United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday called for renewed global action to prevent terrorism by tackling its root causes, warning that rising global instability is creating conditions in which extremist groups can thrive.
Speaking at the Fourth High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies at UN headquarters in New York, Guterres said the world was facing a convergence of armed conflict, climate pressures, economic hardship and displacement that was increasing vulnerabilities.
"We meet at a moment of acute instability," Guterres told delegates.
"These conditions, of want, fragility and mistrust, are ideal circumstances for terror to thrive."
Guterres said affiliates of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State remain active across Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, while xenophobic, racist and other extremist ideologies continue to pose domestic threats in many countries.
He warned that terrorist groups are increasingly using artificial intelligence, digital platforms, criminal financial networks and drones to recruit followers, raise funds and carry out attacks.
At the same time, he said emerging technologies could strengthen counter-terrorism efforts by improving early threat detection and disrupting illicit financial flows.
Marking the 20th anniversary of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Guterres said prevention must remain the top priority, urging governments to address poverty, discrimination, exclusion and human rights abuses.
"These wrongs do not justify terrorism. Nothing can," he said.
"But they can create vulnerabilities that terrorist groups are quick to exploit."
He also stressed that no country could tackle terrorism alone and called for deeper international cooperation, alongside greater involvement from civil society, youth groups, victims and the private sector.
Guterres warned that heavy-handed counter-terrorism measures could backfire by deepening divisions and fuelling further radicalisation.
"Our response must be rooted in the very principles terror seeks to destroy: justice, human dignity and solidarity," he said.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes milita...
As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, the organisation faces wars, displacement, climate pressures and deepening ge...
Nearly 130,000 people have been forced from their homes in Yemen in recent weeks as fighting intensifies along the country’s west coast, acco...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Iran's military has threatened to launch sustained attacks on U.S. bases and interests across the Middle East if Washington resumes military action against Tehran.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
As world leaders gather in New York for the 81st UN General Assembly, the organisation faces wars, displacement, climate pressures and deepening geopolitical divisions.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is under preliminary investigation in France over a suspected conflict of interest linked to the 2024 sale of Ligue 1 broadcasting rights.
Overnight Russian strikes on the city of Sumy, northeast Ukraine, have killed one woman and injured a man, the country's State Emergency Service has said.
Russian parliamentary elections have delivered a comfortable win to the ruling United Russia party, which is closely aligned to President Vladimir Putin. With more than 95 per cent of ballots counted, United Russia has taken 57.83 per cent of the vote, up from the 49.8 per cent it won in 2021.
A powerful typhoon was approaching Japan’s Pacific coast on Monday, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and a heightened risk of landslides across the Kanto region, including Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment