims of radical Islamic terrorist groups. The hatred and fanatical rhetoric may be directed towards the Western world, but their actions predominately target Muslim societies, which is a sad and very deplorable fact. The spread of violent extremism transcends religious and ethnic boundaries. It requires enhanced international collaboration and a unified response. A collective effort is of the essence, an effort that simultaneously addresses all of the underlying factors conducive to terrorism and violent extremism. It is a truism that the fight against this scourge to humankind cannot be won solely by military means, nor can we gain the upper hand by exclusively relying on enhanced cooperation among our law enforcement agencies or enhanced information sharing between intelligence services. In addition, economic, social and educational aspects need to be addressed. What that means is that what is needed is a smart combination of all those tools. But of course the fight against terrorism has to be conducted militarily, as is illustrated by the international alliance against ISIL in Iraq and Syria. Germany lends material and personnel support and is leading the effort to train and equip Kurdish forces in northern Iraq in the fight against the terrorist organization. Terrorism cannot be defeated in the long run without focusing on its root causes. Germany supports the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism presented by the Secretary- General. We commend the all-of-United Nations approach expressed in the Plan of Action, which makes presenting a violent extremism a cross-cutting issue of a number of the United Nations bodies and agencies. What we also need now is a unanimous approach by all Member States to addressing these issues. While the process of radicalization differs in each individual case, the Internet undoubtedly plays a decisive role in terrorist propaganda, recruitment and financing. It may be at its most powerful during the early stages of the radicalization process. Germany is working with service providers to increase awareness about the use of social media platforms by terrorist organizations to gain new recruits. We should also think creatively about what else we can do to curb terrorist use of the Internet, while maintaining its open, secure, stable, accessible and peaceful character. It is a task for society as whole to actively counter the narrative of organizations such as ISIL and Al-Qaida by revealing their ulterior motives that aim to abuse a religion under the pretext of martyrdom. It is essential that their fanatic statements be countered by sound arguments from moderate religious leaders. The romantic image of the jihadist struggle must be demystified by the fact that behind of every dead jihadist there is a broken family that has lost a son or a daughter. Most importantly, we need to refute the alleged opposition between the West and Islam by pointing out that Muslim citizens are an integral part of Western societies. The fight against terrorism needs to be fought by the international community on many fronts and with many different tools. It is a collective effort that will take years, if not decades. Germany is fully committed to playing its part.

I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

Italy aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union. I thank the Secretary-General for his briefing, and China for organizing this timely debate on an issue that cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. Italy’s contribution to this joint effort is multidimensional. We believe that our response should be be holistic  — political, cultural and diplomatic — and we focus on training local security forces and countering financial flows to extremist groups. I would like to share with the Council the main features of our approach. First and foremost is prevention. Italy appreciates the Secretary-General’s focus in his Plan of Action on preventing violent extremism. Long-term solutions should be based on an understanding of the forces that alienate individuals, young people in particular, and lead them to join extremist groups. To tackle the root causes of the phenomenon, we also need to address problems such as a lack of socioeconomic opportunities; marginalization and discrimination; poor governance and violations of human rights and the rule of law; prolonged and unresolved conflicts; and radicalization in prisons and marginalized communities. The implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (General Assembly resolution 70/1) will play a pivotal role in those areas, as will women’s empowerment and engagement with youth. The second feature is implementation of the relevant United Nations resolutions. Over the years, we have put together a toolbox for international efforts aimed at cracking down on terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Qaida. We have adopted resolutions on cutting off the financial sources of terrorism, stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, preventing terrorists from using the Internet and social media to commit terrorist acts, and preventing incitement. In that context, Italy looks forward to the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The third revolves around the fact that the responsibility for preventing violent extremist acts lies with Member States, with the support of the United Nations system. To be effective, national ownership requires the involvement of religious and community leaders, women’s and youth associations, the private sector and the media. At the same time, international cooperation remains essential if we are to achieve significant results. My fourth point is that it is imperative to cut off the financial sources of terrorism by fully implementing resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015). Together with the United States and Saudi Arabia, Italy co-chairs the Counter-ISIL Finance Group, which met in Rome last week, with China participating for the first time. The Group adopted an action plan aimed at preventing ISIL’s use of the international financial system; countering its extortion and exploitation of economic assets and resources; denying it funding from abroad; and preventing it from providing financial or material support to foreign affiliates. Our joint efforts are seeing significant results. Within the framework of the Group, Italy is also the coordinator of a project group on cultural heritage whose purpose is to counter the looting and illicit trafficking of cultural goods, one of the main sources of terrorist group financing. My final point is about culture and education, which are at the core of our actions aimed at preventing rather than countering violent extremism. Terrorists seek to divide us by race, ethnicity, nationality and values. Investing in education and protecting our cultural heritage are key components of our effort. We believe that no society can flourish without culture or education, and no relationship can be established without respect for a people’s history and soul. On 16 February, Italy and UNESCO signed a landmark agreement to establish a task force to protect ancient cultural artifacts in crisis areas. The Blue Helmets of culture, as we call them, are a tangible sign of Italy’s commitment to the Unite for Heritage campaign and to the protection of our common cultural heritage from terrorist and extremist groups.

I now give the floor to the representative of Iraq.

I would first like to congratulate the People’s Republic of China on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month, and to thank you, Mr. President, for convening today’s open debate on the extremely important topic of countering terrorism. I would also like to commend Angola for its wise and successful leadership of the Council last month. Iraq firmly condemns all acts of terrorism and barbarism committed by the transnational terrorist group Da’esh and by groups affiliated with Al-Qaida. We would also like to state that the threat posed by such terrorist groups does not simply affect the security of the people and the Government of Iraq but is rather a threat to international peace and security as a whole and to all the other peoples of our region, without discrimination. The recent such attacks, in Brussels, serve only to underscore the fact that the danger of terrorism is never far away from any of us. Strengthening mechanisms for countering the financing of terrorism is a key element in limiting the funding for groups such as Da’esh and others that cooperate with it. Those mechanisms currently in place are not capable of putting an end to such financial transactions, particularly the illicit trade in oil and petroleum-derived commodities, which is the pillar of terrorist activities in Iraq and Syria and one that is conducted on routes well-known to all in crossing the borders of Syria and Iraq, in direct or indirect cooperation with Da’esh. We hope that the Security Council will not confine its efforts to condemning such direct and indirect commercial transactions, particularly those in oil, petroleum products, arms and archeological artifacts, carried out by certain States or their citizens in cooperation with Da’esh. Beyond that, the Council should consider such commercial links to terrorists not just as a means of assistance or support to terrorism, but as a threat in themselves to international peace and security. Such States should be stopped and dissuaded, including those that deliberately ignore the Security Council’s resolutions relating to Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, and continue to do business financially and militarily with Da’esh groups, which serves only to improve the capacity of those groups to recruit and incite people to terrorist activities at any time and in any territory or country they choose, as we have seen recently in Baghdad, Brussels and Tunis. That means that such individuals and societies that have dealings with Da’esh should be put on sanctions lists, and that States must be required to detain them and bring them to justice, in accordance with international instruments and legislation. The terrorist entity Da’esh exploits the regions under its control in Iraq and Syria in order to fight and to engage in smuggling and trafficking in highly valuable cultural relics so as to finance its terrorist activities and recruit foreign terrorist fighters. It depends on a network of mediators and middlemen in neighbouring countries  — Turkey and Syria in particular  — who facilitate and streamline the transport of those cultural relics and of petroleum, gas and related products to the markets of Europe and elsewhere. We must closely monitor those middlemen and networks. We hope that the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team 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 will pursue its activities to identify the ways and means whereby petroleum and related products are, inter alia, smuggled across borders and used to finish Da’esh and the Al-Nusra Front. Its work is very important in determining how the petroleum is trafficked and traded, particularly in border regions and settings that lack air coverage and monitoring. We call on the Security Council to consider establishing an international legal mechanism, on the basis of a legally binding agreement or resolution, to prosecute and try foreign terrorist fighters and ensure that the responsibility for apprehending and bringing them to trial for the crimes committed in Iraq falls to the country of which they are nationals. In some cases, those crimes may include genocide and other serious violations, in particular given Da’esh’s activities in the Turkmen region of the Kirkuk governorate in Iraq, where it has fired missiles loaded with mustard gas at the minority population. We have submitted a report to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons containing all the relevant information on these incidents.

I give the floor to the representative of Indonesia.

Let me begin by thanking the presidency of China for convening this open debate. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. Indonesia associates itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of Non-Aligned Movement. Indonesia takes note with grave concern the increasing incidents of terrorist attack in many places throughout the world. The attacks are a grim reminder for us to redouble our global efforts to defeat terrorism. In that regard, the role of the United Nations, including the Security Council, in our multilateral cooperation to counter terrorism becomes more and more critical. Along that line, Indonesia underlines the importance of the forthcoming biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June. The review will present a good opportunity to take stock of what we have and have not done in implementing the Strategy, which has been in place for 10 years, as well as to discuss the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, as mandated by General Assembly resolution 70/254. Indonesia hopes that the review will lead to a more solid and effective framework of cooperation in addressing global terrorism. To take advantage of this discussion, I would like to highlight three pertinent points, as follows. First, security measures alone will not suffice in defeating terrorism. The Security Council must further contribute to making the United Nations system’s more robust and coherent and take concrete measures against terrorism. The Council, for example, must be firm and united and work harder in conflict management and resolution, in light of the fact that several terrorist groups have for years been using conflict areas as safe havens to build the groups. Prolonged conflicts and injustices have also been identified as promoting conditions suitable to the breeding of terrorist motivation. Secondly, working with States to increase their capacity remains an essential role that the Council should continue to focus on through the Counter- Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate. Capacity-building programmes must be developed based on the objective needs of respective State. It is of the utmost importance for the Council, and the United Nations system, to work with States and regional organizations, if necessary, in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to counter terrorism. There is an urgent need to strengthen mechanisms for the real-time exchange of intelligence information among Members. Prevention must also continue to be at the centre of our strategy. To our understanding, there exist personal and communal motivations to embrace radicalism or extremism, and to commit acts of terrorism. All those motivations are shaped further by a complex intertwining of political, social and economic conditions. This unique but intricate dynamic is sometimes different from one country to another. In that regard, Indonesia sees the merit of building networks of civil society organizations from different parts of the world that focus on sharing information on local dynamics and their ramifications outside the country or region, as well as best practices in addressing them. These networks will complement the work of Governments in identifying conditions conducive to terrorism and formulating the necessary responses. Soft measures in a preventive approach must be emphasized, such as through education; the participation of civil society organizations and media, including social media; and strengthening the roles of families, women and youth. The strategy should also appreciate the efficacy of dialogue in promoting respect and tolerance, and aim at strengthening the engagement of public and community leaders, as well as religious and cultural understanding and approaches. We also must address the increasingly worrying trends of terrorism, such as the movement of foreign terrorist fighters to and from conflict areas, the flow of financial resources of terrorist groups, and the use of digital technology to spread terrorist narratives and terrorist recruitment. Lastly, Indonesia underscores the danger of associating terrorism with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. This careless practice is not only entirely incorrect, but also creates a larger problem. It is inconsistent with international standards and norms as enshrined in various treaties, and runs counter to our efforts to generate coordinated and coherent approaches at all levels. My delegation is very much in agreement with the assertion made by the Secretary-General at the Geneva Conference last week, to the effect that the extremists seek to divide us and to make us turn on each other. This we must avoid. Terrorism is not the problem or fault of a single country or a few countries; it is a global challenge. In the face of the dreadful threat of global terrorism, our unity is needed more than ever.

I give the floor to the representative of Algeria.

I congratulate China on its accession to the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We count on your well-known vision and wisdom, Sir, in the stewardship of that work. I should also like to thank you for convening this open debate and for the concept note that you circulated earlier this month (S/2016/306, annex). I would like to start by commending the Secretary-General for his briefing and his leadership in coordinating the efforts and actions of the United Nations on this issue. Algeria has most likely paid the heaviest toll to the scourge of terrorism, and welcomes the fact that international cooperation against terrorism is nowadays at the top of the agenda. I take this opportunity to reiterate our strong and unequivocal condemnation of all forms of terrorism, regardless of their motivation and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. It is appalling and always shocking to learn of and see all the places and cities that have been attacked and hit so hard. We need to act swiftly and together. We are also appalled by the magnitude of new phenomena like foreign terrorist fighters. The struggle against violent extremism and terrorism must also include the fight against xenophobia and Islamophobia, which are emerging as the new faces of violent extremism. We will continue to warn against all misconceptions and dangerous associations of terrorism with a religion, a civilization or a geographical area. Only the resolute and coordinated action of the international community will bear fruit against this scourge. Terrorism is a global threat, and it requires a global response. In that regard, the United Nations framework is the most suitable and efficient forum for dealing with it. Preventing and combatting terrorism still requires a high level of vigilance, mobilization and multi-faceted cooperation at the national, regional and international levels. Countering terrorism cannot be limited exclusively to the necessary repressive dimension but depends on various other upstream and downstream actions, with a coherent strategy based on prevention, dialogue and understanding. Why and how some people resort to terrorism remains an unanswered question. In 2006, Member States adopted the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which provides an encompassing approach, from preventing and combatting terrorism to addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism and from strengthening the capacity of States and the United Nations to ensuring the full respect of human rights. This year will mark the review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We look forward to that important step, which we see as an opportunity for keeping the United Nations strategy relevant and up-to-date, in the light of the emerging new threats and evolving trends in international terrorism. Algeria reiterates its support for convening a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a common stance on the eradication of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations in accordance with several General Assembly resolutions. My delegation stresses the need to agree upon an accurate definition of terrorism in line with the Charter of the United Nations and international law, which should avoid any confusion between acts of terrorism and the legitimate struggle of peoples under colonial and foreign occupation to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination, as endorsed by General Assembly resolution 46/51 and other related United Nations texts. The increasing number of incidents of kidnapping and hostage-taking committed by terrorist groups looking for funds or political concessions remains a disquieting issue. Algeria’s policy not to pay ransom or make other substantive concessions to hostage-takers is well known and clear. We welcome the significant progress made in the prohibition of the payment of ransom. As part of our counter-terrorism efforts, Algeria will also host, in the latter part of this month and in the beginning of May, two workshops on the role of the Internet and social networks, cyberterrorism, and democracy in counter-terrorism efforts. Algeria’s efforts include regional and international awareness and cooperation in that regard. From the very beginning, Algeria has sought to strengthen efforts against terrorism at the African level. Today, we have many legal instruments. Initiatives have been taken that today play a very important role in enhancing the effectiveness of efforts on the part of African countries. In that respect, through its decision with regard to the payment of ransom to terrorist groups, the appointment of a special representative for counter-terrorism cooperation and the establishment of a sub-committee on terrorism within the African Union Peace and Security Council, the African Union is doing its share and showing its full commitment in the fight against terrorism in all its forms. In its communiqué adopted September 2014, the African Union Peace and Security Council urged “member States to take the measures required to combat effectively transnational organized crime, in line with the relevant African and international instruments, and to ensure that terrorist groups do not benefit from the proceeds of such criminal activities, including drug trafficking, to finance their activities”. In the Sahel region, the concepts of coordination and cooperation are developing their full potential, because the prevailing situation requires both coordination and the strengthening of countries’ capacities. Bearing in mind the principle of ownership, Algeria has engaged in a concerted approach through numerous cooperative mechanisms aimed at facilitating the development of cooperation in line with Security Council resolutions. One of the primary aspects, for example, is the coordination and strengthening of border-control measures, as well as intelligence-sharing among countries of the region. With the enhanced strengthening of the control of our borders, we are not only fulfilling the mission to protect ourselves, but also strengthening the security and stability of our immediate and distant neighbours. In the same vein, Algeria continues to contribute to the stabilization and promotion of peace in the Maghreb, the northern part of Mali and the Sahel region, based on strict respect for the universal principles of sovereignty, non-interference and cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

First of all, Sir, I would like to congratulate you on your presidency of the Security Council and thank you for having convened this very important meeting. My country’s delegation has looked at the concept note that you circulated (S/2016/306, annex), and we thank you for that as well. We agree with China’s convictions that terrorism is one of the most serious threats that the world is currently encountering. It is a common enemy of humankind as a whole. It therefore behooves the international community, represented by the United Nations and the Security Council, to play its role in coordinating and leading international cooperation to combat terrorism. International counter-terrorism instruments urge all Member States to take legislative and operational measures to combat the scourge of terrorism. Despite that fact, the Governments of some Member States, which are not unknown to those present in the Chamber, such as those of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, continue to supply all types of assistance to terrorism. They provide that assistance in the form of money, weapons, Tafkiri extremist ideology, recruits and foreign mercenaries. Furthermore, the Governments of other countries, some of which are members of the Security Council, continue to politicize counter-terrorist issues and deal with them by applying double standards, while the actions of Governments that support terrorism go on unnoticed, despite the fact that firm accountability is required for those actions. Over the past five years, terrorism has continued to target my country. It has targeted our people, the State, our infrastructure, and our educational, cultural, economic and social institutions, as well as archeological treasures. Terrorism, barbarism and criminality have reached an unprecedented level in Syria. Moreover, other States have suffered abhorrent acts of terrorism characterized by their great ferocity, although the identity of the perpetrators has been different. Nevertheless, that heavy toll has been accompanied by several successes on the part of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies in the fight against terrorism. As examples, I will cite the liberation of the historic city of Palmyra and of Cariatan from members of Da’esh. Furthermore, we liberated numerous cities and villages from the hands of Da’esh, the al-Nusra Front and other terrorist groups that are operating within Syrian territory. My delegation reiterates once again that any counter-terrorist effort will fail if it is in contravention with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles of international law and if it is not implemented through full coordination with other countries concerned. Any such effort will fail if other countries use terrorism as a tool for their foreign policy and if we ignore the actions of countries that support terrorism. In that regard, we reaffirm that some countries have tried to justify their military intervention in Syria. They claim that they are intervening in order to fight Da’esh in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter, but that is being done without any coordination with the Syrian Government. It is therefore a matter of manipulating international law. The only effective way to combat terrorism is by building an effective global alliance based on international instruments and with the involvement of the States affected, including Syria. Syria is the main stakeholder combating terrorism in the region. In that connection, the Syrian Arab Republic supports the ideas laid out by His Excellency President Vladimir Putin of the Russian Federation to combat terrorism. The Syrian Arab Republic again urges the United Nations and the Security Council to take the following measures. First, we urge the full and robust implementation and application of international instruments to counter terrorism that we have adopted over the years, including resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), as well as the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In doing so, there must be no politicization, no manipulation of the situation and no double standards. We urge the Security Council not to ignore documents regarding the information that some countries have provided on terrorism. We urge all countries to bring an end to any violations of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The failure of the Security Council in that matter seems to send a message implying the tolerance of terrorists. We must also combat hate speech. Extremist and destructive speech have nothing to do with religions or civilizations. In addition, we need to combat incitements to hatred and violence. We must combat discrimination and persecution based on religion, nationality, ethnicity, colour or any other factor that could serve as collective punishment for some sectors of society. Furthermore, efforts need to be coordinated in order to combat foreign terrorist fighters. Those foreign terrorist fighters number in the tens of thousands. According to United Nations reports, there appear to be more than 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters, from 115 countries, who have gone to Syria to kill our people and destroy our civilization, economic success and infrastructure. In addition, there need to be additional border controls. Networks of foreign terrorist fighters need to be dismantled. The resources of terrorism, including funding, should be cut off. We must also combat the illicit trafficking in Syrian oil and its derivatives and in the archaeological relics from our country. We must have an international alliance against Da’esh, which is destroying Syrian institutions and infrastructure. It is not our network. We need those infrastructures to rebuild our countries. We need to ensure that information and communication technology, the Internet, television and radio are not used to promote or incite violence or to recruit people for terrorist groups. We must also prevent terrorist groups from getting their hands on weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. We need to prosecute those States that have provided assistance to terrorists and those that have used chemical weapons on numerous occasions, as was the case in our country a few days ago. The occupied Palestinian territories are still suffering from Israeli occupation and State terrorism, perpetrated by the occupying Power against them. That form of terrorism, which started in the 1920s and 1930s with the Irgun and Haganah groups, has taken root, thanks to the assistance provided to consecutive Israeli Governments. We saw that, during the Syrian-Israeli crisis, Israel provided assistance to those fighting against us, and that such Israeli support crossed the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force line in the Golan Heights. The Security Council must bring that situation to an end. In conclusion, my delegation reiterates and underscores the role played by women, young people, civil society, religious leaders and the media in combating terrorism. We reaffirm that we do not expect of the United Nations today only a series of reports or statements or instruments. What we want is real resolve, the unfailing determination to combat terrorism, to prosecute those who support terrorism. We want resolve to spare humanity from that scourge and, thereby, to build international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands.

I thank you very much, Mr President, and in honour of the Chinese presidency of the Council for this month and having lived in Beijing for four years, I will try to express my thanks in my best Chinese. (spoke in Chinese) I thank you, Mr. President. (spoke in English) At the outset, I would like to express our deep appreciation to the People’s Republic of China for organizing this important open debate and for the excellent concept note (S/2016/306, annex). Today’s debate is timely in our view, given the terrorist attacks that continue to wreak havoc upon societies around the world. We will not be silenced by those attacks. We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the countries that have fallen victim to those horrible acts. Together with our partners, we will continue to combat terrorism in our countries, in our cities and in our communities. The Netherlands aligns itself with the statement made by the observer of the European Union. In my national capacity, I would like to add a few remarks on the need for cooperation, on the life cycle of radicalization and on resources. In view of the time constraints, I will read out a shortened version of my statement, and my full statement will be available through a link on my Twitter account. On the importance of cooperation, the recent attacks serve as a grim reminder of the need for such cooperation and the need for the sharing of information. We must work closely together at all levels, internationally, in multilevel forums and international organizations like INTERPOL, and at the United Nations, as well as regionally through institutions like the European Union, the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Allow me also to highlight, quoting our Indonesian colleague, the importance of the Regional Counter-Terrorism Centre, established in Indonesia for that purpose. We must also work better together on a bilateral basis, for even though we come from diverse backgrounds, we face a common enemy in terrorism. We are proud of the Centre just mentioned, as the Netherlands worked together with Indonesia on a bilateral basis to help set it up. In our view, terrorism can be countered only by working together on the basis of what we share. We share the horror, we share the grief, we share the anger about terrorist attacks, their cowardly perpetrators and their tragic consequences. We need to do more than just share information, however. We must also implement the well-known resolutions adopted by the Council, resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001), 2178 (2014) and 2253 (2015). Now is truly the time for action rather than words. Only by cooperating, sharing and implementing the Council resolutions fully can we stop the terrorists and secure our homelands. At the same time, we must continue to reflect upon the tools at our disposal. We should remember that those tools were devised to defend our freedom, our human rights, our way of life. My second point is the so-called life cycle of radicalization. The efforts of the United Nations and other forums should be focused on addressing the entire life cycle of radicalization, from the first steps on the road towards terrorism, where radicalization manifests itself, all the way through to the final stages of the cycle. Our approach must address the whole cycle: prevention, protection and prosecution, but we must do so appropriately. For example, the abuse of the Internet by terrorists in order to target our youngest, most vulnerable citizens with messages of hatred and violence is a complex challenge. We need to address that challenge firmly, while upholding the fundamental human rights of the freedom of expression and the freedom of information. The fact that those approaches go hand in hand was aptly identified in the concept note prepared for this debate, for which I already commended you, Sir. Let us not forget that, at the end of the cycle, reintegration is a key issue. My third point is on resource mobilization. Targeting the life cycle of radicalization requires resources, and resources are not limited to financial ones. The biggest resources we have are resilience of a community, of a nation, of our youth and the combined energy and courage of our whole communities to defend our common values. We in the Netherlands are trying to be active in fostering and promoting these resources and this resilience. We are doing so as co-Chair of the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF), together with Morocco, our fellow co-Chair. We congratulate Morocco on assuming this post earlier this week and we thank Turkey as outgoing co-Chair for their hard work during the past years and the excellent cooperation we had together. The GCTF has been active in helping to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and our members have made available hundreds of millions dollars for counter-terrorism capacity-building in other countries. The GCTF supports activities like the Border Security Initiative, which aims to assist countries at risk in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel. The GCTF presented this week its strategic plan of action in The Hague. In this plan, the GCTF reiterates its commitment to fighting terrorism in close cooperation with the United Nations and its Member States. Last week in Geneva we discussed the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and soon we will review the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. I hope that my statement and those of others today will contribute to the implementation of the Plan of Action and provide valuable input for the debate on the review. But only after the review has been completed will the real work start. Like Confucius said, if I may quote one of China’s biggest philosophers, it is in the details of one’s daily behaviour that true virtue is manifested. We all have to make it happen in our daily lives. In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Kingdom of the Netherlands, as a partner for peace, justice and development, stands ready to act accordingly. We are ready to work in partnership, for only through genuine cooperation can we overcome the scourge of terrorism, for peace, for we all long for a world free from terrorism; for justice, which we owe to the victims of terrorism; and for development, in order to contribute to addressing the root causes conducive to terrorism.

I thank the representative of the Netherlands for using Chinese in his statement. I now give the floor to the observer of the Holy See. Archbishop Auza: The Holy See sincerely thanks China’s presidency for placing this extremely important topic in open debate before the Security Council. Today’s debate comes at a time when we face the dehumanizing impact of terrorism fuelled by violent extremism. The ongoing, and in some regions, escalating use of terror is a reminder that this challenge requires a shared commitment from all nations and people of good will. Indeed, terrorism represents a fundamental threat to our common humankind. This institution was founded in the wake of an era in which a similar nihilistic view of human dignity sought to destroy and divide our world. Violent extremism knows no border. Recent terror activities in many parts of the world and in many countries illustrate that fundamentalist terror is a transnational phenomenon. They also demonstrate a total disregard for civilian immunity as extremists kill and maim women, children, the elderly and the handicapped and commit unspeakable crimes against women and girls. Religious and ethnic minority groups are bearing the brunt of their ruthlessness. The utter barbarity of their behaviour and crimes leaves us dismayed and asking how the human heart can plan and carry out such horrible acts. Another indicator of the transnational nature of terrorism is the presence of some 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters coming from 100 Member States, who enter areas controlled by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant across national boundaries. Once trained and completely indoctrinated in the most warped and violent ideologies, they travel to sow terror in other countries. The internationalization of terror can be countered only by a collective international response. This response must also address the root causes upon which international terrorism feeds. In fact, the present terrorist challenge has a strong sociocultural component. Young people travelling abroad to join the ranks of terrorist organizations are disillusioned by what they experience as a situation of exclusion and by the lack of integration and values in certain societies. Together with the legal tools and resources to prevent citizens from becoming foreign terrorist fighters, Governments should engage with civil society to address the problems of communities most at risk of radicalization and recruitment and to achieve their satisfactory social integration. Moreover, the borderless nature of the terrorist groups requires the international community to control cyber technologies that violent groups use to recruit new adherents, finance their activities and coordinate terror attacks. Their access to cyberspace must be denied. Their access to funding must be cut off. No country, no company and no individual must be permitted to do business with terror groups, in particular in arms and ammunitions. Collaboration with terror groups, whether for profit or for ideological complicity, must be outlawed. Member States that abet violent extremism or shelter terror groups must be vigorously challenged by the Council. Violations of international humanitarian law and all crimes against humanity committed by terror groups must be vigorously pursued. Any lasting solution to defeat violent extremism and fundamentalist terror must consider the centrality of the inviolable dignity and rights of the human person, regardless of race, religion, political belief and difference. Too many individual citizens and groups have suffered and continue to suffer death and all forms of violence and discrimination because of their religion, ethnicity or political beliefs. In the Middle East, in particular, terrorists must never be allowed to destroy centuries of peaceful coexistence of Muslims and Christians in the region. The mendacity and blasphemy of terrorist groups that claim to kill and oppress in the name of religion must be openly denounced in the strongest possible terms. Religious leaders, in particular, have a grave responsibility to condemn co-believers who seek to instrumentalize their religion as a justification for violence. No one of whatever religion or culture must be allowed to carry out acts of violence and oppression in the name of that religion or culture or under whatever pretext. No matter how grave the threats that terrorism poses to our collective security, any effective lasting response cannot be achieved solely by military coercion, but rather through a culture of dialogue and encounter that breeds mutual acceptance and promotes inclusive societies. That is the only way to lasting peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

Allow me first of all, Sir, to congratulate your country on its accession to the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April and thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this very important debate on the thorny scourge of terrorism, which has become public enemy number one of the international community at the dawn of the twenty-first century. Many countries have suffered nefarious terrorist acts in recent months, joining a long list of countries that have been victims of terrorism. The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its solidarity with the countries affected by such acts and offers its condolences to the victims’ families. The Kingdom of Morocco takes this opportunity to reiterate its resolute condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and stresses that nothing can ever justify a terrorist act. It would also like to reaffirm that terrorism can not be associated with any religion, civilization, nationality or ethnic group. The adoption of resolution 2178 (2014) in September 2014, following the Security Council summit, reflects the will of the international community to put an end to this scourge. It is an appropriate response in light of the unprecedented spread of terrorism, both in the Middle East where Da’esh controls large territories in Iraq and Syria, as well as in the Sahelo-Saharan and Maghreb regions where Boko Haram and Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb are particularly active and where Da’esh has seized some territory in Libya as a launching pad for a push into the region. The arrival of Da’esh in Libya and its rivalry with Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb to expand its influence in the Sahelo-Maghreb area constitutes a threat to the stability and territorial integrity of the countries of the region. The terrorist attacks against our brother nation of Tunisia speak to this being Daesh’s avowed goal; hence Morocco’s appeal for vigilance and for the strengthening of regional and international cooperation so as to curb the spread of terrorist and organized-crime networks in the region. Morocco’s commitment to helping its Libyan brothers to overcome their differences and difficulties by hosting, under the auspices of the United Nations, the inter-Libyan talks, culminating in the signing in Morocco on 17 December last of the Libyan political agreement of Skhirat also stands as one of the many efforts by which the Kingdom is seeking to prevent Libya from sliding into the clutches of Da’esh and thus prevent the destabilization of the entire North African and Sahel region. The report of the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism (S/2016/49) spelled out in black and white that the deterioration of the situation in Libya had attracted terrorists seeking refuge and promoted the trafficking in weapons destined for terrorist groups located both in the region and elsewhere. Terrorist groups, in particular Da’esh, finance their terrorist activities through the illegal trade in oil and cultural relics and human trafficking. Resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015) are an appropriate response that seeks to cut off sources of financing for terrorism and terrorist organizations. The funds they acquire, together with a sophisticated communications strategy that harnesses the most advanced information and communications technologies, including the Internet and social networks, have allowed terrorist organizations to recruit foreign terrorist fighters from the four corners of the world. that is why we now have 30,000 such foreign terrorist fighters for more than 95 countries. It is therefore important to keep an eagle eye on the implementation of the aforementioned resolutions and also to ensure that laws are being drafted that are capable of regulating and halting the abuse of the Internet, with, of course, full respect for freedom of expression and human rights. The report of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on the implementation of resolution 2178 (2014) sounded the alarm about the return of foreign terrorist fighters to their countries of origin and the threat that this poses to countries and third countries, hence the importance of properly understanding the repercussions of that threat. In addition, the report of the Secretary-General drawn up pursuant to resolution 2195 (2014) acknowledged that certain terrorist groups are directly linked to organized-crime networks. The Kingdom of Morocco attaches particular importance to international cooperation, the strengthening of border security, the exchange and sharing of intelligence, the use of INTERPOL’s databases and the roll-out of deradicalization and reintegration programmes, as we believe that such actions are the best way to foil terrorists’ plans. Morocco played host to conferences in 2013 and 2015 on border security. In July 2015, it participated in the Madrid meeting that culminated in the adoption of a declaration calling upon us all to stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. We also took part in the Washington Nuclear Security Summit, whose final communiqué calls for greater efforts to prevent the obtaining by non-State members of nuclear or radioactive material for pernicious purposes. We also took part in the Geneva conference on violent extremism. The fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy will be a perfect opportunity for us to assess the effectiveness of the Strategy and to take stock of the Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism. In addition to such activities, the Kingdom of Morocco co-chairs with the Kingdom of the Netherlands the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF). In this respect, we commend the Netherlands, as all of this is the result of deep-rooted work on the part of, and cooperation between, our two countries, and we will seek to build on the work already done by the United States of America and Turkey along these lines. The ministerial meeting of the GCTF adopted in September 2014 The Hague—Marrakech memorandum on good practices for a more effective response to the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, in addition to which Morocco and the Netherlands also chair the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group within the GCTF. At the national level, the Kingdom of Morocco has developed a comprehensive and coherent approach based on prevention and action that is fully consistent with the provisions of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including resolutions 2178 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), which my country co-sponsored. This approach was shared on 30 September 2014 when we met with the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee. Our approach is based on the following. First, it is based on optimizing security governance, enhancing and making fit for purpose a legal framework for counter-terrorism activities, the adoption of relevant new legislation and vigilance in terms of security. The second factor is the rollout in 2005 of a national initiative for human development that is focused on the individual as a way of fighting against social ills, exclusion and precarity, and focusing on the empowerment of women. Women have seen their status in society enhanced thanks to their engagement in counter-terrorism efforts and efforts to tackle violent extremism. Thirdly, we have focused on reform of religious practices, notably through the establishment of a learned council responsible for interpreting the text of the Koran and the hadith; the training of young preachers, both men and women, in the precepts of Islam based on the values of dialogue, tolerance, moderation, coexistence and respect for others, as espoused by the Islamic religion; the launch of a deradicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration programme for foreign terrorist fighters. Morocco’s experience in the field of training preachers has been shared with several friendly countries in Africa, in the Arab world and in Europe through bilateral agreements.

I now give the floor to the representative of Jordan.

Allow me at the outset, Mr. President, to thank you for having convened this important meeting. Time is short, so allow me to briefly take up some points that we wish to share. Jordan, led by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein, will remain at the forefront of all international and regional efforts to confront terrorist groups in the context of a comprehensive approach that takes into account military, security and ideological confrontation. Let me remind the Council of what his Majesty said: “Because this war is our war, we, Muslims and Arabs, must unite our efforts and lead an Arab-Muslim coalition, as we defend our religion and our noble civilization as we protect and ensure the security of our peoples and countries”. We must continue to work together to confront more effectively the issue of the flow of foreign terrorist fighters towards the full implementation of resolution 2178 (2014). It is also important to promote and improve the ability of local parties to combat Da’esh. In this regard, Jordan has supported the efforts by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to set up an Islamic military alliance to combat terrorism. We participate therein, support it strongly and were among its initiators. A part of the solution to the problem of terrorism lies in understanding the root causes of extremism and terrorism. Failed States, chaos in some conflict regions, sectarian divisions, marginalization, exclusion and the fragmentation of States are all fertile ground for terrorism and extremism. Failure to resolve the Israeli- Palestinian conflict is a fundamental factor in this respect. Failure to reach a peaceful and just settlement gives terrorists a pretext to recruit and gain support. We must also stress that there is a need to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Let me point to the fact that combating the funding of terrorism cannot be achieved through individual national efforts or independent efforts by individual institutions. There are many sources for the funding of terrorism. We must therefore look into mechanisms that ensure concerted efforts at the national level as well as cooperation at the regional and international levels. Lack of coordination nationally, regionally and internationally is one reason for the success of those groups in obtaining resources. I must also refer most regretfuly to an expanding phenomenon that is the fear of Islam and of Muslims around the world. It is a destructive phenomenon, one which leads to erroneous ideologies and thoughts, feeding the extremists and their objectives that seek to divide us. Let me stress that those suffering the most from terrorism and its crimes are Arabs and Muslims, more than any other ethnic or religious groups. We must concentrate on the youth. Jordan was in the forefront of those pointing to the need to protect youth. Let me stress here the importance of implementing the provisions of Security Council resolution 2250 (2015) on youth, peace and security, based on the initiative of Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II during Jordan’s presidency of the Security Council in April 2015 and the Amman Youth Declaration on Youth, Peace and Security, of August 2015. Furthermore, we must deal with the struggle within States to prevent Da’esh from recruiting new members internationally, luring them through social media, in addition to using the electronic media to smuggle millions of dollars’ worth of archaeological treasures. Jordan reasserts its support for the Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. We look to its contents very positively, as long as it goes along with national plans. Finally, the heinous terrorist crimes perpetrated by terrorist groups surely must point to the fact that those terrorists are trying to undermine our joint common values. The war against terrorism is indeed a third world war, and we must participate effectively in combating it.

I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa.

Mr. President, my delegation would like to commend China for its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and expresses its appreciation on the convening of this important debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. Recent acts of terrorism across the world have again exposed the callous and heinous nature of terrorism. That is demonstrated by the indiscriminate killing and maiming, the damage to property and infrastructure, the fostering of fear in local communities and the undermining of social and economic confidence. While old threats remain, new threats and vulnerabilities have developed with the emergence of a new, technologically advanced and skilled generation of terrorists who harbour territorial and transnational ambitions. Those groups are willing to sacrifice women and children in the service of their cause. South Africa stands firmly with the rest of the international community in its condemnation of those attacks and reiterates its stance that terrorism, in whatever form and from whichever quarter, must be condemned. We are cognizant that no country is immune and that we are all vulnerable to this threat. With terrorism’s global reach and changing nature, international cooperation in countering this threat is critical. International efforts should therefore support a comprehensive, multifaceted and integrated approach to deal with the scourge. Efforts should be focused on countering the radicalization and recruitment of individuals. We need to hamper the movement of terrorists and the flow of funds. Last but not least, we need to contradict and dispute the terrorist narrative, notably on the Internet. We have all noted that no country can shoulder this burden alone. Therefore the South African Government wishes to renew its pledge to fully support the global campaign against terrorism within the framework of the United Nations. The centrality of the United Nations in coordinating and facilitating international efforts is pivotal if we are to succeed. We also welcome initiatives and efforts that promote dialogue, tolerance, diversity and understanding among peoples, cultures and religions. Acts of mobilization directed against individuals, communities or nations simply because of their faith, language or race cannot be tolerated. South Africa reiterates its view that terrorism cannot be defeated militarily and cannot be dealt with solely through the use of force or coercive measures. We believe that the only way for our collective efforts to succeed is to address the root causes of terrorism. We need to understand and address the conditions that make terrorism an attractive option to the disaffected. It is critical to engage people, including through education, to eliminate inequalities and work with disadvantaged groups of society, particularly the youth, and to develop appropriate strategies at the national, regional and international levels. In that context, it is important to resolve conflicts in all parts of the globe, including through the search for lasting peace in the Middle East. Promoting political solutions aimed at resolving conflict and creating the conditions for a better future over the long term will go a long way to counter that scourge. Those solutions should be based on all-inclusive dialogue without prejudicing any party. International cooperation in combating terrorism should also include a joint commitment to eradicate poverty and underdevelopment. Countermeasures can never be sustainable if those factors are not addressed in tandem with other counter-terror initiatives. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted unanimously by the General Assembly, is a useful and flexible collective tool for guiding the international community’s response to terrorism. Together with the Secretary-General’s plan for countering violent extremism, it provides a holistic and multifaceted response to the many facets of that challenge, premised on respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the rule of law. At the regional level, recognizing the need to strengthen cooperation and to develop a common and coordinated approach to counter this threat, the Southern African Development Community developed a regional counter-terrorism strategy, formally adopted during its thirty-fifth Summit of Heads of State and Government in August 2015. At the national level, South Africa’s counterterrorism efforts are guided by the values of human dignity, human rights and the rule of law, as enshrined in our Constitution. We have adopted a national counterterrorism strategy, which is closely aligned to the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Its pillars are, first, understanding and prediction; secondly, prevention; thirdly, mitigation; fourthly, combating terrorism; and fifthly, dealing with its consequences. Our national strategy provides a comprehensive and proportionate response to the threat of international terrorism and extremism to South Africa’s democracy. It takes both local and international best practices into account, while upholding human rights and the rule of law. Furthermore, the South African Government works closely with various organizations established by our Constitution to promote and foster social, cultural, religious and linguistic dialogue, as well as social cohesion. In conclusion, we acknowledge the valuable role the United Nations continues to fulfil in countering this scourge. With its global reach and mandate and itself the target of devastating terrorist attacks, the United Nations is best placed to deal with this threat in all its forms, while helping to ensure that global efforts are rooted in respect for human rights, the rule of law and the peaceful resolution of conflict.

I now give the floor to the representative of Singapore.

Singapore aligns itself with the statement delivered by the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. No country can defeat the scourge of terrorism alone. Terrorism does not respect national or geographical boundaries. Today, social media are being used by terrorists to spread radical ideas and promote violent extremism across borders. Southeast Asia is not immune. In addition to the January 2016 attacks in Jakarta, there are now over 1,000 South-East Asians who have joined the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), including a handful of Singaporeans. They are battle hardened and have combat skills and violent tendencies and embrace an extremist ideology. When they return, they pose a significant risk. They hope to overturn Governments and establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia. As an international hub and a multi-faith society, Singapore takes the threat posed by ISIS and other extremist ideologies seriously. They are threats not only to physical safety, but also to social harmony. In our view, there are three key elements in an effective approach to addressing violent extremism and terrorism. First, it is crucial to build national resilience. Inclusive economic development, good governance, and political and social stability are a critical starting point in our approach. On top of that foundation, we also need to promote tolerance and mutual understanding. Singapore works closely with religious and community leaders to encourage dialogue and counter the spread of extremist exclusionist ideologies. We have put in place initiatives such as the Interracial and Religious Confidence Circles, and other community engagement programmes to build social trust. Our goal is to build a strong web of trust among our various racial and religious groups, so that there is greater community resilience to deal with “the day after” a major incident. For those led astray, Singapore has emphasized rehabilitation and reintegration. In 2003, a religious rehabilitation group was formed by respected religious teachers and scholars to counsel detained extremists and correct erroneous religious teaching. Further, we continue to educate Singaporeans on the dangers of online threats to security and social harmony. Increasingly, the social media enable us to live in fragmented echo chambers, filled only with people who agree with us. It is vital to continually remind our people of the need for diversity and tolerance, both online and offline. Only then can we keep our community bonds strong. Secondly, it is important to cut off financial resources for terrorism. Singapore takes a serious approach to protecting the integrity of our financial system against money-laundering and terrorism-financing. We are an active member of the Financial Action Task Force and a founding member of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering. Singapore has a strict legal and regulatory framework to safeguard against terrorism-financing through our financial system. We have required financial institutions and relevant non-financial sectors to implement comprehensive monitoring and due diligence procedures in line with international standards. Those controls are overseen by sectoral supervisors for compliance. The threat posed by ISIS requires that we remain vigilant, and continue to work closely with industry to detect and deter such illicit flows. Thirdly, effective international cooperation and the sharing of best practices will strengthen the first two pillars of our fight against terrorism. Bilaterally, our security agencies have established close cooperation with their counterparts. Regionally, Singapore participates actively in counterterrorism initiatives undertaken by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Europe Meeting, and the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum. We believe that the international community needs such platforms to discuss and share our experiences. Working together will amplify our individual efforts. That was why Singapore convened the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration in 2015. This year, we organized the tenth Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers, and will host another workshop later in the year to develop a cross-regional perspective on best practices and policies for promoting religious tolerance and strengthening resilience. Multilaterally, Singapore supports the efforts of the United Nations to develop a framework for collective action to counter violent extremism. We co-sponsored resolution 2178 (2014) on arresting the international flow of terrorist fighters, and we therefore welcome this timely open debate convened by China. Given the continuing threat posed by terrorist groups, we believe that a successful framework for collective action must take a holistic approach. It must address the key drivers of terrorism, including the propagation of extremist ideologies, which distort religious concepts, and the role played by the social media in spreading and amplifying such ideologies. To be truly effective, the framework must take into account domestic and contextual factors, and put national action plans at the heart of our collective endeavour to address the terrorism challenge. Terrorism continues to be a serious threat to international peace and security. But if we work together, we can translate national resilience into global unity and strength. Singapore will remain committed to playing its part in the fight against international terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I wish you every success in your task. I thank you for holding this open debate, and I thank the Secretary-General for his statement. This meeting is being held in the shadow of continuing challenges to the world, resulting from terrorist acts. No entity, whether State or community, can handle the phenomenon of terrorism alone. Current international developments have shown that terrorism has no religion, nation or identity. It comes in different forms and with different levels of severity, and it disturbs and threatens international peace and security, unless efforts to combat it continue at all levels. In the light of the current events — and the facts are before us — we must work together to combat terrorism, as it is a dangerous phenomenon that endangers all of humankind. We must recognize the fact that terrorism has not emerged in a vacuum. It grew and developed in fragile environments where the conditions were conducive to the growth of extremism and terrorism; such environments might include policies that dealt with popular grievances using repressive force alone, without taking up the root causes of those grievances. That has enabled terrorist groups to claim that they are defending the rights of the people. They play the sectarian and religious cards. We must, therefore, respond to the aspirations of peoples of various groups for social justice. We must strengthen cooperation in order to reach the objective that we have sought for so long. The State of Qatar believes that terrorism is a scourge for all societies. When confronted with all the events that have taken place, we do not hesitate to express our position and condemnation of the use of violence, whatever its nature. We also believe that combating terrorism requires a comprehensive approach in order to prevent terrorist acts and to address the root causes of terrorism, which are economic, social and political in nature. We renew our commitment to international cooperation aimed at combating the scourge of terrorism. We shall spare no effort to cooperate in international efforts in that regard, and we commit to all agreements arrived at by the international community to combat terrorism. Personifying the vision of the leadership of the State of Qatar, represented by His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, my country has committed to making efforts at all levels, in particular within the framework of the United Nations and regional mechanisms, to uproot terrorism and address its root causes, as well as the factors that have led to its development, because terrorism threatens national unity and societies. Cooperating with the international community in this regard, my country has continued to strengthen national legislation on combating terrorism in order to adapt to the new challenges presented by the phenomenon. We have set up specialized national institutions that have an effective role to play in implementing mechanisms approved by the international community in order to uproot terrorism, dry up sources of financing and facilitate cooperation with United Nations bodies. Based on this vision, we give special attention to combating violent extremism because it leads ultimately to terrorism. On 3 June, we will be holding a high-level thematic conversation on children and youth affected by violent extremism, with a view to reintegrating them into society. The State of Qatar stresses the importance of respecting religions and civilizations as well as the importance of tolerance. Religions fundamentally do not call for terrorism. In religious texts there are many teachings on peace, tolerance and coexistence. We must choose our words carefully when confronting terrorists, terrorism and extremists. We must avoid generalized, erroneous nomenclatures. We must not link individual acts of violence and extremism to a particular religion. Also, defaming religious symbols gives extremists a pretext to violence. In conclusion, the success of the international community in uprooting the causes of terrorism will not only be of benefit to the very States confronting the challenge. It will also reflect directly on strengthening international peace and security. The international community as a whole will reap its fruits. My country will remain an effective party to international efforts devoted to achieving this objective.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). The full text of my statement is available, but due to time constraints I will present a shorter version. At the outset, I would like to welcome and thank the Chinese presidency for its initiative in convening today’s open debate on an important issue. I also thank the Secretary-General for his briefing. I would like to underscore the validity and relevance of NAM’s principled positions on terrorism, which are reflected in the Algiers Final Document of the seventeenth NAM Ministerial Conference and include the following points. Terrorist acts constitute one of the most flagrant violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, in particular the right to life. They lead to the lack of the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms of peoples and endanger the territorial integrity and stability of States as well as national, regional and international security, destabilize legitimately constituted Governments or the prevailing constitutional order and political unity of States, affect the stability of nations and the very basis of societies. Terrorist acts also create adverse consequences for economic and social development and cause the destruction of the physical and economic infrastructure of States. NAM strongly condemns and rejects terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as all acts, methods and practices of terrorism wherever, by whomever, against whomsoever committed, including those in which States are directly or indirectly involved, which are unjustifiable whatever the considerations or factors that may be invoked to justify them. Terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, and these attributions should not be used to justify terrorism or counter-terrorism measures that include, inter alia, the profiling of terror suspects and intrusion on individual privacy. At the same time, terrorism should not be equated with the legitimate struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for selfdetermination and national liberation or in order to prolong occupation and oppression of innocent people with impunity. In this regard, and in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions, the struggle of peoples under colonial or alien domination and foreign occupation for self-determination and national liberation does not constitute terrorism. The financing of terrorism is a matter of grave concern that must be fought with determination. In this regard, NAM strongly condemns criminal incidences of hostage-taking with resultant demands for ransom and/or other political concessions by terrorist groups and calls upon all States to cooperate actively in order to address this issue in all its aspects, including its legal aspects. NAM invites Member States to take the necessary measures to prevent terrorists from benefiting from hostage-taking, including ransom payments and political concessions. Finally, I reaffirm the Movement’s principled position on combating international terrorism, while stressing the need to respect international law, including the respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of all States. In the light of the previous initiatives and considerations adopted by NAM and of our conviction that multilateral cooperation, in conformity with the United Nations Charter, international law and the relevant international conventions, and under United Nations auspices, is the most effective means to combat international terrorism, I reiterate the Movement’s call for an international conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response by the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including identifying its root causes.

I now give the floor to the representative of Cambodia.

Mr. President, I would like to extend my congratulations to you and the People’s Republic of China for assuming the presidency of the Security Council during the month of April and to express my gratitude for organizing this highly important debate. My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who spoke on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. My delegation shares the concerns expressed by many delegations at the Council today. Every day, we are faced with images of violent extremism and terrorist action. The self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and its horrendous crimes are menacing peace, stability and human security worldwide. The Royal Government of Cambodia firmly condemns every act of violence that this terrorist organization has visited on religious and ethnic minorities, and in particular on women and children, including its brutal executions of the innocent. The rapid spread of terrorist threats is indeed disturbing. While the scourge of terrorism has spread too fast and too far, it can be defeated by a sustained, comprehensive approach. The unpredictability, frequency and potency of terrorist attacks demand increased international solidarity and cooperation, with the United Nations taking a central role in the maintenance of international peace and security. As we work together on that, the Royal Government of Cambodia would like to reaffirm its strong commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. The principles of respect for territorial integrity, sovereign equality, independence and non-interference in domestic affairs must play an integral role in the global fight against terrorism. This is essential if we are to ensure universal respect for the principles of justice as outlined in the Charter, and it is very important for the three pillars of the Organization’s work  — peace and security, development and human rights. Counter-terrorism action must follow a comprehensive approach. In line with resolution 2178 (2014), the global community must focus on combating radicalization and terrorist recruitment by countering terrorist propaganda and preventing terrorists from exploiting social media and Internet communications technologies for incitement and the propagation of violent extremist messages. To fight terrorism successfully, we must eradicate the root causes of conflict. Conflict prevention is a prerequisite for sustainable peace and respect for human rights. Poverty, discrimination, a lack of education, social exclusion and inequality only perpetuate the cycle of violence. We can undercut the recruitment of terrorists and terrorism’s global spread through the adequate and stable improvement of social, political and economic conditions. We must all take this on board, because we can never succeed in attaining our sustainable development agenda without first securing a safe and prosperous future for our children. In that connection, it is absolutely essential that we safeguard and preserve the cultural heritage of humankind for future generations. The Royal Government of Cambodia is deeply disturbed by terrorists’ deliberate destruction of cultural heritage sites and thefts of priceless ancient artifacts. Such unspeakable practices erode the historic fabric of our society. Cambodia will stand with the international community in our global efforts to keep our ancient history alive. My delegation therefore fully supports resolutions 2199 (2015) and 2253 (2015), which aim to suppress terrorist financing and thus prevent terrorist groups and their supporters from compromising international peace and security. The spread of terrorism undermines our efforts to strengthen the global economy and ensure sustainable growth and development for all. In order to fight it, the international community must act decisively and in a unified and well-coordinated manner. The fight against terrorism must be consistent with international law and conducted in full accord with the purposes and principles of the Charter. In that regard, I would like once again to stress that the principles of the Charter are vital to global peace and security, economic development, the rule of law, social progress and the protection of human rights. In that context, my delegation looks forward to the review of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy to be conducted in June. We will work productively with other Member States and United Nations agencies in our efforts to further strengthen the global counter-terrorism response.

I now give the floor to the representative of Maldives.

My delegation would like to thank the Chinese presidency of the Security Council for convening today’s open debate on a critical subject. I would also like to thank the Secretary-General for his briefing on the topic this morning. Acts of terrorism are an issue that currently besets the entire world and threatens to shatter the very foundations of international peace and security. The alarming increase in the number and lethality of organized terrorist attacks over the past year makes it clear that assertive and expeditious measures must be taken to eliminate this threat before any more innocent lives are lost. On behalf of the Government and the people of the Maldives, I would like to extend our sincere condolences and sympathies to all the countries, communities and families that have fallen victim to terrorist attacks recently and in the past. It is with great concern that we note the incidents of terrorist activity that now occur with increasing frequency all over the world. We recognize that some countries may never recover from the physical, social and economic wounds that such attacks leave behind. The Government of the Maldives strongly condemns and denounces all acts of terrorism committed by any terrorist group or individual. Whether indiscriminate or targeted, they are horrifyingly misguided and completely lacking in basic morality and respect for humankind. In no way, therefore, should they be associated with any specific religion, nationality or ethnic group, and that approach must be strictly observed when it comes to making policy decisions, formulating preventive measures and sharing information, both domestically and internationally. Any failure to do so will not only isolate and unfairly condemn a large fraction of the world’s population, it will also destroy the unity and trust that the United Nations was built on. Terrorism is a common threat to us all and can be eliminated only through solidarity, mutual trust and understanding. In that spirit, almost 10 years ago we all came together to adopt the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. The Strategy, which recognizes the multilayered complexities behind the root causes of terrorism, is supplemented by various General Assembly and Security Council resolutions as well as initiatives targeting specific aspects of terrorism. The Maldives welcomes one of the most recent of those initiatives, the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which resulted in the Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism held in Geneva last week and demonstrates that all countries are united in denouncing and condemning violent extremism and terrorism in all forms. Although terrorist attacks are a global issue, the preventive solutions to them lie in domestic action within our countries. We must accept that no country is immune to the threat and ensure that we have robust legislation in place to address terrorism’s root causes and prevent its spread — legislation that must be effectively implemented and diligently enforced. In that regard, in 2015 Maldives enacted a revised and comprehensive anti-terrorism law and launched a number of initiatives at the national level to prevent the spread of terrorism and terrorist attacks. This includes the Government’s establishment of a multi-agency counter-terrorism centre in February this year. Recognizing that cutting off the channels for terrorist financing is one of the most crucial steps in combatting international terrorism, the Maldives adopted the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Act in 2014. I wish to emphasize the importance of having comprehensive laws on this matter in each and every country to ensure that no State inadvertently falls victim as a channel of terrorist finances. Both of these national legislations arise from the landmark resolution number 2178 (2014), which demonstrates the important role that the Security Council plays in the interaction between international and domestic law. From the recent attacks that we have seen, it is clear that the methods, strategies and targets for terrorist attacks have evolved over time. Technology, social media and other resources are being exploited not only to plan and conduct these attacks, but for recruitment and public outreach as well. Therefore, it is important to ensure that the preventive measures and responses to these attacks are dynamic as well. We must use our collective resources, intelligence and power to ensure that we are always one step ahead until this threat is eliminated. International and regional networking for the sharing of information and best practices would be extremely beneficial in dealing with postmodern terrorism and technology used to commit acts of terrorism. For instance, although the Maldives gives the highest priority to issues relating to terrorism, it is also important to recognize that the Maldives is a small and widely dispersed island country with limited resources and capacity. We need to recognize that each and every country has unique challenges and vulnerabilities, and we need to ensure that all countries have the assistance they require to prevent acts of terrorism from taking place on their soil. In conclusion, I wish to emphasize that we must continue our battle against terrorism with deepened resolve and determination. These terrorist attacks are aimed at bringing down not only buildings and homes, but also our spirits and hope. As long as we do not allow that to happen, we shall win thie war.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kenya.

The delegation of Kenya congratulates you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of April and commends you for your skilful conduct of the affairs of the Council. I thank the Secretary-General for his briefing and illuminating remarks. My delegation also appreciates all the reports that have been shared with us, including the concept note for this meeting (S/2016/306, annex). Please allow me reiterate the solidarity of our Government and delegation with the Governments and peoples of countries who have suffered and continue to suffer unnecessary loss of life perpetrated through cowardly, backward and evil terrorist attacks by retrogressive forces in various parts of the world. The threat posed by international terrorism is the greatest challenge to sustaining peace and sustainable development. It is a global challenge requiring concerted international efforts to eradicate. Terrorists have become more sophisticated, globalized, cruel and brutal as they continue to proliferate. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham/Da’esh, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and other groups are emerging in various parts of the world and continue to pose a real, daily threat. Kenya welcomes the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism as a basis for each Member State to put its political will into concrete action against terrorism. We are aligning our counterterrorism strategy and national action plans with the Plan of Action in order to enable us enhance preventive actions, particularly through early warning systems at the local and grassroots levels, as that is one of the most effective ways to snuff out the terrorist supply chain of new recruits. Prevention will also delegitimize the radicalization and violent extremist narrative online and offline before it gains ground anywhere. The Plan of Action focuses on and calls upon Member States and the entire United Nations system to cooperate, collaborate and work together to conclusively address this problem. The international community must fully unite in order to succeed. The Kenya delegation is of the view that the United Nations, in particular the Security Council, has an important role to play in order to positively advance the war against terror. Yet, it has not fully brought its immense convening power to bear on this matter. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy alone, without a binding legal instrument against terrorism, cannot yield the dividends that we all aspire to. At the national level, Kenya has established the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, an inter-agency organization that coordinates the implementation of the national counter-terrorism strategy and action plans. With the enhanced coordination of national efforts, we have realized a reduction in the number and intensity of terrorists acts in our country. Through increased public engagement at all levels, the war against terrorism is being prosecuted and executed by both the law enforcement agencies and the citizenry and local communities, as it is now seen as a call to defend their national values, democracy, freedom and, of course, Kenya’s way of life. Kenya’s efforts to counter violent extremism take a threefold approach. First, prevention measures target individuals and communities at risk and exposure to recruiters into violent extremism. These prevention measures focus on investments, for example, in education to counter terrorism and violent extremism ideologies. We also focus on smart immigration and border-control systems, effective pubIic service delivery, the protection of liberties and freedoms, and the enhancement of democracy in our country. Curative and rehabilitative measures to deal with those already radicalized and the affected communities are a second, important measure. The Government plans to set up a prison and rehabilitation centre dedicated to the rehabilitation of terrorists to help them transit and be reintegrated into the community as reformed and productive members of our society. Training and continuing education for both the investigative and the prosecution arms of law enforcement on best practices investigations and evidence collection, the protection and promotion of the rule of law, and training in other other criminal justice aspects to enhance and consolidate the war against terrorism are another strategy. A financial reporting centre is now also fully operational, The centre enhances the capacity of the banking and financial services sector to prevent, detect and counter terrorism financing through Kenya’s economy. Capacity-building to build the resilience of communities, including initiatives to assist them in preventing and addressing threats and in rehabilitating and reintegrating their members who have been radicalized or are reformed terrorists, is the third strategy. This helps these communities to reject violent extremist narratives and to recover from acts of violent extremism. That is why the Government is fully committed to the devolution of budgetary resources to the county level for development initiatives, because we have come to realize that this helps to create jobs, deliver services and delegitimize the narratives of marginalization by extremist groups. The Kenyan Government is also heavily invested in youth and women. Development funds to enhance and facilitate financial inclusion have been set up and help to ensure that all segments of society are engaged in productive economic activities. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate my delegation’s commitment to international solidarity in the war against terrorism, and we look forward to the review of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June 2016, subsequent to which we expect that we shall be able to adopt a more progressive strategy that is able to address current and emerging challenges and realities to help us achieve our collective aspirations of ending terrorism and violent extremism. The 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development (General Assembly resolution 70/1), provides us, as we all know, with a collective standard and a transformative framework to address economic inequalities within and among nations. That will help all of us address alienation and exclusion, intolerance and violence, as those are the challenges that are driving and enablisng terrorism and violent extremism to advance everywhere throughout the world.

I now give the floor to the representative of Nicaragua.

Nicaragua wishes to congratulate the presidency of the People’s Republic of China for its outstanding work during this month and for having convened this debate on this very important topic, which deals with a threat to international peace and security. Our delegation wishes to align itself with the statement made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries. Nicaragua reiterates in the strongest terms its condemnation of terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations, including State terrorism, of which Nicaragua, its people and Government have been victims. Terrorism cannot and must not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, and those attributions should not be used to justify terrorism. Similarly, Nicaragua condemns the double standards practiced by some countries that claim to promote the eradication of terrorism but shelter terrorists within their territories, send terrorists to other States and finance their actions with the aim of changing regimes and subjugating their people. Clearly, many who claim to promote human rights and the rule of law are the same ones who most egregiously violate human rights and international law, which they seek to justify in the name of fighting against terrorism. The same parties have financed, organized and created existing terrorist groups, in particular in the Middle East. Nicaragua expresses its condemnation of the ongoing hostilities that have been waged under the banner of the war on terror. Entire nations, which were once enjoying development and prosperity, are today mired in ruins and destruction, with millions of victims. Entire families and millions of human beings are now looking for refuge, fleeing a situation that we claim to be combating, using the same old methods. The fight against the scourge of terrorism must be an open and coordinated fight, waged within the framework of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, ensuring that all Member States are participating on an equal footing with regard to their rights and the respect for their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Much remains to be done on the issue of terrorism, and we strongly support the development of a convention on terrorism and call on all Member States to show flexibility in that regard. Nicaragua reaffirms its desire to contribute in the best way possible to ensure that that convention is finalized. At the same time, we are committed to continuing to work to promote and support the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In the words of the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega Saavedra, “The increasing greed of global capitalism, particularly in the Middle East and Africa, has caused wars and created, fostered, cultivated and exploited fanaticism and terrorism, which have, in turn, spread insecurity and destruction, and caused all kinds of crises  — crises of infinite proportions and ramifications with war, food, the environmental, labour and humanitarian matters at their heart” (A/70/PV.23, p.11). Terrorism has become a threat to international peace and security. Once again, I return to the words of President Ortega: “Our Organization should promote respect, peace, sovereign security, justice and solidarity among human beings. The Organization must respond in the face of that barbaric intervention in and interruption of the tranquillity and the right to prosperity in the lives of millions of families of countries and entire populations” (ibid., p. 11). It is our responsibility to put an end to that threat.

I now give the floor to the representative of Cuba.

Cuba welcomes the presidency of the People’s Republic of China in the Security Council this month and, in particular, its leadership of our work. Cuba strongly supports the collective efforts of the United Nations in its fight against terrorism, and therefore accords great importance to this debate. Cuba rejects and condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all of their forms and manifestations committed by whomever, against whomever, wherever they are committed and whatever their motivations, including State terrorism. Any Government involved in an act of State terrorism must be held accountable at the international level. It is impossible to eradicate terrorism, however, if only some terrorist acts are condemned while others are ignored, tolerated, justified or reinterpreted, an approach that seeks to to promote narrow political and economic interests. It is unacceptable that double standards, political bias and impunity prevail in addressing such a sensitive issue. Cuba is a country that, in seeking to defend its independence and sovereignty, has suffered for decades from the consequences of terrible terrorist acts that were organized, financed and planned from abroad, resulting in a toll of 3,478 dead and 2,099 injured. Our people have suffered in their own flesh because of that scourge, and we will always fight against it. One such concrete example of our fight against terrorism is our Law No. 93 against terrorist acts. It has been in force since 20 December 2001 and is part of our penal code, with specific provisions for defining efforts to respond to criminal conduct of a terrorist nature. We are also party to 18 international conventions relating to terrorism, pursuant to which legal and institutional measures have been put in place to effectively confront the phenomenon. Cuba has never allowed nor will it ever allow the use of its national territory for carrying out, planning or financing terrorist acts of any kind against any State, without exception. The international community must not accept the fact that the fight against terrorism is being used as a pretext to justify interference in the internal affairs of other States, carry out acts of aggression, or allow gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, such as torture, kidnapping, illegal detentions, disappearances or extrajudicial executions, thereby undermining the national sovereignty of a State. Those actions are in contravention with the Charter of the United Nations and the principles and norms of international law. Wherever those legal and ethical principles are violated, the legitimacy of our struggle against international terrorism will be undermined. Today, the question of terrorism is made up of a number of important issues, tied in to the threat to international peace and stability. Some of them were included in the last review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which is, with its four pillars, the guiding framework for the global fight against terrorist acts. Information and communications technologies must be used in strict accordance with international law. Access to such technologies should be blocked for recruitment activities of terrorists and for the financing and carrying out of terrorist acts. States also have the obligation to refrain from resorting to those tools to undermine the exercise of sovereignty of other States. In that regard, we ought to condemn the practice of certain States in funding, supporting and promoting, through the Internet, radio or television, acts that violate the self-determination of other peoples, as well as messages of intolerance against cultures or political and socioeconomic systems that do not agree with the imposed prescriptions for their models of hegemonic power. Justice and reparations for victims must be at the heart of our course of action. States are responsible for meeting their international obligations and securing the achievement of victims’ rights, including the numerous victims of State terrorism. Cuba reiterates the duty of States to fulfil their obligations to prosecute and extradite all terrorists without exceptions, such as the notorious terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, responsible for the first terrorist attack against civil aviation in the Western Hemisphere. In that crime, he instigated the mid-air explosion near the coast of Barbados of a plane of the commercial airline Cubana de Aviación on 6 October 1976, with the resulting loss of 73 passengers. Cuba actively participates in the actions and efforts of the United Nations aimed at combating international terrorism. We firmly believe that the Organization is the appropriate setting for confronting this scourge with determination and energy and without double standards. The fight against terrorism requires the cooperation of everyone, with full adherence to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and of international law. Cuba has demonstrated its commitment to and full support for the call of the United Nations to States, international organizations and the international community to refuse, as a whole, to finance or encourage terrorist activities, to support them by other means or to provide training for them. Cuba believes that we can do much more in the matter of the fight against terrorism. The Council and all Member States can count on our unwavering commitment to combating this scourge in all its forms and manifestations, wherever it occurs and independently of whomever the perpetrators of terrorist acts may be. Multilateral efforts to consolidate the full implementation of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy assuredly have our support.

I now give the floor to the representative of Estonia.

I thank you for organizing this debate, Mr. President. Since the last time the Estonian Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke at the United Nations, in September 2015 (see S/PV.7527), terrorist aggression has, tragically, continued around the world, including in our region, in Europe and in its neighbourhood, where hundreds of people have been killed and injured in heinous terrorist attacks. Estonia remains vigilant and committed to our common fight against terrorism. Terrorism is a global phenomenon, and the international community must act together to prevent and counter terrorism in a comprehensive and sustainable way. The United Nations is the most appropriate framework for shaping international counter-terrorism measures. In that regard, let me point out the adoption of resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014) and, most recently, 2253 (2015), as well as the Plan of Action on Preventing Violent Extremism (A/70/674) presented by the Secretary-General. As a European Union member State, Estonia fully aligns itself with the statement delivered in the Council today by the Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU). To enhance the fight against terrorism, we support closer cooperation and the exchange of information, both inside the EU and with other countries and organizations. We participate in the EU work in progress, including the fight against terrorist financing and stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. Estonia has signed and will ratify the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, and our first cases on terrorist financing have been brought to justice. In the long term, we must focus on prevention. Radicalization is a social phenomenon first, and then a law-enforcement issue. Education, integration, employment and eventually deradicalization and rehabilitation must be provided to prevent violent extremism. Online and offline, we must stop terrorist propaganda and develop counter narratives, in publicprivate partnerships. In broad terms, democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights remain essential in preventing and countering terrorism. Estonia takes that into account in its activities on a national level as well as in its international cooperation and development aid. Ultimately, the solution lies in addressing the conflicts and assisting the fragile States where violent extremism breeds. To counter one of the most menacing terrorist organizations of our time, Da’esh, Estonia supports the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, to which we are contributing, in accordance with our capacity, through military and humanitarian aid. At the same time, we must not forget that terrorism and violent extremism are not limited to radical Islam and specific regions. No manifestation of terrorism can be tolerated wherever it emerges, regardless of its religious, political, historical or ethnical background and motivation.

I now give the floor to the representative of Georgia.

At the outset, let me express our gratitude to the Chinese presidency for convening today’s meeting. Georgia aligns itself with the statement delivered by the observer of the European Union. In addition, I would like to make some comments in my national capacity. The violence and brutality inflicted by terrorism on humanity is of grave concern. Egregious attacks on innocent civilians in different parts of the world make it obvious that terrorism, one of the most pressing challenges for the contemporary world, has become transnational and cross-border in nature. The situation in the Middle East overtly demonstrates how inhumanely terrorists can abuse the opportunities opened by modernity, modern technologies and growing globalization. Conflicts in Syria and Iraq have prompted violent extremists to travel to those countries from all over the world. The citizens of Georgia are also targeted for recruitment to serve the interest of terrorist organizations in territories controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In a technological age, recruitment no longer requires face-to-face communication. ISIL terrorists are using modern, encrypted networks, and for law-enforcement agencies that poses a huge obstacle in the process of combating terrorism. No single State can have full access to the relevant data. T counter those challenges, Georgia has significantly streamlined its procedures for intelligence-sharing, and our special agencies have demonstrated good practices in successful international cooperation. Bearing in mind the rapidly increasing ISIL propaganda, relevant frameworks should be considered in which influential religious and youth leaders can play a key role. More must also be done to address the root causes conducive to the spread of violent extremism, including elaborating relevant policies aimed at social and economic development, fostering education and youth employment, women’s empowerment and inclusive national ownership. Georgia has taken steps towards fuller integration of certain vulnerable communities into society, with the participation of civil society and advocacy groups. It should be emphasized that criminal prosecution without a proper resocialization strategy It should be emphasized that criminal prosecution without a proper resocialization strategy can only further aggravate radicalization. Increasing threats emanating from various terrorist groups make the possibility of exploiting security vulnerabilities with criminal intent highly likely. It is not a secret that some terrorist groups have already demonstrated acute interest in acquiring weapons of mass destruction to terrorize the world. Hypothetically speaking, terrorists can unlawfully obtain weapons of mass destruction or technologies and materials necessary to assemble them. Therefore, one day, the threat of weapons of mass destruction terrorism might shed its blurred lines and acquire quite a clear shape. To effectively prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, we will have to enhance the existing security architecture and reinforce the physical security of sensitive materials. The risks posed by the illegal military occupation of 20 per cent of our sovereign territory by the Russian Federation are our most serious problem. The occupied regions of Georgia, like any other grey zone throughout the world where legitimate national and international mechanisms are nonexistent, have been used for various sorts of illegal activities, including smuggling and terrorism. In this connection, I would like to remind this audience that over the past years there have been a number of recorded and prosecuted attempts to smuggle nuclear and radioactive materials through the Russian-occupied Georgian regions, and the international community has been duly informed about them. Full compliance with the obligations under relevant international arrangements, such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological Weapons Convention, Council resolution 1540 (2004), among others, must stand out as the top priority for the international community. In this regard. I would like to remind the Council that, in coordination with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, the Government of Georgia organized high-level side events in October 2014 and 2015 on topics related to chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear — CBRN — risk reduction. In December 2015, Georgia, the Kingdom of Morocco and the Republic of the Philippines, as co-Chairs, established the United Nations Group of Friends of CBRN Risk Mitigation and Security Governance to promote various CBRN-related topics in the United Nations by actively engaging with Member States and the United Nations Secretariat. The Group of Friends will help integrate the CBRN component in the international security architecture and foster regional and subregional cooperation on CBRN challenges. When we held our second meeting at the ambassadorial level on 6 April, we again encouraged the other Member States participating in the European Union’s CBRN Centres of Excellence Risk Mitigation Initiative to join the Group. In conclusion, I wish to reiterate Georgia’s resolve and determination to further engage with our partner countries and international organizations with a common objective of reducing threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Bangladesh.

We thank the Chinese presidency in the Council for organizing this open debate. Terrorism and violent extremism are direct affronts to what the United Nations stands for. As the main custodian of the mandate of the Charter of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security, the Security Council must continue to counter these threats in a visible manner. The tentacles of terrorism continue to grow and engulf more and more territories and communities. As a series of barbaric incidents from Paris to Ougadougou, from Istanbul to Lahore make it evident, no one nation among us is immune to terrorists’ reach. We may have a different set of readings of the underlying drivers of terrorism, yet we must all subscribe to certain fundamental concerns. While going into a firefighting mode about some immediate challenges, we must address the larger, accumulated grievances that terrorists tend to use as staples to increase their ranks. We also lose focus when we try to find scapegoats instead of being somewhat self-reflective. This leads to scareand hatemongering about others, whose identity may vary depending on the context. The action of some aberrant individuals cannot be apportioned to an entire community or a nation in an indiscriminate fashion. That kind of generalization leads to further polarization, disrupting the unity of purpose that is a must to defeat and degrade terrorists. For us, a terrorist is a terrorist and does not have any religion, belief or creed. No faith in the world justifies or condones unwarranted violence and attacks against innocent civilians in the pretext of righting any wrong. Based on this, in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has avowed a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism and violent extremism in all their forms and manifestations. Our Government has done much to dismantle fringe terrorist groups and their offshoots. We remain vigilant so as to obviate the possibility of our nationals being recruited as foreign terrorist fighters in the Middle East and elsewhere. We have made sure that our territory is not used by any terrorist entity working against the interest of our neighbour countries. Bangladesh has joined the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund as a pilot country to strengthen community-based responses against the spread of violent extremism leading to terrorism. We remain concerned over the targeted terror tactics being used by certain banned terrorist outfits, especially a group of online activists. This outfit primarily operates through splinter cells, with indoctrinated individuals working within a disparate network system. This poses a challenge to investigation and prosecution, considering our resource constraints. Matters get further compounded by generally unfounded claims of involvement of certain international terrorist groups. Our Government remains firmly committed to overcoming these threats and challenges and to preserving the fundamental rights and freedoms of all citizens within our democratic and pluralist social fabric. There are added challenges posed by the growing and sophisticated use of the Internet by terrorists. Alleged financial support flows largely through informal means, including from abroad. Against the backdrop of our efforts to reduce the digital divide, there remain loopholes within the system that cyberterrorists can take advantage of at any time. Perhaps these challenges are not unique to Bangladesh, but they need to be addressed with the participation of all relevant domestic actors and the support of our international partners. In this context, we appreciate the work of the Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force, the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Financial Action Task Force, among others, in strengthening the capacity of our judiciary, law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, broadly in line with our national counter-terrorism strategy. To conclude, we wish to share some thoughts for the Council’s consideration. First, the Council must remain seized with its efforts to address the fundamental root causes of international terrorism, including through facilitating the resumption of the Middle East peace process towards its logical conclusion. Secondly, the Council should  — as it has done today  — periodically take stock of its contribution to a holistic and balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and further calibrate its response in light of the strengths and gaps identified. Thirdly, we expect the Council to provide continued guidance to the concerned counter-terrorism committees and expert panels under its remit to conduct their work in regular consultation with the wider membership and to effectively contribute to needsbased capacity-building at national and regional levels. Fourthly, it is crucial for the Council to make an objective assessment of terrorist threats and linkages based on evidence and to discourage reporting or analyses that are not necessarily backed by a sufficient understanding of the realities on the ground. Fifthly and lastly, the Council must take an informed and cautious approach in mandating peacekeeping missions with counter-terrorism operations for which the troops deployed on the ground are generally not equipped. We look forward to continuing this dialogue with all Members, including during the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy review upcoming in June.

I now give the floor to the representative of Tunisia.

Allow me to thank the People’s Republic of China for organizing this debate on counter-terrorism. This is not just another debate, as we are talking about a topic that requires that we intensify our common efforts to more effectively and rapidly react to the growth of this unprecedented threat. The geographic scope of the terrorist attacks carried out in recent months — I am not going to name cities and countries, because the list has, sadly, become far too long — shows the magnitude of the threat. The number of foreign terrorist fighters has reached 30,000, from more than 100 countries. Why is violent extremism so attractive? Why has the international community not been able to foil the use for nefarious purposes of information and communications technologies, which has certainly contributed to globalizing terror? Some are even wondering whether freedom of expression should be placed above the right to life. The debate on this issue is not without interest and, in our view, deserves in-depth consideration. Tunisia, thanks to the commitment of all stakeholders to dialogue and compromise and to the participation of civil society, has been able to overcome the difficulties inherent in the transition to democracy. This approach won it, inter alia, the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize. Although these advances are significant and honourable, they cannot mask the challenges that we are facing and, in line with today’s debate, I would cite in particular the challenge of fighting terrorism. Tunisia is endeavouring to try to effectively meet the challenge of terrorism by adopting a comprehensive long-term approach. This is not an easy fight; it has a cost and takes a heavy toll. Tunisia has paid a price: the valiant men and women, to whom I would like to pay warm tribute today, who helped us to defend its democratic advances and its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, to ensure respect for its social choices, to preserve the anchoring of its society in its Arab Muslim identity, and, lastly, to translate the success of its democratic transition into socioeconomic benefits for the most vulnerable segments of the population and thereby prevent the radicalization of those persons who are most disadvantaged materially and intellectually. The task will not be easy in the short term. No one can argue this point so long as our environment remains fragilized by the repercussions of strong tensions and conflicts that sometimes seem not to have any real prospects of a lasting solution. We are resolved to combat this phenomenon through the power of the law, and that is why we adopted a new organic law for fighting terrorism and money laundering in August 2015, in line with the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, in particular resolution 2178 (2014). We also recently developed, in close cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, a holistic, multisectoral national strategy on fighting terrorism and violent extremism that rests on four pillars: prevention, protection, follow-up and response. A panoply of measures has been put in place in that respect. I will simply mention here the launch by the Ministry of Religious Affairs of a campaign in 2016 with the slogan “Tomorrow will be better”, which is aimed at young people and promoting the true face of moderate Islam through art, culture and communication. The strategy brings together various stakeholders; this is a fight that we all must wage. It is not just a fight for a better life; it is a fight for life itself. It is a fight against a common enemy. That is why “We the peoples of the United Nations”, to quote the famous phrase from the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, must strengthen our support for the efforts of those countries that require it in order to do away with this transnational threat. We welcome in this context the development by the Counter-Terrorism Task Force of a plan to help build the capacity of countries to combat the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters. This plan offers a more concerted and coherent approach to the issue. We wish also to state that sufficient support for the list of related priority projects is critical if we wish to help countries deploy the efforts necessary to strengthen border control, which is a very sensitive area and which I am citing as an example. It is within the framework of this support and assistance that we will be able to assess whether our actions have lived up to our talk. Before concluding, I should like to touch upon the strategic guiding role that the United Nations must play in order to face up to the terrorist challenge. In this context, I wish to echo the appeal launched today by many speakers regarding the need to take a more holistic approach to preventing this phenomenon by complementing measures to fight terrorism, which remain critical, with systematic measures for the prevention of violent extremism. I would like also to underscore the relevance of the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, which aims to strengthen our joint efforts at the national, regional and international levels in order to address the underlying causes of violent extremism in all of their complexity. Finally, we look forward to being able to continue substantive discussions on the plan so as to arrive at a consensus on measures that will help us advance on issues of such urgent priority.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Republic of Korea.

I wish to thank the Chinese presidency for having convened this timely and important debate. The recent appalling terrorist attacks in Pakistan and Belgium were a painful reminder of the deadly nature of the threat posed by extremist terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Ten years after the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the role of the United Nations in preventing and combating terrorism remains ever more critical. In recent years, the Security Council has adopted a series of resolutions aimed at tackling the dangerous new trend of the terrorist threat posed by extremist groups such as ISIL. These resolutions have effectively bolstered the existing global counter-terrorism framework by imposing new measures to cut off financing of terrorists, prohibit terrorist incitement, stem the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and confront the broader question of preventing violent extremism. The Republic of Korea appreciates the active role played by the Security Council in countering terrorism and is fully committed to working with the international community to promote the full implementation of these resolutions by all Member States. Recently the Republic of Korea took a significant step towards strengthening its national counterterrorism legislation by enacting a law on the prevention of terrorism for the protection of the people and public safety. This new legislation criminalizes a broad range of terrorist and other related activities, including the act of joining terrorist groups abroad as foreign terrorist fighters and the financing of terrorist activities. The new law also contains strong preventive measures, including information-gathering, immigration-control measures and the suspension of financial transactions vis-à-vis high-risk individuals, and envisages the establishment of a counter-terrorism centre to act as a control tower for all counter-terrorism measures. The Republic of Korea is committed to faithfully implementing Security Council resolutions related to terrorist financing, including the recent resolution 2253 (2015). Furthermore, the Republic of Korea is actively taking part in international efforts to combat the financing of terrorism through its presidency of the Financial Action Task Force. The Republic of Korea is also strengthening the monitoring of online terroristrelated messages and activities with the relevant agencies. Recently, the Korea Communications Standards Commission detected several cases of malicious online content and has taken measures to mitigate the risk of such content. Through our past efforts to combat terrorism, it has become increasingly evident that security-based measures alone cannot defeat terrorism. A more comprehensive approach is needed to address the deeper underlying drivers of violent extremism. In that regard, the Republic of Korea fully supports the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and stands ready to actively engage with the international community for its effective implementation at the global, regional and national levels. The Republic of Korea also welcomes the adoption by consensus of General Assembly resolution 70/254 last month, pledging to give further consideration to the plan and hopes that it will make a positive contribution to the upcoming United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review in June. On a final note, as our delegation emphasized the importance of youth and education in countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism at the Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism on 8 April, I would like to point out the fact that a large majority of foreign terrorist fighters joining extremist groups are young people, many of them teenagers. If we are to ultimately defeat violent extremism and prevent these young people from falling prey to the poisonous ideologies and propaganda, it is crucially important to teach them the values of human dignity, peace, diversity and tolerance, as emphasized in the concept of global citizenship education. Through such global citizenship education on our universal values and ideas, we should be able to convince our young generation that it is our free and diverse societies, not hate and violence preached by the extremists, that will offer the lofty path to true dignity, hope and happiness for all. The Republic of Korea will continue its efforts to promote global citizenship education as a fundamental solution to the phenomenon of violent extremism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Thailand.

I would like to thank China for convening this open debate today. Recent terrorist attacks in many parts of the world have reminded us of the urgent need for concerted international efforts to address this growing threat. That is why today’s debate is highly relevant, offering an opportunity for a sharing of views prior to the upcoming review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June. In our resolve to eliminate terrorism, all States must be unified in the firm belief that any act of terrorism is unjustifiable and should be condemned, regardless of its motivations. The Kingdom of Thailand firmly believes that terrorism is not associated with any one religion, nationality or civilization. As experiences have shown, terrorism does not discriminate against its victims. Its impact is felt by people from all walks of life. Against that backdrop, permit me to share with the Council Thailand’s perspective on how we can address terrorism in a concerted manner. At the national level, robust legislation is required to prevent and to prosecute terrorism, as well as to effectively and implement, in a timely fashion, the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular those related to funding of terrorist activities. In the Kingdom of Thailand, terrorism offences have been incorporated into our penal code since 2003. In 2013, the new Transnational Organized Crime Act was promulgated to implement the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Social media can be an effective tool for terrorists to rapidly reach out to young people and marginalized groups seeking political, social and economic opportunities. While ensuring the protection of freedom of expression, we must put in place effective national regulation of the cyberspace and electronic media to prevent abusive use and promote a constructive role for social media in countering the dissemination of terrorist propaganda and violent ideologies. Closer regional cooperation is also required. The Kingdom of Thailand continues to see the value of participating actively in international counterterrorism forums, such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. In many regions, economic integration allows freer flows of peoples and goods. It is important that States cooperate on intelligence-sharing, countering terrorist financing and building capacity, particularly on border security. At the same time, freedom of movement of people and trade must be maintained, an imperative that makes the task at hand even more complex. At the international level, we must work together to gain momentum and support for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the work of United Nations agencies involved in counter-terrorism. The upcoming review in June will be a timely opportunity for Member States to examine synergies between various United Nations agencies, thereby leading to a more efficient fight against terrorism. Member States must also be totally committed to implementing related Security Council resolutions aimed at disrupting the financing, recruitment and movements of foreign terrorist fighters. For our part, the Kingdom of Thailand has been doing its utmost to implement its obligations in that regard, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. Most recently, in accordance with relevant Council resolutions, we started implementing the Advance Passenger Processing System to ensure more effective border control. Last month in Bangkok, we were able to share our experience in that field with Member States at the United Nations regional workshop entitled on raising awareness and building capacity on advance passenger information, which sought to establish an understanding of the issue of foreign terrorists fighters and the efforts required from the international community to address that threat. We strongly believe that the world needs a comprehensive, international legally binding instrument to fight terrorism. We therefore advocate finalization of the pending draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism. Countries must actively work together to overcome the current deadlock, and in particular find a compromise on a clear and precise definition of terrorism. Along with intensive efforts against terrorism at all levels, we must continue to effectively address its root causes. Poverty, lack of education, weak rule of law, inaccessibility to justice and political and social exclusion create desperation and grievances that may lead to violence. Equality, tolerance and understanding, including interfaith and intercultural dialogue, must be promoted to help prevent incitement to terrorism.

I now give the floor to the observer of the League of Arab States.

At the outset allow, me to congratulate you, Mr. President, on China’s accession to the presidency of the Security Council this month and to thank you for organizing this open debate to consider the important issue of terrorism and its impact on the maintenance of peace and security. I would also like to thank and commend the Secretary- General for his comprehensive briefing this morning. This meeting is taking place at a time when the world, especially the Arab world, is at a historically dangerous crossroad as a result of terrorist acts whose causes are varied and whose hotbeds are on the increase. That means that we, as the international community, must consider seriously and decisively how to strengthen international cooperation and coordination in order to combat the phenomenon of terrorism and put an end to its destructive activities, which threaten all of our civilizational, cultural and historic foundations. That is why it is important to pool global efforts in this respect in order to cut off terrorism financing, in line with the relevant United Nations resolutions. The world today is deeply concerned as we continue to see an escalation in terrorist activity. The wave of terrorist acts that began in the late 1980s was not adequately addressed at the time. The phenomenon therefore spread like cancer throughout the world, across continents and borders. The extremist ideologies and practices of those groups can in no be associated with any religion, ethnicity or civilization. The most damning evidence of that are the heinous acts that were committed in France, Brussels and other countries in North Africa and in our region, and that bear the signature of a societal phenomenon that is foreign to our cultures and civilization. Terrorist groups use every possible means to threaten international peace and security by terrorizing and killing peaceful civilians. We are meeting here today in the Security Council in order to figure out how to combat extremist terrorist groups and their ideologies and practices. Agreement among the international agreement on the concept of terrorism has become an absolute necessity, given that the United Nations has to date failed to agree a clear definition of terrorsim, which has led to the spread of this destructive phenomenon. The concept of terrorism cannot be linked to the legitimate right of peoples living under occupation to resistance and self-determination. This meeting reflects the resolve of the international community to continue to promote international peace and security, which I mentioned at our last meeting on the subject. Today’s meeting also serves to emphasize the need to change many international concepts and working methods. It is essential that the Council put in place new policies to implement its own resolutions concerning combating threats to peace and security, so as to ensure that the implementing mechanism is more effective. We also hope that the United Nations review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June will contribute to strengthening serious international efforts in order for national and regional strategies to complement national ones while avoiding double standards, reaffirming the importance of not associating terrorism with any specific religion, nationality or civilization and strengthening regional and international cooperation in combating terrorism, without prejudice to the rights of peoples living under occupation to self-determination or their legitimate fight against foreign occupation. We must also endeavour to cut off the means and sources of funding for terrorist activities of those entities designated in the various relevant Security Council resolutions. The League of Arab States and its bodies place the fight against terrorism and the protection of people’s rights at the core of our priorities. That has been reaffirmed on several occasions at League summits and ministerial meetings, and expressed in its relevant resolutions. At the most recent meeting of the League’s Ministerial Council, all acts of terrorism and all forms of terrorist activity were denounced in all their shapes or forms, perpetrated by whomever — including foreign terrorist fighters — and regardless of the motivations. It affirmed the need to refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to those entities or persons involved in terrorist acts. I would mention, in particular, paragraph 11 of the League’s resolution No. 8018, promulgated on 11 March, which invites Arab States to criminilize the movement of its citizens and the transit of foreign terrorist fighters across their territories for the purpose of joining terrorist organizations, as well as to put in place the appropriate legal systems and administrative measures to punish those fighters and limit the threat they represent to their countries of origin, transit countries and destination countries. It is unfortunate that the international community  — with all of its mechanisms and resources, including military  — remains powerless against non-State actors and to put an end to acts of terrorism, which challenge the whole world through the destruction of peoples and State structures. The diversity of the techniques used by terrorist entities and associated individuals have provided them with a flexibility of movement. That requires the international community to step up its efforts to develop a media, technical and technological network to confront the ideas of these terrorist entities and to prevent them from being able to recruit or engage the minds of people via the Internet. The League of Arab States, at its most recent Ministerial Council during the one hundred and fortyfifth session, via paragraph 14 of the same resolution, renewed its invitation to Arab States to “cooperate in order to prevent terrorists from using information and communication technologies and the Internet to incite support for terrorist activities, financing and planning, and to put in place a national mechanism to deal with electronic sites related to terrorist organizations”. That is in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions on measures to combat terrorism and to counter this phenomenon through social media. I would point in particular to resolutions 2253 (2015) and 2178 (2014), in which the Council refered to this threat in three paragraphs.. The non-implementation of various Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, especially the inability to put an end to or to limit the aggravation of the problems and conflicts in the Middle East in order to re-establish stability, would without a doubt lead to an increase in the frequency of terrorist operations around the world, which was evident in the recent terrorist events in Brussels. Recognizing the role that can be played via communication and social media, the League of Arab States, in the framework of its cooperation with the United Nations to preserve international peace and security by following up regional and global development and its impact on the Arab world, organized the first Arab media forum on on the theme “The role of media in combating terrorism”, in cooperation with the United Nations and its bodies, in particular the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task force, held in New York on 3 June 2015. The conclusions of that forum underscored the importance of continuing dialogue with all stakeholders, including the United Nations, regional organizations, all Member States and private sector communication and technologies companies, on the need to address the misuse of media to propagate terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Romania.

I thank you, Sir, for convening this timely debate following the presentation of Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and less than a week after the Geneva conference on the same topic. Romania aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union (EU). I would like to underline that my country is an active contributor to the EU’s counterterrorism policies. I will now make a few remarks in my national capacity. More than half of the Security Council resolutions adopted over the past year focused on this topic. And yet, terrorists still continue to spread fear in many parts of the world. Terrorism is a constant and diffuse threat to humankind. Recent terrorist attacks, which have killed hundreds of people in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Lebanon, Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Belgium, Turkey, Pakistan and other parts of the world, remind us that no country or region is immune from their impact. Since the start of the war and violence in Syria, Iraq and Libya, we have been confronted with the phenomenon of foreign fighters. They also pose a serious threat to security when they return to their home countries. The effect is multiplied by an aggressive social media campaign for equipment and logistical connections. Even though some countries have integrated measures into their counter-terrorist responses to monitor the spread of violent extremism via the Internet, preventing use of the Internet for terrorist purpose remains a major challenge for most States. Counter-terrorism must be part of our response. Network analysis, cutting financing, deradicalization and specialoperations strikes are all necessary. But terrorism cannot be tackled by security or military measures alone. Speaking last Friday in Geneva and here this morning, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated the need to focus more on the root causes of terrorism, saying that when one has to counter terrorism, it is too late, and that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and other radical groups are now spreading like a cancer around the world. Therefore, in fighting terrorism both a long-term vision and a shortterm response unnecessary. We need a broader integrated strategy that considers the full range of activities including humanitarian assistance. Plans of action to fight terrorism have to improve measures to counter ISIL propaganda on the Internet, the trafficking of illegal firearms and the financing of terrorism and violent extremism, including, for instance, controlling the online virtual currency trade platforms, and the effective cooperation among financial intelligence units. Positive engagement of young people, better education, teaching respect for human rights, diversity and gender equality, employment facilitation to counter poverty and social marginalization all have to be part of our strategy. Fighting ISIL must also include targeting its affiliates, which are franchises and supporters in a larger space than the area controlled by Da’esh itself, because they enable ISIL to expand its reach. If the international community wants to defeat ISIL than it has to work against the group as a whole, not just against the most visible part. Equally important, terrorism and violent extremism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. We must not allow terrorists to exploit the refugee situation and manipulate and polarize public opinion against migrants who are themselves fleeing from territories occupied by terrorists in order to save their lives. Last but not least, the legal definition of terrorist acts continues to remain a major matter of concern, affecting international cooperation in hunting down perpetrators and bring them to justice. Taking inspiration from Montesquieu, we should put the rule of law first because the rule of law is the foundation of all elements of society. The United Nations is uniquely positioned to advance this effort. It provides the necessary forum for building a universal coalition and ensures global legitimacy for the longterm response to terrorism. United Nations conventions already provide a legal framework for many of the steps that must be taken to eradicate terrorism. The review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy this June will be another step forward. Romania firmly supports this process.

I now give the floor to the representative of Belgium.

Mr. President, Belgium thanks you for organizing today’s debate, which is on a subject that concerns the entire international community and which hit Belgium with full force on 22 March, as it did recently in France, Lebanon, Pakistan, Côte d’Ivoire, Turkey and many other countries as well. I would like to associate our debate in spirit with all the victims of these atrocities. I would also like to thank the many States and regional and international organizations that offered their moral or practical support in those difficult times. These gestures are a sign of the commitment of the international community as a whole to keep a united front against international terrorism. Belgium was not waiting for these tragic events to occur on its territory before shouldering its responsibility. The attacks showed us that we have to continue pursuing our efforts with determination and in close collaboration with our partners. For several years now, many measures have been taken to strengthen our capabilities, be they legal, judicial, police, military or in terms of intelligence. Belgium, which, like many others, has been affected by the foreign terrorist fighter phenomenon, is giving priority attention to implementing resolution 2178 (2014) and has taken the steps needed to vigorously fight against it. The Belgian penal code specifically criminalizes trips for the purposes of training in conflict areas and for participation in conflicts abroad. In tackling terrorism and violent extremism, the response must be integrated, comprehensive and coordinated. The complexity of the phenomenon requires us to treat it in a preventive, punitive and remedial manner. Having become aware of the problem of radicalization at an early stage, my country drafted its first action plan against radicalism in 2005. In April 2013, the my country’s Government adopted its first national programme for preventing radicalization, which was based on improved understanding of radicalization processes, the promotion of preventive social measures, strengthening the resilience of the most vulnerable groups and raising awareness at the local and regional levels. Addressing terrorism and violent extremism on a global scale requires multiple responses. I would like to discuss three in the context of today’s debate. First, with respect to the defence of our societies’ shared values ​and resilience, if we do not address the root causes we will be condemned to see resurgent violent extremism elsewhere, wherever chaos allows it to settle. Security and respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and individual freedoms are complementary and mutually reinforcing. This is a message that we express with force, be it within the United Nations, the European Union or the Council of Europe. The holistic approach that Belgium is committed to is underscored in the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), published in January. We welcome this and support it. Besides calling for each State and region to shoulder its responsibility, the Plan of Action pertinently emphasizes the linkages to be made with the Sustainable Development Goals (General Assembly resolution 70/1) and the upholding of human rights, rule of law, good governance, the fight against impunity and the promotion of tolerance. In this regard, we are convinced that young people, women, education and access to decent employment will play a key role in the success of this strategy. The all-of- United Nations approach is, in this regard, key. Secondly, with regard to prevention and political resolution of international conflicts, we cannot defeat the scourge of terrorism if we allow terrorists to take control of territories from which they can develop their capacities, spread their ideology and prepare their attacks. It is essential for international community to stay united to resolve conflicts peacefully and politically, particularly those conflicts that create the chaos that allows terrorist groups to come in. Syria is the first hotbed of crisis to be extinguished. In that context, we pay tribute to the tireless work being carried out by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. De Mistura. But the work does not stop there. Unfortunately, other regions of the world are experiencing significant problems that do not cease to provide terrorist groups with opportunities to expand their networks. Belgium supports the United Nations, which, by its mandate, legitimacy and capacity, has a role to play that is more crucial than ever in the fight against this new world disorder. Finally, with regard to the security response, in an integrated approach, such a response is crucial. That is why we must continue to unstintingly fight against the pseudo-States of the Islamic State and Al-Qaida. Belgium is therefore actively participating in the international coalition against Da’esh. It is also the reason why Belgium is firmly committed to strengthening its own means for responding to the threat and continue working towards for closer cooperation with its partners. Such international cooperation becomes increasingly necessary as the threat of foreign terrorist fighters returning to their countries of origin evolves and continues to pose new challenges. I have in mind, for instance, links to organized crime, the use of simple chemicals for making bombs, the use of new, unregulated virtual spaces such as the Darknet or the trafficking of illegal weapons. It is therefore vital to work together to adapt and react instantly. In that regard, implementing the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects will help to counter the acquisition of such weapons by criminal gangs or terrorists. Many initiatives aimed at promoting better data and information exchange have been undertaken, particularly by the European Union and INTERPOL. Many steps have thus already been taken in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, and it is now our duty to focus on implementing them and to remain vigilant in order to ensure that they can help us deal with these constantly evolving threats.

I now give the floor to the representative of Turkey.

I would like to thank the Chinese presidency for organizing today’s debate and the Secretary-General for his briefing. Turkey aligns itself with the statement delivered earlier by the observer of the European Union (EU), and I will now make a statement in my national capacity. The recent terrorist attacks across the globe have shown once again that no country is immune to the threat of terrorism. Turkey is also being targeted by terrorist organizations, notably Da’esh and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and People’s Protection Units (YPG). The most recent bomb attacks in Ankara and Istanbul took the lives of 184 innocent people and left hundreds wounded, but they have only intensified the Turkish Government’s determination to fight the scourge of terrorism and underlined the need for international cooperation and solidarity in our fight against it. Terrorism is a multifaceted and transnational phenomenon and dealing with it demands effective bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation. International cooperation is key, particularly in efforts to defeat Da’esh or the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which Turkey views as a direct national security threat. Halting the flow of foreign terrorist fighters joining the ranks of Da’esh/ISIL is an indispensable part of our individual and collective efforts. In that regard, Turkey has taken necessary administrative, physical and technological measures, such as starting a no-entry list, which now includes more than 37,700 names; establishing a risk-analysis unit at airports and transport hubs that has so far checked 9,000 people and denied entry to more than 2,000. Since 2011 Turkey has deported more than 3,000 people. In fact, since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, and long before the adoption of resolution 2178 (2015), of which we were a sponsor, Turkey has appealed numerous times for greater international cooperation and information-sharing with regard to foreign terrorist fighters. I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize once again that in accordance with that resolution, foreign terrorist fighters should be prevented from travelling from their countries of departure in the first place. If that fails, timely and actionable sharing of intelligence is essential. Turkey is fighting Da’esh/ISIL on multiple fronts, and curbing its finances is another priority. In that context, Turkey collaborated in 2015 with the United States Financial Action Task Force typology project on Da’esh’s methods and scope of financing. In addition, Turkey’s financial intelligence unit, MASAK, cooperates with other such units. Even before the issue of curbing the finances of Da’esh/ISIL was on the international agenda  — not to mention its capture of major airfields in Syria — Turkey had been enhancing its efforts to counter smuggling networks and other activities out of Syria. In accordance with resolution 2199 (2015), of which we were a sponsor, Turkey regularly provides information to the relevant Security Council Committee, and our efforts are ongoing. Today, we are in the process of establishing a Syrian border physical security system. Here, too, it is important to do more in terms of denying Da’esh/ISIL access to the international financial system, particularly at the front end of transactions — that is to say, the source countries. It is worth mentioning here that under the coalition against Da’esh/ISIL, Turkey is a co-leader of the working group on foreign terrorist fighters and also takes part in the working group on countering financing. We have also reinforced our existing measures for preventing the illegal transfer of historical artifacts from their country of origin and have mobilized all the relevant institutions and agencies in accordance with our obligations under international instruments. The Turkish authorities are maintaining constant vigilance in this regard and have been handling the issue with all possible care and diligence. Turkey deplores and firmly condemns attacks resulting in the destruction of cultural property that is part of the common heritage of humankind. In sum, Turkey is at the forefront of the Da’esh threat, and our priority is making every possible effort to counter it. We are therefore extremely dismayed by recent speculation questioning Turkey’s determination to combat Da’esh/ISIL and other terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq. The allegations made about Turkey today by the Russian Federation are baseless, and we reject them. Anyone making such ill-intentioned allegations should take into consideration the fact that Turkey has been attacked by Da’esh terrorists three times in less than a year. Through such allegations, the Russian Federation is trying to distract public attention from the enormous harm that its air operations have done to civilians in Syria, as well as from its involvement with individuals and companies linked to financing for Da’esh in Syria. It is certainly regrettable that Russia has tried to abuse today’s meeting in order to advance its ill-intentioned political agenda against Turkey. Deliberations in the Security Council should abide by principles of responsibility and political maturity. We agree that there is an imperative need to avoid double standards in the fight against terrorism. There can be no room for moral relativism in that fight. Whether the organization in question is the Al-Nusra Front, Da’esh, Boko Haram, the PKK, the YPG or Turkey’s Revolution People’s Liberation Party- Front, we must be united in stance against terrorism’s threat. Our counter-terrorism efforts are directed at all groups that resort to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. At the same time, terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality or ethnic group. As thousands of young people are radicalized by the extremist narratives of Da’esh and other groups, leaving their home countries to travel to conflict regions to fight along such terrorist organizations, we fully support the view of the Secretary-General, in his Plan of Action for Preventing Violent Extremism, that the international community should adopt a comprehensive approach that encompasses not only security-based counter-terrorism measures but also those that address the drivers of violent extremism at the local, regional and global levels. In the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which Turkey co-chaired from 2011 until yesterday, when the chairship passed to Morocco, the issue of radicalization has been our primary focus from the very beginning, and the Forum has developed a number of documents on good practices, some of which were referred to in the statement delivered on behalf of the EU. In doing so, we have tried to formulate and put in place durable solutions to the problems in our region. We cannot eradicate Da’esh or the Al-Nusra Front without addressing all the grievances and factors that have led to the emergence of those groups. In that regard, we should not forget that the regime’s suppression of the democratic aspirations of the Syrian people, its divisive sectarian policies and its perpetration of war crimes and massive violations of human rights have created fertile ground for radicalization, extremism and Da’esh’s recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters. It is regrettable that the representative of the regime, which long ago lost all its legitimacy, has once again chosen to misuse this platform to distort the facts. The international community should bear in mind that the ongoing atrocities and humanitarian disasters in Syria can be addressed only by tackling the root cause of the problem, which is the violent repression of Syrians’ democratic aspirations. Turkey perceives the United Nations as the primary platform for promoting a united stance against terrorism. As we approach the ten-year review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, I reiterate that Turkey is determined to maintain a decisive and consistent approach to combatting terrorism of any kind in cooperation with its partners and allies.

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

Before I begin, I would like to say that it is an honour and a privilege for me to take the floor for the first time in the Council and herewith to proudly represent Canada. Allow me, in the name of Canada and the women and men of Canada, to offer to all of the recent victims of terrorism and their families our sincerest sympathies and expression of support and friendship during their difficult time. I will treat two aspects of the topic before us: on the one hand, the values that inform our policy and actions and, on the other, the nature of Canada’s efforts to counter terrorism concurrently at the national and international levels. First, on the subject of our values, let me say that in Canada, we aspire to create a society that is characterized by inclusive and accountable governance, peaceful pluralism and respect for diversity and human rights. Our fight against extremism is, after all, at its core, a battle of values. We do not seek divisiveness but rather diversity and a society in which everyone feels that they belong, all rights are respected, and every individual is treated with dignity. We seek to build accountable institutions within a framework providing opportunities to everyone. Societies that pursue such goals are, we believe, more resilient in dealing with extremism. We do not claim to have achieved those goals. Much remains to be done. Nevertheless, we are convinced that efforts in that direction are an integral part of building a more secure society and of countering terrorism. Moreover, it is essential to promote critical thinking through education, to support the empowerment of women and to ensure the active participation of our young people in society, thereby establishing peaceful and prosperous societies and preventing violent extremism. (spoke in English) Countering terrorism is not only about law enforcement and security measures. It is also about engaging with local communities in many ways. (spoke in French) Efforts carried out locally have shown promising results. For example, the Centre for the Prevention of Radicalization Leading to Violence, which is in Montreal and which the Secretary-General visited during his recent visit to Canada in February, and the ReDirect programme, under the aegis of the Calgary Police Service, are two local initiatives that have the potential to inspire the international community. I will also talk about our strategy for combatting terrorism. Canada believes that the only way to ensure that our efforts in the fight against terrorism bear fruit is through collective action aimed at ending the activities of terrorist groups. Canada believes that the United Nations has a crucial role to play in that approach. The Organization is uniquely placed to increase coherence and coordination in international efforts aimed at fighting violent extremism. Canada fully endorses the work of the Security Council directed towards establishing a unified approach to countering terrorism. Accordingly, we co-sponsored resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2253 (2015). Our support is also demonstrated by Canada’s intention to seek a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2021-2022 term. As a country for which the greatest strength resides in its respect for diversity and pluralism, Canada believes that it can benefit other countries by sharing its experience in building a peaceful and resilient society, especially given the present need to prevent violent extremism. Canada fully supports in its entirety the approach set forth in the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674), as well as his call for improving regional cooperation in that area. Ensuring coherence throughout the United Nations system will be essential to the effective implementation of the Secretary General’s Action Plan. (spoke in English) In order to protect Canadians from the evolving threat of terrorism, the Government of Canada has, over the past few years, enacted legislation that has provided new tools that allow law enforcement and national security agencies to take appropriate measures, including addressing the issue of extremist travellers. The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that our tools strike the appropriate balance between our collective security and our rights and freedoms. Canada strongly supports ongoing efforts to cut off terrorists’ access to funds. Terrorist organizations and other criminals have proven themselves to be adaptable and opportunistic. They exploit weaknesses in international regulatory systems that allow them to finance their illegal activities undetected. In order to mitigate terrorist-financing and money-laundering, all countries need to eliminate those regulatory gaps through the effective implementation of the Financial Action Task Force’s global standards. We continue to work closely to build upon the Task Force’s recent review of countries’ implementation of measures to cut off terrorist financing. Countries should immediately take action in areas where gaps have been identified. Canada is committed to a strong and comprehensive regime that is at the forefront of the global fight against money-laundering and terrorist-financing. Canada is also working to combat terrorists’ use of the Internet. At the same time, however, we recognize that free speech needs to be protected. Canada is working with a number of countries to counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) propaganda on the Internet and thwart its ability to recruit members and finance its operations through online appeals. Canada is also working with a number of countries to counter ISIL on the Internet through strategic communications and counter-narrative activities. Those activities help thwart ISIL’s ability to recruit members, finance its operations through online appeals and spread its ideology. Canada welcomes efforts aimed at supporting third parties as they counter ISIL messages and promote positive and realistic alternative narratives in the region and beyond. As we embark upon the ten-year review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, we are mindful of the new challenges but also believe that there is reason to be hopeful. We are aware that terrorism has evolved, and we are seeing new methods, tactics and tools exploited by terrorist groups. We are cautiously optimistic, however, because we have seen the international community move towards a coordinated and comprehensive response. We need to keep moving in that direction and strengthen our approach through working together. Canada looks forward to being part of the solution.

I now give the floor to the representative of Sri Lanka.

My delegation associates itself with the statement made by the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement and would like to make the following remarks in its national capacity. Today is a holiday in Sri Lanka. It is the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, and our Permanent Mission is closed for the holiday. That is why I am alone without anybody sitting behind me in the Chamber. Today, every Sri Lankan is celebrating the New Year, but only a few years ago, the situation was very different. As a country that suffered under the oppressive yoke of terrorism for nearly three decades until 2009, Sri Lanka understands the related challenges and encourages genuine efforts to strengthen the United Nations system and its role and effectiveness in addressing the issue. Sri Lanka wholeheartedly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It is a scourge that is not exclusive to any one country or region and is spreading across national borders. We continue to be deeply concerned over the acute and growing threat of foreign terrorist fighters. This phenomenon has assumed serious proportions, given the death and destruction caused by such organizations. We have also to look at new and innovative ways to counter this growing threat. Today, terrorism targets vulnerable and marginalized communities, children, minorities, women and girls. It is therefore imperative that we proactively include and engage those entities of the United Nations system that deal with children, minorities, women and girls. The eradication of poverty, in concert with increased social and economic opportunities, is essential to countering human frustration and the threat of radicalization. The General Assembly unanimously adopted the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism. We must also recognize that the building blocks for enhancing international cooperation in these areas are already contained in the efforts undertaken by the General Assembly, in particular the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism. I must mention in this context that, despite the support of most Member States and a mandate of the General Assembly to come up with a comprehensive legal framework to fill possible gaps in the existing sectoral conventions on terrorism, there has been a failure to muster the necessary political will to break the current impasse surrounding the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism. It is pertinent at this time to recall that the conclusion of such a comprehensive convention was one of the key components of the 2005 plan of action to combat terrorism. While acknowledging these continuing efforts, my delegation urges Member States to cooperate fully in resolving any outstanding issues that remain in order to ensure that a comprehensive convention may be concluded successfully. Given the threats we face today, there is no time more urgent than now to do so, and we are already seized of the building blocks to formulate a comprehensive response to these threats to international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Argentina.

First, I would like to thank the Chinese presidency of the Security Council for the invitation to participate in this open debate on an issue of such importance to the international community, and the Secretary-General for his briefing at the beginning of this debate. Argentina condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and believes that terrorist acts constitute a threat not only to international peace and security, but also to human dignity, peaceful and civilized coexistence, the stability and consolidation of democracy, and the economic and social development of nations. Terrorist acts are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever and by whomsoever committed. Terrorism must be fought within the rule of law and respect for fundamental rights, which demands organic and ongoing cooperation, with legal legitimacy and in conformity with international law, international refugee law, international humanitarian law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We are convinced that the response to terrorist acts cannot and should be one-dimensional, but must be based on a comprehensive approach, as reflected in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. National, regional and international efforts in this area must be built upon the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the Strategy. We must recognize that the emergence of such extreme violence is due in many cases, among other factors, to root causes linked to racial, religious, cultural and economic motives, the violation of human, civil and political rights, inequality, corruption, poverty and poor governance. We must therefore deepen prevention activities. In this sense, the crucial importance of education in combating discrimination, xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance cannot be overemphasized, as well as in promoting a culture of tolerance, dialogue and diversity. In this context, too, the role of the media is essential. That is why Argentina supports the Secretary- General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, given its preventive nature, which seeks to provide a comprehensive framework in the fight against violent extremism leading to terrorism, within full respect for international law, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. Argentina agrees that foreign terrorist fighters pose a severe threat to international peace and security, and reiterates the need for States to comply with their obligations under resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014), among others. Indeed, the severity and complexity of the current threat, which includes an unprecedented flow of foreign terrorist fighters and facilitation networks that fuel many conflicts in various parts of the world, undoubtedly increase the risk of terrorist attacks. The problem of the emergence and participation of foreign terrorist fighters is also based on underlying issues, including social exclusion, discrimination, religious, ideological and ethnic intolerance, among other factors. It is therefore necessary to adopt a comprehensive, multidimensional and multidisciplinary approach based on international cooperation, which requires commitment and interdependence among security agencies and organizations dealing with development, social policies and public education. For our region, although far from the conflict zone, the threat of foreign terrorist fighters is still a concern that requires preventive actions. In this sense, the issue is being followed by the Specialized Forum for Terrorism of the Southern Common Market and Associated States, in which Argentina stresses the importance of strengthening cooperation with countries of the region through cooperation and effective border control. It is essential to redouble our efforts to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism, which requires following financial trails; coordinating the work of police, investigators and prosecutors; obtaining and preserving tangible evidence; and strong and agile multilateral and bilateral international cooperation. In this regard, it is worth highlighting the Argentine decree No. 918/2012, which provides for the administrative freezing of assets or money from individuals designated by the Security Council pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and from third countries, in accordance with resolution 1373 (2001) The terrorist phenomenon has mutated in recent years, particularly in the stages of propaganda and recruitment, using new technologies and taking advantage of communication tools, including the use of the Internet and social media. Social networks are an important means for spreading propaganda and recruitment. The sophistication and propaganda style of terrorist groups are deliberately aimed at young people from different societies and present an attractive combination of idealism, enthusiasm, membership and sanguinary content. It is necessary to work closely with providers of these services to address the rising numbers of foreign terrorist fighters, not only to detect and stop their recruitment but also to neutralize mass propaganda that justifies and glorifies crimes. Another important issue is assistance to the families of the victims, not only to alleviate their needs, provide psychological help and keep the memory of the victims alive, but also so that they can play the important role of reaffirming a counternarrative to terrorism. Our country, which has been the victim of bloody terrorist attacks, follows this issue with the utmost attention, as evidenced by Argentina’s recent ratification of the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism of 2005 and its participation in the recent Geneva Conference on Preventing Violent Extremism. Similarly, Argentina will actively participate in the fifth biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to be held in June. Finally, we reaffirm the central role of the United Nations in the fight against terrorism, as a pillar of the multilateral system and an organization of universal membership with primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. We are convinced that multilateral action through the United Nations, in accordance with the principles of the Organization, will allow us to confront the threat of terrorism in full respect of international human rights law and international humanitarian law and achieve a more secure world for everyone.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ethiopia.

Allow me to start by thanking you, Mr. President, for organizing this open debate on the threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. What the terrorist attacks we are witnessing all too frequently in various parts of the world indicate is that terrorism and violent extremism are indeed a common peace and security threat to all of us, and they require our common and collective response. I wish to take this opportunity to commend the Secretary-General for the initiative that he has taken to mobilize international action in countering terrorism and violent extremism, and I wish to join others in expressing appreciation to him for his briefing this morning. There is no lack of formal commitment to the fight against terrorism because we all profess to be so committed. What has been seriously lacking is, of course, coordinated and effective action at all levels. And yet, the nature of the threat we face has evolved and expanded over the past decade. Terrorists groups and their affiliates have established better coordination among themselves than we Member States have managed to do. They have also become much more adept in effectively utilizing the Internet and social media to spread their extremist ideology and recruit foreign fighters. The issue of foreign fighters has a long history and there were times when countries such as mine had difficulty being understood when we called for vigilance. It is impossible to counter the growing threat posed by these terrorists and extremists without forging practical cooperation and coordination, including in the sharing of intelligence, the enhancement of border security, the establishment of mechanisms for cooperation and the exchange of valuable experiences between and among our Member States. Nevertheless, we have to admit that the hypocrisy and double standard manifest in our approach so far has been undermining our efforts to respond to the threat posed by terrorism in an effective, coherent and coordinated manner. I am glad that the concept note (S/2016/306, annex) has rightly recognized this challenge and I cannot agree more on the need to avoid these shortcomings if we really want to achieve a tangible impact on the ground. What all this means is that we should thoroughly reflect on our counter-terrorism efforts, and I hope that the review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in June will shed more light on the challenges encountered in its implementation and make appropriate recommendations on the way forward. Finally, let me reiterate Ethiopia’s strong commitment to combating the scourge of terrorism and its firm determination to forge effective regional and international cooperation in this regard. Ethiopia finds itself in one of the most volatile regions of Africa, which is facing increasing levels of terrorism and radicalization. The situation has been further compounded recently by the impact of the Yemeni conflict and some Al-Shabaab elements pledging allegiance to the Islamic State. This has made it absolutely necessary for us to have effective mechanisms for joint security cooperation, and that is why States members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development have agreed to establish a regional security cooperation framework and a platform for regular security dialogue and coordination to address common security threats and challenges. It is only through such cooperation and coordination that our counter-terrorism efforts will have a meaningful impact, and we believe the United Nations could contribute a lot by supporting these regional mechanisms and building their capacity. Let me conclude my remarks by expressing hope that we will move from rhetoric to action in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. This is indeed what the situation demands, and we should all rise up to the challenge.

Several delegations have requested the floor to make further statements. It is my intention to accede to these requests; however, I would ask each delegation to limit itself to one additional statement. I give the floor to the representative of Israel.

I wish we did not have to make a further statement, but today several States have once again revealed their true intentions. They do see today’s debate not as a forum for combatting terrorism, but as a platform to single out Israel with baseless accusations and inflammatory remarks. The fact is that Israel is on the front line of combating terror. It may be convenient to point a finger at us, but it does not address the heart of the problem. Rather than obsessively focusing on Israel, representatives’ condemnation should be aimed at the real terrorist perpetrators. It has been evident throughout today’s debate that some States have much to say when it comes to my country. I would suggest that these countries first take a look at their own internal issues before spreading baseless accusations about others. I am sure we will hear in just a moment, once again, Iran trying to direct attention away from its true colours, but in the Middle East where there is terror, there is Iran. It is at the helm of destabilization and radicalization. It is sponsoring terrorism in Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen, to name just a few examples, and with Hizbullah as its proxy, it is exporting it around the world. In particular, I also want to comment on the remarks made by the Saudi representative. It is odd that Saudi Arabia is so confident in its rebuke of others. Saudi Arabia’s own approach to conflict management seems to be to launch large-scale, indiscriminate aerial bombardments in utter disregard for the lives of men, women and children on the ground. Thousands have been killed in these bombings. In one incident, they killed over 70 civilians when they directly bombed a wedding party in Yemen. The accusation of the Saudi representative that the actions that my country takes to protect its citizens fuel terror demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of what terror is, what causes it and how to counter it. Since the Saudi representative seems to be confused on the subject, allow me to extend a warm invitation to him and his advisers to attend one of Israel’s many international expert training sessions on counterterrorism. I am sure that will be helpful for him.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Security Council today heard the representative of a main sponsor of State terrorism, the occupying Power in the Palestinian territory, make some unacceptable, fake remarks addressed to my country, the same baseless remarks that have been repeated here ad infinitum. Indeed, it should come as no surprise that the representative of a terror regime that has been well known as such from its very inception has accused a nation that has witnessed the loss of more than 17,000 of its citizens during the past 35 years, a large number of whom have fallen victim to heinous terrorist attacks directly sponsored by elements of that regime. We all remember the well-known example of the Iranian nuclear scientists brutally killed before the terrified eyes of their family members. The brutalization of peoples under foreign occupation constitutes the gravest form of terrorism. We do not believe that there is any doubt that this regime is responsible for aggression; occupation; the killing of civilians, including women and children; the crime of genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes and other criminal acts, as well as for turning millions of Palestinian inhabitants into refugees, far from their homeland. Its network of State terrorism has a long list of deadly operations all over the world, and they continue to threaten more killing. I should like also to react to the unfounded allegations levelled against my country by the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia this morning at this meeting of the Council, allegations that I categorically reject. This was an attempt by Saudi Arabia to distract international attention from the main source of the threat in our region, namely, terrorists and extremist groups inspired by the takfiri ideology, especially Da’esh. Saudi Arabia’s rhetoric against Iran can only serve the perpetrators of crimes against the Palestinians and those committed by violent extremists. The Ambassador of Saudi Arabia falsely accused Iran of destabilizing the region by interfering in the domestic affairs of the States of the region, but, in fact, it is the exclusionist ideology projected across the Islamic world for decades from within Saudi Arabia that has inspired the most destructive forces in the Middle East. We know who supported the Taliban and who the many elements are who make up the leadership and the rank and file of Al-Qaida and Da’esh, and from whom they have received financial assistance for many years. Another destabilizing factor is the attempts by Saudi Arabia to marginalize certain population groups. We see this approach both within Saudi Arabia and in some countries of the region, which leads to sectarianism. This approach has led to Saudi military intervention in Yemen, with severe humanitarian consequences, and an attempt to impose its will on certain other countries to marginalize the population groups that they do not like. While Iran has never invaded any country, Saudi Arabia has invaded two of its neighbours over the past several years to put down uprisings. Saudi Arabia should halt its sectarian policies and work towards re-establishing security and stability in the region. Iran has been present and active in the fight against terrorist and extremist groups in the region. We have first of all secured our borders to prevent any movement to or from the areas controlled by these groups. In many cases, Iranian officials have stopped and apprehended individuals who tried to use Iranian territory to cross over or send material assistance to terrorists. We will continue our resolute fight to help stop this threat.