Despite best efforts, “terrorism and violent extremism continue to rise,” the UN Secretary-General said on Monday, calling for action to address their “root causes” such as poverty and human rights abuses.
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“Despite the significant progress we’ve made over the years, terrorism and violent extremism continue to take root and grow,” Antonio Guterres said at a conference on the subject, calling for “a united front in the face of this global threat.”
“Groups linked to al-Qaeda and Daesh (Islamic State) in Africa are rapidly gaining ground in regions like the Sahel and moving south toward the Gulf of Guinea,” he said, also citing the “brutal legacy.” ‘ by IS in Syria and Iraq.
“In a number of countries, neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements are rapidly becoming the greatest threats to internal security,” the secretary-general said.
He stressed that terrorism feeds off the world’s multiple crises – food and energy crises, the “inferno” of climate change, the spread of hate online – and called for “prevention”, “the most effective measure to contain this threat”.
But “the work of prevention is not limited to the prevention of attacks or conspiracies,” he stressed before the representatives of the organizations fighting terrorism of the member states of the United Nations met until Tuesday in New York.
“It’s also about addressing the root causes that can lead to terrorism, including poverty, discrimination, disillusionment, infrastructure and institutional deficiencies, and gross human rights abuses.”
He also insisted that fighting terrorism is part of respect for human rights. Also with regard to the repatriation of foreign jihadists and their families who are still being held in camps since the defeat of IS.
“I reiterate my call to all member states to help speed up returns, which is an urgent priority,” he said.
“This is a matter of human decency and compassion, and also a matter of safety. We must prevent the legacy of yesterday’s battles from leading to tomorrow’s conflicts.”