It is my pleasure to welcome you to Malta for the United Nations Conference on National and Regional Counter-Terrorism Strategies.
As a committed member of the international community, Malta constantly strives to contribute to international peace and security in a meaningful and tangible manner. The promotion of peace through dialogue is, and will remain, the north star of our foreign policy.
Counter terrorism is an area to which Malta attaches great importance, as we amply demonstrated during our term as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council in 2023-24, where ‘Literacy’ was one of our four priorities.
Although the link between terrorism and literacy may not be immediately apparent, we see ‘literacy’ in its wider sense as a whole-of-society tool for peace-building and conflict prevention. As we have emphasised in many of our statements, we firmly believe that ‘literacy’ equips our citizens and youth with the necessary skills to distinguish between what is fact and what is false. It empowers them to recognise and push back on mis- and disinformation, and reject agendas that call for violence and violent extremism.
Apart from this, in June 2023 Malta organised a Security Council Arria-formula meeting on ‘Enhancing the capacities of Member States to ensure a gender-responsive approach to counter terrorism’. This meeting, which was also co-sponsored by Costa Rica, Jordan, Mexico, Mozambique, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States, was a resounding success. The cross-regional attendance and participation from across the Council and the wider UN membership underscored the global impact of this issue, as well as the need for a whole-of-society approach.
UN Women, the Executive Directorate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, and the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ), which is also based in Malta, enriched the discussion with valuable insights and their first-hand experience in dealing with these issues.
It is in this spirit, and with this sense of duty and responsibility, that Malta is hosting this global conference today. It is our honour to have you in our country, and to provide the right setting for an interesting and dynamic discussion.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates
As we are reminded all too often, the scourge of terrorism transcends borders. Terrorist attacks brutally and indiscriminately end the lives of civilians and shatter families. The scars that such barbaric acts leave on affected communities never fully heal.
As the international community has recognised on multiple occasions, terrorism is a global challenge that must be addressed in a holistic manner. The only way to achieve results is through a concerted effort, where all countries push in the same direction towards a common goal.
The Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which was adopted by the General Assembly in 2006, represented an important milestone. It was a strong and clear signal by the international community about its intention to tackle this matter and give it the attention it deserves.
Subsequent reviews have continued to build on this achievement, and further illustrated the multifaceted and complex nature of this threat.
At the same time, the ever-evolving nature of this phenomenon, accelerated by transformative technological advancements, emphasises the fact that we cannot rest on our laurels and rely on existing solutions to address new and upcoming challenges. On the contrary, we must stay vigilant to make sure that our response is the appropriate one to deal with contemporary realities.
In doing so, we must also strive to make sure that measures adopted to fight terrorism contain the necessary safeguards, so they do not infringe on the rights and freedoms that our citizens enjoy and that governments have the duty to protect.
The adoption of the Bogotá Principles for Counter-Terrorism Strategies in 2013 constituted another important step in this regard. Although not legally binding, these principles have served as a valuable guide for Member States and regional organisations in the development of their national and regional counter-terrorism strategies.
Today, we meet to update these principles to make sure that these strategies remain pertinent and in-sync with today’s world. Apart from being effective, they must also be fair, inclusive, and forward-looking.
Due consideration should also be given to human rights, gender-sensitive perspectives that recognise the fundamental role that women have to play in preventing radicalisation and leading recovery efforts in post-conflict settings, and measures to counter the financing of terrorism.
Excellencies, distinguished delegates
I conclude by thanking you once again for travelling to Malta to attend this important conference. The participation of so many countries is testament to our collective resolve to work towards addressing this issue.
I wish you a pleasant stay and a productive and fruitful discussion leading to substantial and lasting results.
I thank you.
