UN General Assembly
2021

More specifically on the latter, terrorism is a transregional phenomenon, which knows no border, and continues to pose a major threat to peace and security in various regions across Africa, particularly in Western and Central Africa, as well as the Sahel. It remains imperative for the international community to continue to work together and address the root causes of violent extremism and radicalisation, with the aim of countering terrorism, as well as its financing. Terrorists are adept at exploiting countries with weak counter-terrorism capabilities; hence the need to address such challenges is even more important. Action against terrorism must be firm and decisive at all times and the UN is central to the fight. Literacy has, in my view, a critical role to play in empowering individuals to counter radicalisation efforts. This also links with the importance of strengthening the capacities of national criminal justice systems to administer fair and effective justice for perpetrators of terrorist crimes, while undertaking effective preventive measures in accordance with rule of law.