Root cause of terrorism must be addressed: UNSC

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Wednesday underlined the need for multilateral action to address the root cause for the spread of terrorism.

The UNSC convened Wednesday on the issue of threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts and noted that terrorism will not be defeated by military force and intelligence operations alone, Xinhua reported.

The council called for a comprehensive approach, involving national, regional, sub-regional and multilateral action, to defeat terrorism.

The UNSC also highlighted measures to prevent the movement of foreign terrorist fighters and stressed on the sharing of information for identifying such fighters.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern over the increasing use of communication technology like the internet for the purpose of radicalising people and recruiting them for terrorist activities.

"Technology and globalisation have made it easier for (terrorists) to cause disproportionate harm, exploit narratives and profit from illicit financing," said Ban.

He drew attention to a programme initiated by the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre, aiming to help member states develop policy responses to the scourge of terrorism.

"I encourage all member states to participate in this project, particularly those most severely affected," Ban said.

He also called on member states to deeply consider the fundamental conditions that allow extremism to thrive.

"Violent extremism is a multi-dimensional challenge that needs to be effectively addressed at the grassroots level," he said.

"The threat of foreign terrorist fighters and the scourge of violent extremism are not just security challenges, they are also political and development challenges affecting the stability and social fabric of communities, countries and regions," Ban added.