8 OCTOBER 2014
GA/L/3476
Emerging Threats by Foreign Fighters, Communication Technologies Must Be Confronted in Fight against Terrorism, Stresses Sixth Committee
Sixty-ninth session,
3rd Meeting (AM)
http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/gal3476.doc.htm
In order to fully defeat terrorism, the international community must confront emerging threats posed by foreign fighters and evolving trends in communication technologies, speakers told the Sixth Committee (Legal) today as deliberations on measures to eliminate international terrorism continued.
The threat was growing more sophisticated and complex, as noted by Morocco’s representative, who, troubled by terrorist organizations’ expansion and their use of new technologies to attract adherents, pointed out that there was no longer a prototypical terrorist.  One example of that changing nature was the phenomenon of foreign fighters flowing into Iraq and Syria.
Syria’s representative also underscored the reality of foreign fighters, which he said had severely impacted his country.  He welcomed the Fourth Review Conference on the United Nations Global Strategy and its outcome document, which, for the first time, stressed the importance of addressing foreign fighters.
Several delegations addressed the use of the internet and media by terrorist organizations, with Sri Lanka’s representative noting that these rapid developments in technology and communications were enabling them both to seduce youth to join their ranks and to seek funding.  Ethiopia’s representative concurred, but added his concern that the global response to that trend had been inadequate.
Given such menacing trends in terrorism, many delegations stressed the urgency of finalizing a comprehensive convention.  South Africa’s representative pointed to the 14 years that had passed since negotiations on the definition of terrorism for the draft text began.  “We have reached the point where a decision, one way or the other, must be made.  We either adopt a convention or call it a day,” he urged the Committee.
Also speaking today were representatives of Viet Nam, Philippines, Turkey, Montenegro, Israel, Indonesia, Zambia, China, Cuba, Thailand, Peru, Sierra Leone, Gabon, South Sudan, India, Bangladesh, Japan, Eritrea, Algeria and Iraq.
The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 9 October to continue its consideration of measures to eliminate international terrorism and to take up the rule of law.
Background
The Committee would continue its consideration of the Secretary-General’s report on Measures to eliminate international terrorism.  For background please see Press Release http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/gal3475.doc.htm GA/L/3475.
Statements
YIDNEKACHEW G/MESKEL ZEWDU (Ethiopia), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and African Group, said the international community should be concerned about increasing use by terrorists of new information and communication technologies to spread propaganda.  The global response in that regard had been inadequate.  International, regional and sub-regional organizations should continue to play a key role in promoting counter-terrorism cooperation, while the international community’s joint response must be long-term and multi-pronged to address the various elements of terrorism.  His Government had taken a number of measures to combat terrorism, enacting legislation against terrorism financing, as well as imposing severe penalties against convicted terrorists.  Ethiopia was also engaged in multilateral and regional initiatives, had established joint investigation efforts with neighbouring countries and the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), and was party to several agreements on counter-terrorism.
PHAM QUANG HIEU (Viet Nam), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), emphasized that the fight against terrorism must be conducted in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law, and be grounded in the rule of law.  He gave a detailed overview of national efforts on the issue and stressed the importance of regional and international cooperation, noting that Viet Nam actively participated in projects at both platforms.  In addition, his country was party to 12 international instruments on counter-terrorism.  He called for full implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and encouraged Member States to finalize and adopt a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism.
IRENE SUSAN BARREIRO NATIVIDAD (Philippines), associating her delegation with the Non-Aligned Movement and ASEAN, said that interfaith, interreligious and intercultural dialogue had been a cornerstone in her country’s efforts to suppress and eliminate terrorism.  The Philippines had also enacted legislation against money laundering and terrorism financing.  Currently, before its Congress was draft legislation on strategic trade management involving dual-use goods, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological Weapons Convention.  Grassroots efforts continued to help communities understand and protect themselves against extremist terrorist propaganda.  To raise their security awareness, the Target Hardening Program helped train them to monitor and prevent terrorist attacks against vital installations and critical infrastructures, key economic points, and places of convergence.  The Football for Peace program, which brought together children from conflict areas for sports clinics, also transformed their outlook on life as “a culture of violence” to that of “a culture of peace”.
Y. HALIT ÇEVIC (Turkey) said that because international solidarity and cooperation were essential to countering terrorism, his country was actively contributing to capacity-building efforts regionally and internationally, and was party to most United Nations conventions and protocols.  Three areas deserving focus were foreign terrorist fighters, kidnapping for ransom and the increase in violent extremism.  He welcomed the adoption by the Security Council of resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014) on those matters.  In addition, there must be greater efforts to resolve conflicts before they attracted extremists.  There must be no safe haven for terrorists.  In that regard, he cited the importance of the principles of “prosecute or extradite”.

MILORAD ŠEPANOVI  (Montenegro), associating himself with the European Union, said the national actions to combat terrorism, no matter how effective, could not ever be sufficient, noting that his country had participated in multilateral counter-terrorism i
nitiatives.  He expressed strong support for the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Community.  While there was no military solution against foreign terrorist fighters, he said Security Council resolution 2178 (2014), of which his country was among the first co-sponsors, served as a valuable tool in fighting international terrorism.  In addition, his Government had actively implemented a criminal code to prescribe penalties for mercenaries.  Nevertheless, he pointed out that all necessary counter-terrorism measures must comply with international humanitarian and refugee law.  Terrorism provided a litmus test for those instruments and the international community must not fail in that regard.
MOHAMMED ATLASS (Morocco), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and African Group, expressed alarm at terrorist organizations’ expansion, including by the “Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS)”, and noted that such groups now used all means, including new technologies, to attract adherents.  There was no longer a prototypical terrorist.  His country’s approach was based on optimizing security and standardizing the legal framework, and legislation had been adopted to prevent youth travel to flashpoints.  Morocco was also working with imams from Mali, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire to teach moderate Islam.  They would return to their countries to teach others, who, in turn, would teach on other parts of the continent.  However, efforts must be redoubled in the Sahel and West Africa to cooperate and coordinate to combat terrorism in the region where a number of groups were affiliated with the “Islamic State”.  The phenomenon of foreign fighters had intensified with flow into Iraq and Syria and, in that regard, he welcomed the unanimous adoption by the Security Council of resolution 2178 (2014).
AMIT HEUMANN (Israel) said that the international community had realized the need for a robust strategy to contain the threat posed by radical terrorist groups like ISIS.  The same thinking should apply to State sponsors of terror like Iran, whose “fingerprints” could be found on hundreds of campaigns that had claimed thousands of innocent lives in Africa, Europe and Latin America.  He welcomed the call for renewed efforts to implement the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted this year, as well as the recent adoption of the Security Council resolution on foreign terrorist fighters.  Israel was party to the core universal instruments on counter-terrorism and had implemented Council Resolution 1373 (2001), the centerpiece of the United Nations efforts to create a robust counter-terrorism regime.  It also adapted legislation to ensure compliance with Council Resolution 1267 (1999) on the establishment of the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee.  Israel supported a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, with a clear definition of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
JEREMIAH NYAMANE KINGSLEY MAMABOLO (South Africa), associating himself with the African Group and Non-Aligned Movement, said that while thematic conventions on counter-terrorism were well-received by States, a comprehensive convention dealing with issues of law enforcement in a cross-cutting manner was necessary.  However, since 2000, negotiations on the draft convention had been stuck on which acts were to be excluded from or included in the definition of terrorism.  Alarmed by the seeming inability to make progress, his delegation had suggested, during the Ad Hoc Committee meeting in April 2013, that after 14 years, the time had come to make a decision.  There were three possible options, including agreeing to adopt the convention on the basis of the 2007 text.  The second option, in order to preserve progress achieved, was to “package” a consolidated text including all proposals and recommend a “pause” in the process to the General Assembly.  The final option was to simply concede that there was no consensus and abandon efforts to articulate a convention.  Continuous annual meetings without any substantive discussion or movement would only continue in various for a at great expense if there was no political will to adopt a comprehensive convention.  “We have reached the point where a decision, one way or the other, must be made.  We either adopt a Convention or call it a day,” he stated.
DESRA PERCAYA (Indonesia) said that promotion of the value of peace and tolerance must become a priority in international cooperation in order to counter terrorism.  His Government had taken steps to incorporate dialogue between convicted terrorists and moderate clerics into its de-radicalization program.  It hosted the Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations in August to nurture tolerance and respect.  The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy remained the universally accepted framework of international cooperation.  To contribute to the capacity-building of States, the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation had trained more than 15,000 officers from more than 70 countries since its opening in 2004.  ISIL had nothing to do with Islam, and his Government had banned the group as an organization.
MWABA PATRICIA KASESE-BOTA (Zambia) said that her country had taken measures to ensure that people and organizations engaging in terrorism would not find a safe haven in its territory, including the adoption of several laws aimed at prohibiting money laundering, protecting whistle blowers, and forfeiting the proceeds from crimes.  Her Government was working to establish a national counter-terrorism center to provide a policy and administrative framework.  The United Nations had developed 18 universal instruments to set a thorough legal framework for combating terrorism.  The international community had also concluded six new counter-terrorism instruments, including one on nuclear terrorism.  But more must be done.  Negotiations on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, which remained at an impasse, should be concluded.
KOUSSAY ABDULJABBAR ALDAHHAK (Syria), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, expressed satisfaction with the Fourth Review Conference on the Global Strategy and its outcome document, which, for the first time, stressed the importance of addressing foreign fighters.  The brutal acts against the people of Syria were being carried out by foreign proxies waging war on behalf of others in foreign lands.  The international community knew well who was furthering those goals, arming, training and sending extremist fighters to Syria, and offering unlimited support.  Other countries then formed a coalition outside the United Nations to fight ISIL.  Despite the situation in his country, Syria continued to fight ISIL, al-Nusra Front and others, and stood ready to fight all forms of international terrorism, provided that it was done with respect for the lives of citizens and for international law.  However, international efforts could not succeed as long as there was a double standard and as long as Israel’s State terrorism perpetrated against the occupied Syrian Golan and other occupied territories continued.
WANG MIN (China) said the international community should fully use existing mechanisms to increase international cooperation against terrorism, emphasizing the maintenance of a zero-tolerance stance, with all countries acting together to combat terrorism.  Among other points, he also underscored the strict observation of international law, leveraging the leading role of the United Nations and its Security Council in counter-terrorism cooperation, and improved integrated policy implementation.  His Government had increased its efforts to fight the Eastern Turkestan Islamic Movement, the so-called “East Turkistan” terrorist forces, and was accelerating its efforts to create a counter-terrorism law.
Tanieris Dieguez Lao (Cuba), associating herself with the Non-Aligned Movement and Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), said the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy lacked clear condemnation of unilateral acts committed by specific States and thus gave those States the illegitimate right to justify acts and make politically motivated lists, contrary to international law.  The use of modern technology and communications to promote or commit subversive acts to effect a regime change was also unacceptable and should be rejected by the international community in keeping with international law.  Some States’ practice of financing or promoting intolerant messages of hatred also constituted a breach of the basic principles of the Charter and international law and should be the focus of the international community in combating terrorism.-eob-
NORACHIT SINHASENI (Thailand) said his country was fully committed to preventing, combating and eliminating terrorism at the international, regional and domestic levels.  He welcomed the recent unanimous adoption of Security Council resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014), and reaffirmed Thailand’s readiness to implement the two resolutions and other relevant resolutions.  Thailand had ratified nine out of 16 United Nations anti-terrorism conventions and protocols. At the regional level, it worked closely with ASEAN.  The need for a comprehensive convention on international terrorism was more evident than ever.  A final draft of the convention was a prerequisite to convening a High-level conference under United Nations auspices.
AUGUSTO THORNBERRY (Peru), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and CELAC, expressed commitment to fighting the scourge in strict compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.  He urged finalization of a comprehensive convention against terrorism, noting that a definition of terrorism must be hammered out.  Peru had suffered for two decades from violent terrorist groups and had therefore decided to address the conditions that led to terrorism.  Noting that non-governmental organizations and non-profits had been used as fronts in that struggle, he urged such groups to keep terrorists from taking advantage of them for their own purposes.  Expressing concern about foreign combatants, he said they presented a danger to countries of origin, transit and residence. It was vital to take all measures to safeguard the Global Strategy on Terrorism, both nationally and internationally.
AMADU KOROMA (Sierra Leone), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and African Group, said that while his delegation recognized the commendable work of the United Nations through entities such as the Centre for Counter-Terrorism, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and measures such as General Assembly and Security Council resolutions, it was critical that the source of funding of terrorist organizations be identified and stopped.  Terrorists should also be deprived of easy access to arms and ammunition.  States must strengthen their cooperation and information-sharing on terrorist activities, as well as speed up enactment of robust anti-terrorist legislation.  Efforts to build the capacities of small States in counter-terrorism intelligence and anti-money laundering must be intensified.
Annette Andrée Onanga (Gabon), associating with the Non-Aligned Movement and African Group, called for strong and united action from the international community to defeat terrorist groups who desired to control entire States through a reign of terror and disrupt international peace and security.  She expressed support for Security Council resolution 2178 (2014) on foreign terrorist fighters and encouraged States that had not yet done so to ratify all the United Nations protocols and conventions to combat terrorism.  Given the universality of terrorist threats, no nation was protected from the scourge, but there was asymmetry in the ability to fight it.  The perpetrators were able to use sophisticated methods.  In that regard, she appealed for support to African countries.
AMANUEL YOANES AJAWIN (South Sudan), associating himself with the African Group, said that while Member States continued to disagree on semantics in the draft convention, more lives and property would be lost around the world due to acts of terrorism.  In addition to the Lord's Resistance Army, his country was facing a new rebellion under the umbrella of the so-called Sudan People's Liberation Movement in Opposition, which had killed and maimed thousands of innocent civilians across his country.  Stressing that their methods of killing and torturing civilians were the same as those used by terrorist organizations around the world, he called on the international community to condemn the group and that no country provide a safe haven for them.  Furthermore, his Government was extremely concerned by the recent mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), which prohibited requests from national and local partners for assistance in capacity-building activities for governmental institutions.  The new mandate would negatively affect the country’s security sector in fighting terrorism.
Chaganti Koteswara Rao (India), noting that the General Assembly had an important role to play in the fight against international terrorism, said that a comprehensive convention was needed.  Voicing support for the text proposed in 2007 by the coordinator of the Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee, he said he hoped that all Member States would consider steps to finalize the text during this session.  His country supported all other efforts to strengthen international and regional cooperation and participated in all major global initiatives, including the Financial Action Task Force.  At the national level, India had enacted laws to deal with all aspects of terrorism, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, The Weapons of Mass Destruction (Prevention) Act, and the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act.
A.K. ABDUL MOMEN (Bangladesh), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement and OIC, noted that his country had not experienced any terrorist attacks for six years.  It was party to 14 universal anti-terrorism instruments and currently implementing a national counter-radicalization strategy through education, job opportunities for youth, women’s empowerment and the promotion of moderate values.  All branches of law enforcement had been strengthened, as well.  Supporting the conclusion of the draft convention, he called for consensus on the definition of terrorism.  The text should also address the root causes of terrorism.  Promoting a culture of peace and unity in diversity was an effective way to defeat terrorism. “[W]e need more than ever before harmony, understanding and mutual respect for all cultures and peoples and accept their diversities,” he stressed.
PALITHA KOHONA (Sri Lanka), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, said that ISIS had “jolted terrorism back to the […] centre of our attention,” but noted that they had not invented terrorist violence and brutality; they had borrowed from existing methods.  His own country had experienced terrorism for three decades from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam, which had refined suicide technology.  Rapid developments in technology and communications were used by many terrorist groups seduce youth to join their ranks and seek funding.  Media should be better used to counter the narrative propagated by terrorist groups, and States should work with credible partners with influence in the religious groups with which terrorists have claimed affiliation to discredit their narrative.  Socio-economic factors creating the hopelessness that spawned terrorist sympathizers must also be addressed.  A comprehensive convention was urgently needed to clarify a unified strategy to confront the problem.
KAITARO NONOMURA (Japan) said that ISIL demonstrated that global terrorist threats had been proliferating despite international efforts, and posed serious threats to the international order.  To counter terrorism, measures were needed to block terrorist financing and establish effective border control.  To that end, his country was implementing capacity-building programmes in North Africa, Sahel and the Middle East, which should strengthen governance in those regions to prevent violent extremism from taking root.  Japan was also enhancing its counter-terrorism dialogue with ASEAN.  He stressed the importance of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism and expressed the expectation that there would be an early conclusion to negotiations for the draft convention with a view to complementing existing counter-terrorism conventions.
GIRMA ASMEROM (Eritrea), associating himself with the African Group and Non-Aligned Movement, said his country, 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Christian, remained peaceful and stable in the volatile Horn of Africa by pursuing a policy centred on inclusion.  Eritrea was party to relevant regional conventions, among them the Community of Sahel Saharan States Convention on Mutual Assistance in Security Matters, which allowed members to take stringent measures to prevent terrorism.  In addition, his country had co-sponsored the recently adopted Security Council resolution on combating foreign terrorist fighters.  He stressed the need for cooperation in sharing information and exchange of best practices.  All four pillars of the Global Strategy must receive equal emphasis and resources.  Long-standing conflicts and unjust sanctions against developing countries should also be addressed as part of overall strategy.
FETHI METREF (Algeria), associating himself with the Non-Aligned Movement, underscoring the need to agree upon a definition of terrorism, said any confusion between acts of terrorism and the legitimate struggle of peoples under colonial or foreign occupation to achieve their inalienable right to self-determination in accordance with United Nations documents should be avoided.  A High-level conference should be convened to formulate a common stand to eradicate terrorism, which would also contribute to overcoming the remaining outstanding issues to reaching the required consensus on a text.  The Global Strategy must be kept relevant in light of emerging threats and evolving trends.  He welcomed progress made in prohibiting the payment of ransoms and other means of financing terrorism.  Algeria was also contributing to stabilizing and promoting peace in the Maghreb, the North of Mali and the Sahel region.
AMMAR AL-KHALIDY (Iraq) said that ISIL had carried out barbarous acts against Iraqis and had destroyed sacred sites.  His country valued the efforts of the Security Council, especially resolutions 2170 (2014) and 2178 (2014) against ISIL and appreciated international initiatives and conferences that had provided counter-terrorism support to his country.  However, despite United Nations efforts over several decades in studying and combating terrorism, it still brutally attacked various countries in the world, especially his.  That had led his country to seek and identify reasons for continued acts of
 terrorism.  It was important to agree upon a definition of terrorism in order to unite international efforts in formulating comprehensive measures to study its causes and eradicate it.  He expressed hope that the recent Baghdad conference on counter-terrorism as well as the one to be held next year would serve as important occasions to study the topic.