Pakistan Mission to United Nations

Remarks by Ambassador Munir Akram, Permanent Representative of Pakistan at the Opening Session of the Global Counter Terrorism Review Resolution Negotiations (5 March 2021)

Dear Co-Chairs,

First, allow me to also congratulate you, Co-Chairs on your nomination as co-facilitator of the Global Counter Terrorism review resolution and your introductory statement.

We have also heard with great interest the comprehensive briefing on the report of the Secretary-General by H.E. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General and head of the Office of Counter Terrorism.

I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly for notable remarks.

We look forward to a transparent and Member State driven process to update and revise the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy.

My delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the distinguished Permanent Representative of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on behalf of the 57th Member States of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The OIC Priorities Paper has been shared with the co-facilitators.

Dear Co-Chairs,

Let me highlight some major priority areas in my national capacity for reflection in the review resolution.

• First: The resolution should elaborate the root causes of terrorism including, but not limited to, prolonged unresolved conflicts, foreign occupation, and denial of the right to self-determination, xenophobia and islamophobia.

  Additionally, terrorism cannot be separated from its political context, including the effects of long protracted conflicts in creating conditions conducive for the spread of terrorism. All major terrorist outfits, including ISIL and Al-Qaeda continue to operate with impunity from conflict areas and draw their deadly narratives from the instances of oppression and injustices.

  Perhaps a working group within the Global Coordination Compact entities could be established to come up with proposals to address these underlying conditions conducive to terrorism. One practical step we can take is to establish a clear link between the work of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Office of Counter Terrorism.

• Second: After 75 years, we see the revival of fascist, racist and supremist ideologies. Today, one of the most concerning new trends in global terrorism is the proliferation of violent nationalist ideologies and their acts of racially, ethnically and politically motivated terrorism.

  My delegation looks forward to working with all Member States in a constructive and cooperative spirit to present specific proposals to address these ignored challenges. We hope that the review resolution will identify steps to curb the rise of supremist, neo-Nazis and Hindutva ideologies and thus prevent the spread of terrorism and violent extremism. It should recognize that violent nationalist groups including neo-Nazis and Hindutva ideologies apart from disrupting religious and racial harmony in the world, create conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.

  The review should also call on member states, in accordance with their obligations under international human rights law, to take necessary measures, including the promulgation of civil, criminal and administrative legislation to combat all forms of religious and racial discrimination and hate speech propagated by supremist, neo-Nazi and Hindutva ideologies and organizations.

  Most importantly the review should create a special office in the UNOCT to monitor the impact of religious and racial inequality, the prevalence of racism, discrimination and related intolerance and the impact of supremist, neo-Nazis and Hindutva ideologies on the spread of terrorism and violent nationalism.

  There is a need also to enlarge the scope of the current UN Security Council sanctions regime (currently limited to ISIL and Al-Qaeda) and their associates. It should include new and lethal terrorist groups like Proud Boys, Atomwaffen Division (AWD), the Rise Above Movement (R.M.A.), National Action, Blood and Honour, Combat18 and the RSS.

• Lastly: As you know, Pakistan has maintained a principled position that all the activities of the UNOCT should be funded through the regular UN budget. The General Assembly should give full autonomy and a central role to the Office of Counter Terrorism to implement its mandate. The review of the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy will provide us an opportunity to address this shortcoming.

Dear Co-Chairs,

At the end, allow me to reiterate our full confidence and support to the Co-facilitators.

Pakistan will continue to work with the UN and other international partners to confront and defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.