UAE calls on international community to address root causes of intolerance and extremism

Salim Zabi, adviser to the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, called on the international community to address the root causes of intolerance and extremism, including combating disinformation on the internet and social media.

Al Zaabi led the UAE delegation to the biennial United Nations Counter-Terrorism Week from 19 to 23 June, accompanied by Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the UAE Cyber ​​Security Council. Zabi made the UAE statement during the general debate on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Terrorism is a complex, multifaceted global phenomenon that transcends national borders, cultures, and religions. Effective prevention and combat of terrorism requires a multilateral and multi-pronged approach.

“We urgently need to address intolerance and extremism more effectively before these acts escalate into acts of terrorism and armed conflict. Prevention strategies must be realigned to reflect this urgent reality.”

In his statement, Zabi stressed that the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on “tolerance and international peace and security” co-authored by the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

The resolution is the first of its kind to acknowledge that hate speech, racism and extremism can lead to the outbreak, escalation and recurrence of conflict.

Throughout the Counter Terrorism Week, the delegation and Ambassador Lana Zaki Al Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations, engaged with other UN Member States and international counter terrorism partners on key counter terrorism topics.

The UAE hosted discussions on the acquisition, weaponization and deployment of autonomous and remote operating systems (AROS) by terrorist groups, and the United Nations Office for Armament Studies in Counter-Terrorism and Conflict also published a report sponsored by the UAE.

Zabi said the report aims to raise awareness of the dangers of AROS proliferation and its potential misuse by terrorists, and to strengthen Member States’ preparedness to prevent and respond to the threat posed by drone systems.

Ambassador Nussebe, in his capacity as Chair of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, co-chaired a UN discussion entitled “Global Threat Landscape: Assessing Current and Emerging Trends” with the Permanent Mission of Albania to the UN. As Chair, she met with delegations from Iraq and the Russian Federation. The UAE delegation also met with Indian and US delegations.

The UAE and India held discussions on a multilateral response to curb the misuse of digital tools by terrorists. Dr. Kuwait highlighted how the UAE has strengthened information security, as well as the UAE’s “Cyber ​​Pulse” initiative, which raises awareness of cyber threats and enhances digital security.

WAM