Terror attacks in Nigeria, three others pose serious threat - Ban

[TheNation]

  Ki-moon  The United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said recent terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen are an indication that terrorism threat is still formidable.

``Terrorist organisations continue to look for new havens, adopt new tactics and seek new targets,'' he told the Security Council, during its debate on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.  

The U.N Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the debate was organised by Azerbaijan and chaired by its President, Ilham Aliyev.

Azerbaijan holds the Council’s rotating presidency for the month of May.

Discussion of the debate comes ahead of next month’s review by the General Assembly of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Adopted by the Assembly in September 2006, the strategy is based on four pillars, which include tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and preventing and combating terrorism.

The strategy also has to do with the building of states’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the U.N system in that regard.

The other strategy is ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.

The U.N chief highlighted the need to focus special attention on conditions conducive to spreading of terrorism.

``That means countering the appeal of terrorism, strengthening capacity-building and protecting human rights as a central part of our response.

``It also means resolving differences peacefully, providing education and job opportunities, promoting development and inter-cultural dialogue, and addressing the grievances that terrorists exploit,” Mr. Ki-moon stated.



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