United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on world nations to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Speaking at the Fourth High-Level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies in New York, Guterres highlighted that global instability provides favorable conditions for extremist groups to expand their operations.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the Secretary-General noted that terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS continue to operate in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. He further warned that extremist ideologies rooted in xenophobia and racism pose significant risks to the internal security of many nations.
Guterres emphasized that terrorist groups are increasingly utilizing new methods, including artificial intelligence, digital platforms, unmanned aerial vehicles, and clandestine financial networks, to recruit followers and plan attacks. However, he also noted that advanced technologies offer critical opportunities for the early detection of threats and the prevention of illicit financial flows.
Addressing the event, which marks the 20th anniversary of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Guterres stated that underlying issues such as poverty, discrimination, and human rights violations create fertile ground for the spread of terrorism. While noting that these factors do not justify terrorist acts, he stressed that they create vulnerabilities that extremist groups exploit.
The UN Secretary-General urged states to expand international collaboration and engage with civil society and youth. He underscored that all counter-terrorism measures must be implemented in accordance with the principles of justice, the rule of law, and human dignity.
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted in 2006, serves as a unique global instrument to enhance national, regional, and international efforts to counter terrorism. It is periodically reviewed by the UN General Assembly to ensure it remains relevant to the evolving global security landscape.
