Addressing CTC, Australia stresses need for regional and international partnerships

BMUSONI — Thu, 27 Jul 2017 16:03:00 +0000

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Addressing a meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Australia stressed the need to develop strong regional and international partnerships in combating terrorism and violent extremism.

Speaking at the Committee’s 27 July 2017 meeting in New York, Mr. Robert Delaney, First Assistant Secretary, Attorney-General’s Department of Australia, briefed members on the terrorist threat to Australia and South-East Asia, as well as on Australia’s recent legislative responses.

In countering terrorism and violent extremism, there was a need for an integrated, global approach that incorporated multilateral approaches, regional cooperation, national strategies, and engagement at the local level, including by civil society, he said. The continued engagement of the United Nations in the region was vital.

States of the region faced a number of challenges, including lengthy, porous borders; the increasing convergence of terrorist groups; lack of intelligence-sharing; terrorist financing; and online terrorist propaganda. The propaganda spread by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da’esh) had resonated with regional extremists, Mr. Delaney said.

There had been an increase in ISIL-inspired attacks in the region since 2016, and at least 600 individuals from the region were currently fighting in the conflict zones of the Middle East.

Australia’s regional engagement includes close cooperation with numerous partner organizations, including the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC), and the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT). It also participates in regional counter-terrorism initiatives and has collaborated with the Abu Dhabi-based Hedayah Centre to develop a compendium of regional counter-narratives.

CTC members recalled the importance of all relevant Security Council resolutions and recognised Australia’s efforts in counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism in this regard.

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Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate continues its support in countering cross-border movement of terrorists

BMUSONI — Thu, 11 Aug 2016 18:21:00 +0000

Countering Cross-Border Movement of Terrorists, an International Meeting on Counter-Terrorism (IMCT), was held in Bali, Indonesia, on 10 August 2016. Weixiong Chen, Deputy Director of the United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), participated in the Ministerial-level meeting. The meeting was attended by numerous high-level representatives of 20 Member States from around the world, including those most affected by foreign terrorist fighters. The Secretary-Generals of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) also attended.

CTED’s Deputy Executive Director Chen delivered a statement on behalf of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, a message which underscored the emerging terrorist threat:

“The cross-border movement of terrorists has become more acute, especially when coupled with more sophisticated financing and the use of social media and other modern means of communication for recruitment and for the incitement, planning and commission of terrorist acts.”

The �山��Secretary-General’s statement further encouraged Member States to adopt national and regional plans of action to combat and prevent terrorism and violent extremism, and to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in a balanced and comprehensive manner.

Representatives of Member States present at the meeting described their national efforts to counter terrorism, and their challenges related to stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. Participating Member States included Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the UK, the United States of America, and Viet Nam.

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Security Council - Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) - Asean

Addressing CTC, Australia stresses need for regional and international partnerships

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Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate continues its support in countering cross-border movement of terrorists