UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese UN envoy on Friday called on the international community to remain vigilant against the resurgence of global terrorism, as the counterterrorism situation is still grim despite the defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and the death of its leader last year.
Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said despite the setbacks, the IS is rapidly reorganizing in a form of covert networks and continues to attack official personnel and facilities in remote areas of Iraq.
"At present, the international counterterrorism situation is still grim with extremism and terrorism closely intertwined," he said. "Terrorist attacks in many parts of the world have wreaked havoc on the countries involved."
The settlement of foreign terrorist fighters, the links between terrorist organizations and transnational organized crimes, and the expanding underground channels of terrorist financing pose severe challenges to counterterrorism, he said.
"The international community must remain vigilant against the resurgence of global terrorism, foster an awareness of a community of shared future for mankind, and strengthen cooperation in our joint efforts to address the threat of terrorism," he noted.
In this regard, the Chinese envoy stressed as imperative the need to leverage the central coordinating role of the UN and the Security Council in counterterrorism.
He stressed that the fight against terrorism should follow the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, respect the sovereignty of the countries concerned and the primary responsibility of member states in counterterrorism.
"We should adhere to unified standards and comprehensively implement relevant council resolutions and the UN global counterterrorism strategy," he added.
Moreover, Wu emphasized the importance of eliminating the root causes of terrorism, urging the international community to promote the peaceful resolution of hotspot issues by political means, assist UN member states in poverty alleviation and achieving sustainable development, and encourage dialogue among civilizations and religions on an equal footing.
He also stressed the need for the world to strengthen education for youth and increase employment opportunities, promote social inclusion, and remove the influence of extremist ideologies.
"We should provide assistance to developing countries and help UN members states strengthen their capacity building in anti-terrorism and de-radicalization," he added.
Furthermore, Wu listed a number of new trends and features of international terrorism, including terrorists' abuse of the internet and communication technology, diversified channels for terrorist financing, and the collusion of terrorist groups with organized crimes.
He said focus must be placed on supporting UN member states in addressing those prominent issues.
On the prominent issue of foreign terrorist fighters, he said relevant departments of the UN Secretariat should boost the collection of information and the study of the situations in order to pave the way for UN member states to take measures.
In this process, he said, it is imperative to strengthen consultations with the countries concerned and respect their judicial sovereignty. "Priority should be given to the principle of territoriality. Each case should be dealt with according to law. Imposing solutions must be avoided."
