The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the terrorism spillover out of Afghanistan. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Guterres highlighted that terrorists are exploiting power vacuums and undermining the power of fragile states, ANI reported citing TOLO News. According to UN Chief, terrorism is spreading at an alarming speed in some African countries.
“The risks of terrorism spillover out of Afghanistan, as well as the alarming spread of terrorism in some African countries, show how adept terrorists are at exploiting power vacuums and subverting fragile states,” Antonio Guterres said as per TOLO News.
Guterres expresses concern over terrorism
In his opening remarks at the Munich Security Conference, UN Chief Antonio Guterres stated that the threat of terrorism now looms over the world. Guterres emphasised the need for robust African peace enforcement and counter-terrorist operations, which have been made mandatory by the UN Security Council under “Chapter VII of the Charter, with stable and predictable funding.”
Earlier, the UN chief warned that terrorism remains a constant threat to the world. He highlighted that if they do not take determined action to deal with severe economic contraction, increase in unemployment and rising humanitarian crisis, they will lead to “despair and breed criticism”, as per the ANI report.
UN chief calls for diplomacy to address issues
Amid an intense spike in shelling in eastern Ukraine, UN chief Guterres at the Munich Security Conference asserted that it was high time to “seriously de-escalate” the crisis. He stressed that there is no other option other than diplomacy and added that issues must be addressed through a “diplomatic” channel. He noted that the threat to world security in the present time is “more complex and probably higher” than during the Cold War.
Quoting from the United Nations Charter, Guterres at the Munich Security Council said that all nations must settle international disputes by “peaceful means, in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered”.
The UN Secretary-General expressed concern over the increased ”unpredictability and fragility” of the international world, including in Yemen and Libya. He further called for actions that are needed for “non-traditional security threats” including the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change to keep 1.5 degrees alive.
