Vietnam reaffirms commitment to joint efforts against terrorism

During the debate on the 20th anniversary of Resolution 1373 on counter-terrorism, chaired by the Foreign Minister of Tunisia, the UNSC moved to adopt a presidential statement detailing efforts to combat international terrorism.

Speakers declared that over the past 20 years, the risk of terrorism around the globe has intensified, with international terrorist groups ceaselessly seeking new ways of operating, ramping up their use of cyber space and information technology, whilst also conducting illegal operations across borders.

Upon addressing the debate, Minister Counsellor Nguyen Phuong Tra, deputy head of the Vietnamese mission to the UN, stated that since Resolution 1373 was initially issued in 2001, the UNSC has strived to promote an institutional framework to fight global terrorism across various areas. Indeed, since the implementation of the Resolution the global fight against terrorism has reaped significant outcomes.

Minister Tra outlined the necessity of promoting a comprehensive approach based on the UN Charter to focus on preventing and eradicating conflict, eliminating conditions for terrorism, whilst also boosting immunity among communities to violent extremism and terrorism propaganda.

Furthermore, solidarity and vigilance against the threat of terrorism will create a common strength among the international community in the face of risks and new developments in terrorism, according to Minister Tra.

UNSC member states also used the platform to voice their support for the council as they concentrate on preventing violence and extremism whilst also promoting a culture of peace and dialogue.

They moved to underscore the importance of international and regional co-operation efforts and the involvement of the entire society, including NGOs, in efforts against international terrorism.

Moving forward, they requested that counter-terrorism measures must be in conformity with the UN Charter and international law, whilst they should not take advantage of these goals to serve other purposes.

Resolution 1373 was first adopted unanimously by the UN back in 2001 following the tragedy of the September 11 attacks in the United States. It imposes legal obligations on UN member states to fight against global terrorism whilst criminalising the financing of terrorists. It also features content regarding freezing terrorism-related accounts and funds, in addition to information about sharing and international co-operation.

Through this resolution, the Counter-Terrorism Committee was set up to feature representatives from 15 UNSC member states, receiving support from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in 2004.

To date, the UNSC has adopted approximately 20 resolutions and dozens of presidential statements on counter-terrorism.