Ban urges wider global partnerships to implement UN anti-terrorism strategy
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging stronger partnerships between the United Nations, governments, regional organizations and civil society in an effort to implement provisions of the UN global strategy against terrorism to enhance international peace and security.
‘Looking into the future, the Secretary-General envisages enhanced implementation of the Strategy through building in-depth knowledge of the Strategy, strengthening partnerships and ensuring comprehensiveness,” Mr. Ban says in a report to the General Assembly.
He acknowledges that the work of the UN on counter-terrorism has increased, but says there is still a need for an in-depth knowledge of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in order to translate its provisions into action on national, regional and global levels.
In a resolution in 2008, the General Assembly called upon Member States, the UN and other appropriate international, regional and sub-regional organizations to step up their efforts to implement the strategy in an integrated manner.
The strategy was adopted unanimously by the General Assembly in September 2006 and remains the strategic framework and practical guidance on joint efforts by the international community to counter terrorism.
The strategy’s four pillars are: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; preventing and combating terrorism; building States’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard; ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
The Secretary-General says the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force should continue to be the focal point of the UN system, along with various partners, on the implementation of the strategy.
He notes that future work will be directed by three objectives – Member States, UN system entities and relevant international and regional organizations achieving enhanced collaboration and information exchange concerning the implementation of the Strategy; Member States receiving coordinated advice from the UN system, as well as access to good practices and support in implementing the four pillars of the strategy; requesting countries receiving coordinated assistance from the UN system, delivered as “one UN”, for the integrated implementation of the strategy.
Mr. Ban stresses that implementation of the strategy will not be complete without the conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.
“As committed in the strategy, Member States should make every effort to reach an agreement on the text and conclude the convention in order to unite behind the global counter-terrorism effort,” the Secretary-General says in his report.
Speaking today as the General Assembly gathered for the plenary session on the strategy, Assembly President Ali Treki reiterated the body’s unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
He said the Assembly also recognized that international cooperation and any measures undertaken by Member States to prevent and combat terrorism must fully comply with their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter and the relevant international conventions and protocols, particularly human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law, the right to self-determination and the end to occupation and aggression.
“I call on all Member States to match their repeated condemnation of terrorism by concerted and coordinated action to implement the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. International, regional and sub-regional organizations and the civil society have an important contribution to make in this collective endeavour,” said Dr. Treki.