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In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community reaffirms its determination to fight together against terrorism and extremism

[size=36]In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the international community reaffirms its determination to fight together against terrorism and extremism[/size]

JULY 10, 2020

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New York, July 10, 2020 - The very first Virtual Counterterrorism Week, organized since July 6 by the United Nations Counterterrorism Office (UNOCT), ended today after gathering more than 1,000 participants from 134 Member States, 47 international and regional organizations, 88 civil society organizations and private sector entities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed to the international community one of the greatest challenges since the creation of the United Nations 75 years ago, a veritable test of national resilience, international solidarity and multilateral cooperation, said today the Under-Secretary-General for Counterterrorism, Vladimir Voronkov. The world, he added, rightly focuses on fighting the virus, but as the terrorists exploit the situation, we cannot put our efforts on hold our counterterrorism efforts ... This week has been a a unique opportunity to collectively reflect on these issues and listen to the priorities of Member States.

Reiterating the UN Secretary-General's call to harness "the power of multilateralism", Mr. Voronkov said: we must strengthen multilateralism and international cooperation at all levels in order to rebuild for the better. The pace of digital transformation, which has been accelerated by COVID-19, needs to be addressed more strategically at the national and international levels.

Mr Voronkov presented the main conclusions of the Week's discussions, stressing the need to invest strategically in prevention and preparedness to help build resilient societies capable of dealing with terrorism in an unpredictable environment.

We are faced with a threat that comes from transnational networks like Daesh and Al-Qaida, their regional affiliates and their experienced fighters; but also, individuals and groups who act alone, not to mention neo-Nazis, white supremacists and new forms of terrorism with racial, ethnic, political and ideological motivation, warned Mr. Voronkov. He added that bioterrorism and cyberterrorism are increasingly threatening international peace and security.

Mr. Voronkov wanted to highlight the important contribution of civil society to effective bottom-up prevention efforts. He also stressed the importance of public-private partnerships and decisive action to prevent the terrorist exploitation of social media and the Internet, while protecting freedom of expression.

The Under-Secretary-General echoed the grave concerns of the participants in the Week regarding women and children suspected of having links with foreign terrorist fighters who are still stranded in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. He spoke of a "dire and complex" humanitarian, security and human rights situation, urging Member States to take swift action to fulfill their international obligations and prevent it from being exploited by terrorists to radicalize future generations.

The Under-Secretary-General recalled the relevance of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Secretary-General's Call for Action for Human Rights. He did not forget to mention his Strategy for engagement with civil society and announced the holding of a high-level regional conference on human rights and the fight against terrorism as soon as the situation permitted.

In the meantime, Mr. Voronkov said he was encouraged to hear Member States reaffirm their commitment to international cooperation against terrorism, under the auspices of the United Nations, with the support of the Operations Support Center (CSOs), United Nations United and private sector partners.

Ideas and views shared during the Virtual Counterterrorism Week will feed into High-Level Counterterrorism Week next year, which will coincide with the seventh biennial review of the Global Counterterrorism Strategy , the second Conference of Heads of Counterterrorism Agencies and the World Congress of Victims of Terrorism.

For more information, you can visit www.un.org/counterterrorism/2020-counter-terrorism-week ,
For the statement of Mr. Voronkov https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/sites/www.un.org.counterterrorism/files/200710_usg_vctwk_closing_remarks.pdf

You can send an email to gerardl@un.org . Or follow on Twitter @UN_OCT and through the Week's key hashtags: #VirtualCTWeek #UNCCTExpo #UNiteToCounterTerrorism

https://www.un.org/press/fr/2020/pa30.doc.htm