UN secretary general calls for international mobilisation against terror

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called for "mobilising all resources and political will" to fight terrorism in the wake of the massacre of 132 school children in Pakistan and said he will consider measures to help that country combat extremism.

Answering a reporter's question at his year-end press conference here Wednesday about the attack, Ban said that terrorism was a problem spreading to several countries and those affected by it needed help.

It was "most important" that "the international community must mobilise all resources and political will and help the capacity-building of those countries affected to address this extremism and terrorism", he said.

"The international community has been troubled by all this spread [of] terrorism and extremism," he said. "We have seen so many such things, in Pakistan, in Afghanistan and Nigeria and Somalia and elsewhere."

On Tuesday, Pakistan Taliban attacked a military-run civilian school in Peshawar killing a total of 141 people, which he said, his voice quivering, "I have condemned it in the strongest of possible terms."

He mentioned the setting up of the Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Department of Political Affair as an initiative taken by the world body to fight terrorism. "We are now actively engaging with the countries who are in danger, who are vulnerable to terrorism and extremism," he said.

"And we will try to help those member states to strengthen their national capacity" to combat terrorism.

Among these efforts was organising "a sort of capacity-building workshop in January" in Nigeria, he said. "And I will also consider what we can do with Pakistan and other countries."

Looking ahead to 2015, Ban said, "As we mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations next year, we have a duty to answer the call of people across the world for shared prosperity and a sustainable future for all."

He added, "The stars are aligned for the world to take historic action to transform lives and protect the planet."

The new year "must be a time for global action," he said laying out four priorities:

- Forging a new development agenda and reaching an agreement on climate change

- Ending "the nightmare in Syria" and averting "the escalation of other worrying situations"

- Countering "extremism and the rise of far-right political parties that target minorities, migrants and in particular Muslims"

- Adapting "the United Nations itself to a new global landscape" with the completion of several key reviews including on peace operations, peace-building and financing of humanitarian efforts, and implementing the Security Council's landmark resolution on women, peace and security.

"These assessments are an opportunity to build on the other reforms we have pursued throughout my tenure," he said.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in)