Delivered by: Mr. Abdulla Al Ajeeli
Mr. Chair,
At the outset, I wish to extend my warm congratulations to you and the members of the bureau on your election and on your assumption of the Chairmanship of the Sixth Committee. I am confident that under your leadership, this session will yield constructive and successful outcomes.
Mr. Chair,
Terrorist activities continue to pose a threat that undermines peace, security, and sustainable development globally. The United Arab Emirates condemns in the strongest terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations enshrined in the UN Charter, as well as to collective international efforts, pursuant to international law, to eliminate terrorism. We believe that terrorism cannot be countered by security measures alone. Addressing its root causes is essential. Extremism thrives in environments marked by poverty, unemployment, marginalization, and despair. These conditions must be tackled through comprehensive strategies that promote and ensure inclusive development, interfaith and intercultural dialogue, women and the youth empowerment, and meaningful participation of all sectors of society. Building peaceful and resilient societies requires a comprehensive, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach. Therefore, we look forward to continuing to work with Member States, the United Nations, and civil society to advance the Tolerance, Peace, and Security Agenda, including through strategies to address extremism in all its forms.
We underscore the need for stronger international cooperation to effectively prevent and counter terrorism. This requires strengthening national and international legal frameworks to combat terrorism, and ensure Member States’ compliance with their obligations in accordance with international law and UN Security Council resolutions. The UAE continues to take concrete steps to combat terrorism and its financing, guided by international standards. The National Strategy for Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering Proliferation Financing 2024-2027 strengthens regulatory frameworks, enhances inter-agency coordination, and improves the detection of financial crimes. These reforms not only enhance the UAE’s domestic capacity but also reinforce global financial integrity, support international counter-terrorism efforts, and foster trust and secure capital flows across borders.
Mr. Chair,
We must recognize the evolving nature of terrorism. Extremist groups are increasingly exploiting cyberspace, advanced technologies, and artificial intelligence to recruit and spread their ideologies. This demands closer international cooperation in cybersecurity and the responsible use of digital platforms to prevent their misuse for terrorist purposes. In this context, we call for extensive cooperation between Member States, relevant UN bodies and the private sector to agree on a common collective approach to confront these threats, including through sharing expertise, experiences, capacity building and strengthening legal frameworks, without limiting the ability to innovate.
Finally, it is time to revitalize and accelerate our work on finalizing a comprehensive convention against international terrorism. Despite existing international treaties and resolutions to address the growing and evolving threats of terrorism, including the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, eradicating this scourge requires a comprehensive international treaty to strengthen the international legal framework and address existing gaps and inconsistencies. We are ready to work with all interested delegations to reinvigorate negotiations and resolve outstanding issues in this regard.
Mr. Chair,
In conclusion, the UAE stresses that the fight against terrorism requires a holistic, balanced, and coordinated approach – one that integrates security, development, and human rights, in line with the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Pact of the Future. We remain committed to strengthen the efforts of the United Nations counter-terrorism system, including the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre at the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and to work with Member States to advance our shared goal of eliminating international terrorism and building a safer, more peaceful world for all.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.