Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Tunisia’s UN envoy urges civil society to overcome ‘scourge’ of terrorism

Tunisia’s UN envoy urges civil society to overcome ‘scourge’ of terrorism

Civil society must play a crucial role in combating terrorism and extremism worldwide, Tunisia’s UN ambassador said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a town hall event, Tarek Ladeb outlined efforts to review UN protocol on counterterrorism efforts.

As co-facilitator of the eighth UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy review, together with Canada’s UN Ambassador Bob Rae, Ladek is responsible for overseeing revisions to the strategy.

The GCTS was adopted by consensus in 2006 as a worldwide instrument to combat terrorism.

Ladek told the event at the UN headquarters in New York: “The process of the eighth review of the GCTS is ongoing … It must be made more responsive to current and emerging challenges in relation with new trends of violent extremism.”

He identified the most threatening forms of extremism as “motivated by xenophobia, hate speech, racism, financing of terrorism, misuse of new technologies as well as the gender dimension.”

Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery of the Charity & Security Network, together with Marlena Wisniak of the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law, moderated the session, which aimed to “address the crucial role that civil society plays in countering terrorism and violent extremism.”

In his opening comments, Ladek said: “Human rights, gender equality and the rule of law must be at the center of counterterrorism efforts as fundamental factors and enablers of resilience and sustainability.

“Terrorism and violent extremism continue to grow as a persistent threat, taking new forms and trends, and developing new heinous means of murder and terror.

“This scourge can be defeated only through concerted multilateral actions and through a comprehensive approach.”

Ladek named the actors that were most important in the fight against extremism as “civil society, women, youth, victims of terrorism, community leaders, activists, academia and the private sector.”

Ambika Satkunanathan, a Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and former commissioner of the country’s Human Rights Commission, told the panel that a failure by UN entities themselves to adhere to international human rights standards is another “insidious element that corrodes human rights protection.”

This “enables the flouting of human rights standards” by other actors, an issue that must be addressed as part of the GCTS review, she added.

The event took place after member states received the first revision of the draft resolution for the review, and ahead of the second round of negotiations, which will begin on Friday.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×