New york: The Kingdom of Bahrain has reiterated its commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and cutting off its sources of financing, expressing its determination to actively collaborate with international partners to sustain global efforts. This commitment comes at a time when terrorism remains a significant threat to international peace and security.
According to Bahrain News Agency, this declaration was made by Ambassador Jamal Fares Al Rowaie, Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Nations in New York, during a UN Security Council briefing on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. The session was chaired by Chris Elmore, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, during the UK's presidency of the Security Council in February. Additional briefings were delivered by Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED).
Ambassador Al Rowaie highlighted Bahrain's ongoing support for global counter-terrorism initiatives as an active member of the Global Coalition against Daesh. He pointed out the Kingdom's focus on strategic communications, countering terrorist financing, and preventing extremism. The ambassador also noted Bahrain's coordination with international partners to tackle emerging threats and global changes.
He emphasized the necessity to intensify efforts to halt terrorist financing, prevent funds from reaching criminal activities, and comply with UN measures, particularly asset-freezing measures. Ambassador Al Rowaie also stressed the importance of countering extremist content online and addressing hate speech, aligning with Bahrain's foreign policy that promotes peace, tolerance, coexistence, and human fraternity through practical measures like enhancing cybersecurity capabilities.
Ambassador Al Rowaie underscored that combating terrorism requires addressing its root causes, with prevention being the most effective approach. He mentioned Bahrain's initiative adopted at the Arab Summit in 2024, which advocates for providing education to those affected by regional conflicts to protect their right to education and prevent recruitment by terrorist groups.
He also referred to UN Security Council resolution 2250 (2015), highlighting the threat posed by rising youth radicalisation to stability and development. The resolution expresses concern over terrorists' use of new technologies to recruit young people and urges Member States to consider ways to involve youth in decision-making processes at various levels.