At UN, Tajikistan calls for fight against terrorism to focus on root causes

The international community should step up its efforts aimed at tackling the root causes of terrorism, from combating extremist ideology to eliminating poverty, Tajikistan’s Permanent Representative told the General Assembly today in New York.

Speaking at the annual high-level debate, Ambassador Sirodjidin Aslov said “power actions alone will not be able to uproot terrorism” and experience showed that more lateral ways of dealing with the problem are needed.

“We believe that long-term success in combating terrorism and religious extremism depends on dealing with the root causes of these negative phenomena associated with social and economic problems within society,” Mr. Aslov said.

“It is essential to jointly search for ways of addressing poverty issues, overcoming negative consequences of globalization, and for the ways of resolving internal and regional conflicts.”

More resources should also be devoted to defeating the ideology behind many terrorist acts, he said, calling on regional organizations to play a greater role in this fight.

“The international community should intensify its efforts aimed at counteracting instigation of acts of terror, proliferation of ideology of terrorism, extremism and separatism, interreligious and inter-ethnic intolerance and hostility, and should enhance its struggle against financial terrorism.”

The ambassador also spotlighted the increasingly close links between terrorism, transnational organized crime and the trade in illegal narcotics.

“Prevention of illicit drug trafficking, which to a certain extent is the breeding ground for terrorism and international crime, should become part and parcel of our common struggle against terrorism,” he said.