Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Terrorist Acts

Madam. President,
At the outset, let me thank the delegation of Malta for convening this meeting on Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Terrorist Acts. We take note of the Secretary General’s report and thank Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and Acting Executive Director, Mr. Weixiong Chen as well as Ms. Franziska Praxl, Director of Multilateral Relations for the Global Center on Cooperative Security for their useful perspective on the subject. Regrettably, the Secretary General’s report confirms our fears of the increasing threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh and its affiliates to international peace and security in the second half of the year, which exacerbated across conflict zones and their neighbouring countries, despite national and global attempts to bring it under control.

Another grim reality that confronts us, as the report warns, is the convergence of global threats, in particular, the intricate and intertwined connection between armed conflict, terrorist attacks, and transnational organized crime. This reality must not be allowed to fester, as it aggravates an already dire situation for humanity. We are therefore gravely concerned about the spread and incidence of terrorist attacks by Da’esh and its affiliates across the African Continent, with devastating consequences. We are particularly concerned that in West Africa and the Sahel, Da’esh and Al-Qaida affiliates, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has intensified its violent activities since the appointment of their new leader, Abba al Saharawi in May 2022 and continue to take advantage of inter-communal and social tensions to further their agenda.

The situation in the Sahel in particular has deteriorated to the point where several countries are contending with terrorist groups who in some cases are fighting government forces as well as one another for territorial supremacy and control of resources. This troubling situation threatens peace, stability and security throughout the continent. As noted by DSR Giovanie Biha of
UNOWAS in her recent briefing to this Council, the activities carried out by armed organizations, violent extremists, and criminal networks resulted in the closure of more than 10,000 schools, which had an impact on the lives of millions of children, as well as around 7,000 health centres. As she stated “… the Central Sahel continues to face multidimensional challenges, unprecedented levels of security and humanitarian challenges, socio-political instability, further compounded by the impact of climate change, and food insecurity which was exacerbated by the conflict in Ukraine”.

In recent weeks, the brutality perpetrated by terrorist groups against innocent populations in Burkina Faso has compelled thousands to flee to neighbouring countries, including Ghana. The
displacement of our neighbouring brothers and sisters reflect the fragile nature of the situation in the Sahel and the immense challenges we collectively face in helping them to develop resilience through measures towards stabilization and recovery. We believe that we should not allow a few disgruntled elements in our societies to put the lives of the many in danger. We must,
through enhanced international solidarity, demonstrate that we have the numbers and the resources to effectively confront this negative canker.

Madam. President,
The act of terrorism is a slap in the face of all humanity. Not only does it constitute an attack on innocent lives, our economies, and our infrastructure, but also symbolizes a complete onslaught against our common ideals and dignity of every person. No country has an exemption. For Ghana, we strongly believe that preventing and countering terrorism requires an enhanced global mobilization and a multidimensional approach. It is in this context that I wish to highlight the following four points:

First, Ghana stresses the importance of agreeing upon a universal definition of the crime of terrorism. Such a definition should be grounded in the United Nations Charter and International Law, and should be devoid of any confusion. Within the current context of the global fight against terrorism, the absence of a suitable universal definition poses a challenge and subjects the
question to different agenda, purposes or biases.

Second, in the light of the significant incidence of terrorism on the African continent, the situation requires both the coordination and strengthening of the capacities of regional countries on the basis of the principle of ownership. We value our engagements with CTED, UNOCT and the UNODC, and encourage their ongoing cooperation and support. However, many African countries still
require technical support to build up their capabilities, especially in the realm of new and emerging technologies. As a result, we advocate for increased funding to improve the capacity of countries in our common battle against terrorism.

Third, at the continental level, Ghana is making every effort to improve coordination and cooperation with countries under the African Union’s counter-terrorism framework. Strengthening the ties between the United Nations and ongoing counter-insurgency operations conducted by regional organizations based on normative frameworks like the African Union’s and the Economic Community of West African States’ counter-terrorism policy is an important priority for Ghana. At the regional level, Ghana has developed strong cooperation with its neighbouring countries in key areas related to the fight against terrorism. This has primarily been accomplished through the sharing of information and intelligence within the ambit of the Accra Initiative. As one of the leading nations against terrorism in West Africa, Ghana would continue to position the Initiative to make significant contributions to the stability and security of the region, including through securing our joint borders and staging joint exercises as part of our counterterrorism policy.

Fourth, Ghana places strong focus on the importance of prevention as the primary objective that needs to be pursued in countering terrorism. Ghana strongly believes that increased investments in tackling the ideological, political, economic, and social underpinnings of terrorism are necessary in order to effectively prevent and combat terrorism. Equally vital is the development of a consistent political approach based on prevention, discussion, and an appreciation of the appeal that terrorism canhave. We encourage the adoption of a whole-of-society approach by involving private sector and civil society groups in resolving the underlying drivers, and believe, this can help reduce the vulnerability of youth groups to radicalization through the openingup of further opportunities. It is also important to adopt a gender sensitive approach in countering terrorism.

In conclusion, Ghana thanks the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the United Nations Office on Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) for their support in the fight against terrorism. In this regard, we are grateful for the support we have received from allies in our effort to confront terrorists and violent extremists head-on. However, this Council has not stepped up fully to its responsibility in the same manner that it has responded to traditional threats to international peace and
security.

In this context, we warmly welcome the upcoming UNOCT Counter-Terrorism Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in October, 2023, where the question of support for counter-terrorism operations in Africa will be considered in-depth. Ghana will continue to actively engage in efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism at all levels and will contribute constructively to advance efforts to put an end to terrorism, including through the work of this Council and other relevant organizations.

I thank you.