Sixth Committee of the General Assembly

Measures to eliminate international terrorism

In recent decades, international terrorism has become one of the most significant threats to global peace and security. This phenomenon – closely linked to other forms of transnational organised crime – has been dramatically evolving in its complexity, representing a major challenge States are confronted with. In this regard, the United Nations plays a critical role in strengthening Member States by encouraging the adoption of national and international measures to prevent and suppress terrorism. In this respect, the UN undertook some operational measures which involve, among others, the creation by the Security Council of a Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), assisted by an Executive Directorate (CTED), which works on the implementation of policy decisions and conducts assessments of Member States. The recently-established United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism works closely with Member States and civil societies giving an important contribution in the implementation of counter-terrorism strategies.

At the UN level, the Resolution adopted by the Security Council on 28 September, 2001 (S/RES/1373) to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts represents a cornerstone of the fight against terrorism. In addition, measures adopted both on a national level and by international organisations such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), namely include countering the financing of terrorism and preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as well as the adoption of agreements and legislative acts aimed at preventing and eliminating terrorism in all its forms. Capacity building and coordination efforts among Member States and International Organisations are vital in dealing with this complex, multifaceted phenomenon. In this regard, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact is the largest coordination framework through which the UN assists Member States in the implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

The growing complexity of our world is reflected in the evolving nature of terrorism. Terrorist groups will continue to exploit not only societal fragmentation, weak governance, regional and intrastate conflicts, but also demographic pressures and environmental degradation to gain power while pushing their ideologies. Moreover, they will keep exploiting ungoverned or poorly governed areas (namely Africa, Middle East, South Asia) to act as providers of alternative forms of governance. This is especially true in war-torn countries. On top of this, technological advances including AI and biotechnology may offer terrorists the opportunity to conduct more sophisticated and even remote attacks and to collaborate across borders. In conclusion, this clearly underlines how a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach as well as the adaptation of counter-terrorism strategies to the evolving nature of terrorist methods is critical to the prevention and elimination of the phenomenon.