UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ITEM 121 - GLOBAL COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY: REPORT OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL
22 June 2023
Statement by H.E. The Hon Mitch Fifield, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Australian Mission to the United Nations
On behalf of Australia, I would like to thank the Permanent Representatives of Canada and Tunisia for their tireless facilitation of this important resolution.
And I would also like to thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov for his leadership on counter-terrorism in the UN system. We commend the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism and the UN Global Compact entities for their efforts to implement the GCTS.
Despite some positive developments since the seventh review of the GCTS, terrorism and violent extremism remain a threat to communities around the world.
Terrorist groups do not respect national borders, and through the internet, they have global reach.
That is why multilateral cooperation and collaboration is critical to achieving our counter-terrorism objectives and to keeping our citizens safe.
When the GCTS was first adopted 17 years ago, the international community came together to coordinate a united global effort to counter terrorism and to save lives.
During the seventh review of the GCTS, Australia welcomed the inclusion of language on the importance of protecting human rights while countering terrorism, and the recognition that our counter-terrorism measures sometimes impacted negatively on the very communities they aimed to protect.
In essence, we recognised that counter-terrorism measures sometimes exacerbated drivers of radicalisation.
Australia also welcomed language on gender analysis, recognising that understanding the differentiated drivers and impacts of terrorism helped to make programming more effective.
In this regard, Australia welcomes the establishment of the Gender and Human Rights Unit in the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and hopes the unit will drive a gender-responsive approach across the UN’s counter-terrorism work.
Australia welcomed efforts in the eighth review to strengthen our frameworks for understanding and responding to the gender dimensions of terrorism, including how conceptions of masculinity play a role.
We were disappointed that the General Assembly was not able to find consensus on this.
Australia welcomes the work of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
We especially welcome the light she has shed on the narrowing of civil society space as a result of counter-terrorism measures.
From Australia’s perspective, borne out in our experience domestically and internationally, a whole-of-society approach is critical to effectively preventing violent extremism.
Civil society has the best insight into local dynamics, and the best solutions, tailored to local communities.
Australia shares the conviction that the UN system should be transparent, accountable, effective, efficient and consultative.
We welcome the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism’s efforts to develop strategic policies and strengthen monitoring and evaluation.
Australia looks forward to the development of a results framework, that could be used across the UN system, to help stakeholders comprehensively evaluate the implementation of the GCTS, particularly as we approach its 20th anniversary.
Australia would have liked to see independent oversight of the integration of rule of law, human rights, and gender as cross-cutting elements across the UN’s work. We were disappointed that consensus was blocked on this.
Australia looks forward to the ninth review of the GCTS in three years time, and hopes that the General Assembly will be able to respond meaningfully to the rapidly evolving terrorist threat.