August 8, 2024
President,
I thank Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman for their briefings. I would like to take this opportunity to commend both of them as well as UNOCT and CTAD of the Security Council for their work.
At present, terrorism continues to pose a threat to international peace and security. The threat posed by Daesh, Al Qaeda and its affiliated terrorist organizations continues unabated, and the terrorist activities are intertwined with ethnic conflicts and regional disputes. Since the beginning of this year, there have been frequent terrorist attacks from Europe and Asia to Africa, resulting in massive casualties. As the new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict continues to escalate, its spillover effects are constantly emerging, leading to a surge in hate crimes and an increased risk of terrorist attacks in many countries. These developments are a source of deep concern and disturbance.
In the face of this complex and grim landscape regarding counter-terrorism, the international community must strengthen solidarity, intensify cooperation, and jointly tackle challenges. I would like to make three points.
First, to build international consensus and form the greatest possible synergy. Cooperation is the only powerful weapon in the fight against terrorism. Counter-terrorism should not become a tool for major power rivalry, a bargaining chip in geopolitics, or a pretext for interfering in other countries’ internal affairs. All countries should uphold the concept of common security, abandon ideological bias, eradicate double standards or selectivity in counterterrorism efforts, and effectively respect and protect the security of each and every country. We must adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter as our founding principle, uphold and practice true multilateralism, effectively play the central coordinating role of the UN in international counter-terrorism efforts, fully implement Council and General Assembly resolutions on counter-terrorism as well as the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy, and jointly combat all terrorist organizations and individuals listed by the Council. States should step up cooperation at the national, regional, and global levels, actively advance the collective counter-terrorism mechanism, and intensify counter-terrorism cooperation efforts in the areas of early warning, financing, travel restrictions, border control, and intelligence exchange. Meanwhile, states should also, through in-depth research, address the impact of emerging technologies on the international fight against terrorism, deepen policy dialogue and pragmatic cooperation, and jointly tackle new threats and challenges in the area of counter-terrorism.
Second, to prioritize counter-terrorism efforts and optimize the allocation of resources. The SG’s report highlights that there is an increased risk of the return of Daesh in the Middle East, about which the international community should stay highly vigilant, especially in preventing Afghanistan from once again becoming a hub for terrorist organizations. Africa has long been at the forefront of international counter-terrorism efforts, with the situation in West Africa and the Sahel region being particularly grave. The UN and the international community should, based on the counter-terrorism needs of the countries concerned, allocate more resources to help strengthen the legislative, judicial, and law enforcement capabilities of the countries concerned and enhance their comprehensive counter-terrorism and de-radicalization capabilities.
Third, to tackle both the symptoms and root causes of terrorism. It has been proved many times that terrorism cannot be completely eliminated purely through military means. Only by upholding a systematic concept, focusing on the long-term and on the root causes and taking a multifaceted approach in economic, political, social, cultural, and religious fields, can we eliminate the root causes, and ultimately achieve victory in the fight against terrorism. One of the main reasons that people in the Sahel region join violent extremist organizations is poverty, unemployment, and the lack of alternative means of living, which is quite common in terrorist-prone regions of Africa and the world at large. While countering terrorism, regional countries should focus on eradicating poverty, improving education, employment, and economy, and further explore a development path in line with their national conditions. The international community should increase development assistance, support and help the countries concerned to resolve their debt and financing problems and enhance their capabilities for sustainable social and economic development.
It is essential to promote a political settlement of regional conflicts and hotspot issues, improve the humanitarian situation in conflict areas, and prevent terrorist forces from taking advantage of the chaos. In this connection, I would like to make a special appeal to the international community to make concerted efforts to promote a ceasefire in Gaza as soon as possible, to ease tensions in the region as soon as possible, and to spare no effort in preventing further escalation of the conflict and confrontations, which could lead to even greater casualties and catastrophe.
President,
China has always attached great importance to and actively participated in international counter-terrorism cooperation, and has long been helping developing countries, African countries in particular, with counter-terrorism capacity building through bilateral and multilateral means. Through the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, we have supported UNOCT and CTAT of the Council in their cooperation projects in Nigeria, Mozambique, Somalia, and Djibouti, helping them tackle violent extremism and terrorism and enhancing their law enforcement and counter-terrorism capabilities. In the face of the new situation and new challenges, China will continue to work along with all parties to uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative, and sustainable security, so as to further contribute to effectively addressing the threat of global terrorism and creating a world of lasting peace and universal security.
Thank you, President.