With World Crises Much Different than Past Sessions, Legal Committee Deliberates Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, as Seventy-Ninth Session Begins
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) began its debate on measures to eliminate international terrorism at the first meeting of its seventy-ninth session today, speakers grappled with how to effectively marshal national and regional efforts and engage international law to address this phenomenon in a world that looks far different than the one they confronted one year ago.
Opening the meeting, Rui Vinhas (Portugal), Chair of the Committee’s seventy-ninth session, reminded those present that the General Assembly has always relied on the Sixth Committee’s expertise, adding that the Committee is “the core of what we stand for at the UN”. However, the current session is taking place at a challenging time for multilateralism, with heightened conflict stressing both the integrity of the United Nations and international law. Member States will have to work harder to keep the “cherished and long-standing” practice of consensus as a unifying and trust-building element, he urged.
“The law is what distinguishes us from the terrorists, the law is what distinguishes peace-loving States from rogue States, and it is intrinsic to the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture,” declared the observer for the State of Palestine, also noting that she was delivering her statement “for the first time seated among Member States”. Noting that Israel has designated the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) as a “terrorist organization”, she also said that Israel rejects Palestinian existence such that “anything a Palestinian does — short of dying — is terrorism”.
Further, she asked: “If those of us — and most of us in this room — who resort to international law and peaceful settlement of disputes are labelled as terrorists, then what do we call a settler colonial apartheid regime that commits the most sadistic and organized barbarity in modern history against a civilian population, half of which is children?”
The representative of Saudi Arabia, speaking for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), agreed, calling on the international community to classify Jewish settlement movements as terrorist organizations and to include them in global terrorist lists. He also condemned the Knesset’s adoption of laws he deemed racist, including preventing UNRWA from operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and rejecting a Palestinian State. Further condemning Israel’s recent actions in Lebanon and Syria, he underscored — in the context of progress towards an international counter-terrorism convention — the need for a legal definition of “terrorism”.
For his part, Israel’s representative pointed to the “profound, tragic difference” between his statement before the Committee in 2023 and the one he delivered today. While Israel reaffirmed its commitment to the global fight against terrorism on 2 October 2023, he said: “Little did we know that, only five days later, the very gates of hell would violently burst open and nothing in this world would ever be the same again.” He also noted that, following Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack, “the perpetrators proudly boasted of their crimes online, and to their own parents — a direct result of decades of radicalization and indoctrination into a culture of hatred and terror”.
Also spotlighting large-scale, indiscriminate attacks by “Hizbullah and other terrorist groups in Lebanon” against his country, he underscored that Israel is “fighting a just and necessary war against the forces of pure evil”. Further, he said that “the refusal of this body to designate terrorist groups actively operating against Israel is no less than outrageous”, adding: “There is no substantive difference between Hamas and Hizbullah and ISIS, Boko Haram and Al-Qaida.”
Condemning all manifestations of terrorism, the representative of Uganda — speaking for the African Group — spotlighted increased incidences of kidnapping and hostage-taking for ransom in his region. Noting that the payment of ransoms to terrorist groups is a primary source of financing for terrorist activities, he said that this is “a matter of concern not only for the continent, but also for the international community”. Further, he expressed regret over the lack of consensus during the eighth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on proposals to condemn the actions of racist and right-wing extremist groups.
The representative of the United States, similarly, urged States to “rigorously” prevent and counter threats posed by racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists. She added: “It is critical that all efforts to counter and prevent terrorism and violent extremism respect human rights, including freedoms of expression and religion or belief.” Meanwhile, the representative of Cuba said that his country’s inclusion in the United States State Department’s 2022 report on terrorism has had “extraordinarily negative” consequences for Cuba’s economy.
Brazil’s representative said: “It is high time we negotiated a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.” Expressing regret over the absence of an internationally agreed-upon definition of “terrorism”, he highlighted frequent accusations of selectivity and double standards in the fight against this scourge — despite States’ consensual condemnation of the same. Many speakers echoed this definitional concern; among them, the representatives of Yemen and Jordan underscored the importance of differentiating between “terrorism” and the legitimate “right of countries to struggle against occupation”.
“We deplore the increasing politicization of the fight against terrorism,” said the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer, adding that the Ad Hoc Working Group on the matter should draw inspiration from discussions in the Council of Europe, which has reached a provisional agreement at the technical level on a pan-European definition of “terrorism”. He also highlighted the European Commission’s call for proposals to enhance the security of public spaces.
Cambodia’s representative — speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) — agreed, noting that public spaces and critical infrastructure are highly vulnerable to terrorist attacks in today’s interconnected world. Urging stronger cooperation in safeguarding these “soft targets” to ensure public safety and prevent future tragedy, he also underscored the importance of community-based programmes, interfaith dialogue and educational initiatives aimed at countering extremist narratives and ideologies. Kenya’s representative, in that vein, detailed his country’s national strategy that brings together a wide variety of stakeholders to achieve “early warning in radicalization” by creating community awareness and, consequently, stronger community policing.
“Sri Lanka’s experience demonstrates that combatting terrorism requires a focus on socioeconomic development, education and community engagement,” said that country’s representative, adding that this helps to address marginalization and hopelessness — “key drivers of radicalization”. A holistic approach that integrates human rights and fundamental freedoms is essential to effectively counter terrorism, he pointed out, spotlighting his country’s prioritization of community initiatives that promote social cohesion, understanding and inclusivity. “Resilient societies are less vulnerable to extremist ideologies,” he concluded.
Before it commenced its debate on international terrorism, the Committee took up its agenda item on “Revitalization of the work of the General Assembly”. Colombia’s representative, speaking also for Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Italy, Mexico, Portugal and South Africa, welcomed the Bureau’s focal point tasked with receiving information from delegations on ways to enhance the Assembly’s role. She also called for a more structured dialogue between the International Law Commission and the Sixth Committee, including mobilizing resources for webcasting the Commission’s plenary sessions. This, she said, would facilitate Member States’ engagement.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica’s representative asked: “Are we really satisfied with the working methods of this Committee, or have we fallen into an inertia of habit?” To that point, Latvia’s representative, speaking also for Estonia and Lithuania, urged speakers to eschew “lengthy and static” statements in favour of concise, focused interventions. More so, she highlighted the appointment of a new Secretary-General: “After a 78‑years-long history of men holding this important position, it is a high time for a woman to serve as the leader of the UN.”
In other business, the Chair detailed the 27 agenda items allotted to the Committee this session and introduced the new Bureau: Vice-Chairs Ammar Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed (Sudan); Matúš Košuth (Slovakia); and Ligia Lorena Flores Soto (El Salvador). The Committee also elected Nathaniel Khng (Singapore) as Rapporteur, and Working Groups were established for “Criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission”; “The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction”; “Protection of persons in the event of disasters”; and “Measures to eliminate international terrorism”.