Discurso do Representante Permanente, Embaixador Ronaldo Costa Filho, em debate no Conselho de Segurança sobre o "Contraterrorismo na África - um Imperativo para a Paz, a Segurança e o Desenvolvimento" - 10 de novembro de 2022 (texto em inglês)
Statement by the Permanent Representative Ambassador Ronaldo Costa Filho during the UN Security Council debate on "Counter-Terrorism in Africa – An Imperative for Peace, Security and Development"
November 10th, 2022
Mister President,
At first, I would like to say that I am honored to participate in this debate under your coordination. Ghana brings to our attention a situation which is regional in its enunciation but global in its ability to threaten international peace and security.
I would also like to thank the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohamed, the Chairperson of African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, the European Union Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, Ilkka Salmi, and the President and CEO of the International Crisis Group, Comfort Ero, for their insightful remarks.
Mister President,
There may be a perception that at present terrorism is less menacing than it used to be a few years ago. Unfortunately, this evaluation is not grounded in reality. A misunderstanding that can be attributed to a great extent to insufficient attention by international media outlets to certain parts of the world and the unbalanced treatment terrorism receives according to the region where its effects are directly felt. The expansion of terrorism in Africa is a reality, with serious impacts in the peace and security of the continent. It should remain a priority in our agenda.
Mister President,
I would like to reiterate Brazil’s stance that counter-terrorism efforts will only be sustainable and effective if consistent with international law, including the UN Charter, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and international refugee law. If counterterrorism takes place at the expense of international legal parameters, it will have defeated its purpose – and maybe contributed to generating additional extremism conducive to terrorism.
While UN peacekeeping operations are not a tool for military counter-terrorism actions, they help create and consolidate the conditions for long-term stability and security. Thus, they have an inhibiting effect on terrorism. In the same vein, regional and sub-regional organizations play an important part in containing the spread of terrorism and, in doing so, must receive our support.
We commend all the efforts and progress made by the African Union, and other regional and sub-regional organizations, in countering terrorism within the framework of the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), in accordance with Chapter VIII of the Charter of the United Nations.
AMISOM, now ATMIS, has been an example by assisting countries of the entire Horn of Africa in reducing Al-Shabaab capacities. Similarly, the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique has achieved results in the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado. The Accra Initiative may further contribute to containing the spillover of terrorism from the Sahel. We also hope that the G5 Sahel Joint Force will overcome its current challenges since its action is also relevant for countering terrorism in the region and preventing it from spreading to its neighborhood.
We have been following with concern the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. We regret the appalling increase in the number of terrorist acts in the region and their expansion towards the West African coast. The current political instability in the Sahel might accelerate this expansion southwards. In this context, the international community must strengthen its support to counter-terrorism initiatives in the region.
The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, enacted by the most representative body of the United Nations, provides the most comprehensive guidance to the fight against terrorism. In it, Member States recognized the importance of cooperation in this field with regional and sub-regional organizations, which should be centered on capacity-building. Technical cooperation, including South-South cooperation, could be an important tool for strengthening national institutions’ capabilities to fight terrorism.
Furthermore, prevention is instrumental in any sustainable counterterrorism strategy. We must understand the circumstances in which terrorist groups thrive, the reasons why their ideology attracts young people to their ranks, as well as the social and economic aspects of the phenomenon. Thus, a comprehensive response to terrorism must include policies directed at its root causes, mainly on the development front. For that, we need to value the expertise of regional organizations in addressing local realities and proposing local solutions.
Mister President,
Brazil condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The repudiation of terrorism is a constitutional principle, which guides our international relations. Our foreign policy also highly values the role of regional and sub-organizations in securing a safer and more peaceful world. We must not hesitate to support them in combatting terrorism.
I thank you.