ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has called for a stronger and more adaptive global strategy to combat terrorism, urging the international community to address emerging threats, counter online radicalization, reform international counterterrorism mechanisms, and prevent the politicization of global security frameworks.
Speaking at the 96th Plenary Meeting of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly during the ninth review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS), Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said terrorism had evolved into a transnational threat requiring a coordinated international response, according to a statement issued by the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN.
“Terrorism transcends national boundaries and manifests itself in an increasingly interconnected yet decentralized organizational manner,” the ambassador said.
“This necessitates a multifaceted strategy that reflects ground realities across diverse regions, nations, communities, societies, and cultures.”
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted in 2006, serves as the United Nations' principal framework for strengthening international cooperation against terrorism. Member states periodically review the strategy to address evolving security challenges and emerging threats.
Describing the strategy as a “living document,” Ahmad said it must continue to evolve in response to changes in the global counterterrorism landscape.
The ambassador said Pakistan had remained at the forefront of international counterterrorism efforts and had paid a heavy price in confronting terrorism.
“Pakistan has remained at the forefront of global counter-terrorism efforts... while rendering immense sacrifices as a principal victim of terrorism,” the statement said.
It added that more than 1,200 Pakistanis lost their lives to terrorism last year, while referring to terrorist groups that Pakistan says operate with external support.
Addressing the outcome of the ninth review, Ahmad expressed disappointment that negotiations had failed to produce a consensus document despite three years of discussions.
“Pakistan and OIC showed utmost flexibility, but consensus eluded us, and after three years we have zero value addition to GCTS. That's unfortunate,” he said.
Calling the outcome “a wake-up call,” the ambassador presented a series of proposals for strengthening the global strategy.
Among them were conducting a comprehensive assessment of emerging terrorist threats in both physical and digital spaces; addressing prolonged conflicts; combating xenophobia, racism and violent extremism; regulating social media platforms to counter terrorist propaganda, online recruitment and disinformation; improving oversight of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies; and reforming international counterterrorism mechanisms.
He also urged greater fairness in international financial oversight bodies.
“Intergovernmental bodies like FATF” should be “inclusive, fair, transparent, and depoliticized,” he said.
“No country should be allowed to weaponize such forums for domestic or political agendas.”
The ambassador also called for eliminating Islamophobic narratives and terminology that associates terrorism with any religion, while reaffirming the need to distinguish legitimate struggles for self-determination from acts of terrorism in accordance with international law.
“We believe that this global challenge demands that we come together and act in concert. We will work with all member states,” Ahmad said.
