Ministry Statements & Speeches:
I have the honour of speaking today on behalf of Canada and Australia, as well as my own country, New Zealand.
Through collective efforts by the international community, real progress has been made in combatting Da’esh in Iraq and Syria. As Da’esh loses ground in the Middle East, new threats have emerged as many foreign terrorist fighters return to their countries of origin, or relocate to other regions. Da’esh is seeking to build networks and influence outside the Middle East, including by orchestrating and funding terror attacks and, in some instances, by exploiting state fragility and local grievances. We remain concerned by Da’esh’s expanding influence in South East Asia.
CANZ countries remain committed to the fight against international terrorism and we are strong supporters of the United Nations’ role in addressing this shared challenge.
Effective action against terrorism requires strong international leadership. In this regard, we note the efforts made in the year since the creation of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, and continue to support the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, with its holistic and preventative approach.
We were also pleased to see the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2396 in December 2017, which has strengthened the measures available to counter the threat posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters. We welcomed the emphasis on the need for capacity building, the importance of a whole-of-government approach and the involvement of civil society in promulgating successful rehabilitation and reintegration strategies.
Building on the framework for cooperation established by Resolution 2396, we, along with the United Kingdom and United States, during the Five Country Ministerial meeting have committed to building States’ capabilities in border security, as well as in measures to track and share information on returning foreign terrorist fighters and local terrorist networks.
CANZ countries also welcomed the adoption by consensus of the sixth biennial Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Review Resolution (the Resolution) in the General Assembly in June this year. Member States reaffirmed the four-pillar approach of the Strategy and stressed the importance of keeping it relevant and contemporary in light of new threats and evolving trends in counter-terrorism.
While CANZ welcomed updates to the Resolution text concerning the threat posed by returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters, we were disappointed that it did not include stronger language on the importance of the role of gender and the rights of women and children in countering terrorism and violent extremism. We were also disappointed with the lack of recognition that active participation by civil society can be a force multiplier to advance efforts by government to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. We stress that non-governmental actors have a key role to play in building resilient communities able to resist violent extremist ideology.
CANZ countries remain committed to working with other Member States to develop coordinated and effective measures to counter international terrorism. We encourage all Member States to focus on ratifying and implementing the various international instruments dealing with international terrorism, along with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Implementing these obligations into domestic law is critical to effectively addressing terrorism, along with strengthening international law enforcement cooperation. We stress States’ continuing obligations under Resolutions 1373, 2178, and their successor resolutions, which help provide the means for Member States to effectively investigate and prosecute terrorist acts.
In this regard, we acknowledge the efforts of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to support Member States in meeting their obligations and providing targeted assistance with implementation.
We note also the need to ensure that all actions taken to combat international terrorism comply with the United Nations Charter, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international refugee law and all other applicable obligations under international law. We emphasise the need to ensure that counter-terrorism laws do not impede the provision of humanitarian assistance in situations of armed conflict.
Canada, Australia and New Zealand remain committed to working closely with other States to eliminate international terrorism. We will continue to work with others bilaterally, regionally and internationally to counter terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, including violent extremist messaging, by sharing best practices and by preventing the movement of foreign terrorist fighters.
This threat will continue to evolve, so we must be prepared to cooperate to develop effective, targeted measures in response.
Thank you.