Mr President,
I would like to thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General Gherman for their presentations. I would like to express our appreciation for the new format of the Secretary-General's report, which we find conducive to our discussions.
Attacks around the world show us that terrorism continues to pose a serious risk to international peace and security. The continued expansion of terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel is a destabilizing factor for the region as a whole. Signs of the resurgence of ISIL in the Middle East and the threat emanating from Afghanistan through ISIL-K and other groups, as well as persistent attacks by the Al-Shabaab in Somalia, are worrying developments and require our sustained attention.
The global threat of terrorism comes in many regional and local forms. A one-size-fits-all approach will not deliver the solutions we want. A better understanding of each specific context, inclusive and concerted action, and a constant review of our efforts are essential if we are to achieve lasting results.
Allow me to emphasise two points in this regard:
Firstly, we must prioritise prevention. Relying solely on strictly security-based approaches is insufficient and could even make the situation worse. Indeed, new grievances may emerge and be exploited by the same actors we are trying to defeat. Our efforts must be holistic and coherent, based on international law, in particular international humanitarian law and human rights law. These are key elements that Switzerland reflects in its recently updated national counter-terrorism strategy and in its action plan to combat radicalization and violent extremism. We also welcome the clarifications concerning sexual and gender-based violence under the criteria for inclusion on the 1267 sanctions regime list.
Secondly, all our efforts must be targeted, effective and measurable. We welcome the President’s suggestion to look more closely at the situation in West Africa and the Sahel. The CTC should strengthen its engagement with the States in this region. In doing so, it could contribute to a better understanding of the latest developments and ensure that the support of the international community is closely aligned with the needs on the ground. In addition, we need to ensure that we are able to measure the success of the UN's engagement in order to recalibrate efforts according to needs and to achieve the best possible results. In this regard, we must prioritize the implementation of OP96 of the 8th Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, namely the development of a results framework. This will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the implementation of the strategy.
Mr. President,
It is essential to constantly improve our understanding of the various factors leading to violent extremism and terrorism, including the latest observations on the effects of climate change or technological innovation. This requires strong engagement with the States concerned, but also with stakeholders such as civil society, local actors directly affected and involved, and the private sector. We have built up solid networks over the last few decades. Let's continue to develop them and use them to better understand today the challenges of tomorrow, so that we can successfully overcome them.
Thank you.