On Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told representatives of the counter-terrorism agencies of UN member states meeting in New York until Tuesday that “terrorism and violent extremism” were continuing to “grow” despite efforts, calling for the “root causes” such as poverty and human rights violations to be tackled.
Mr. Guterres said that “despite the clear progress we have made over the years, terrorism and violent extremism continue to take root and grow”, calling for “a united front in the face of this global threat”.
“Groups affiliated to al-Qaeda and Daech (Islamic State group) in Africa are rapidly gaining ground in regions such as the Sahel and heading south towards the Gulf of Guinea”, he pointed out.
“In several countries, neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements are fast becoming the main threats to internal security”, added the Secretary-General.
Stressing that terrorism feeds on the multiple crises facing the world, Mr. Guterres called for “prevention”, “the most effective approach to curbing this threat”.
However, “prevention is not just about foiling attacks or plots”, he insisted, “it is also about addressing the root causes that can lead to terrorism, including poverty, discrimination, disillusionment, lack of infrastructure and institutions, and gross violations of human rights”.