NEW YORK – The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has unanimously adopted therevised Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) and called on theinternational community to take appropriate measures to address new andemerging terrorist threats on the basis of xenophobia, racism andIslamophobia.
The initiative for the recognition of Islamophobia as an emerging terroristthreat under the GCTS was spearheaded by Pakistan, together with other OICcountries.
First adopted in 2006, the GCTS is an international normative andoperational framework against global terrorism, which is reviewed andupdated bi-annually in view of emerging trends in global terrorism. Itconsists of four “Pillars,” that focus on conditions conducive to thespread of terrorism; measures to prevent and combat terrorism; buildstates’ capacity to fight terrorism; and ensure respect for human rights inthis regard.
The UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy calls on the internationalcommunity to take appropriate measures against emerging terrorist threatson the basis of xenophobia, racism, and Islamophobia, end direct andindirect forms of religious and racial discrimination, and counterincitement to hatred and violence propagated by terrorist groups on suchbasis. It also calls on the UN Secretary General to report on the threatposed by such extremist and Islamophobic terrorist groups.
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The recognition of terrorist threats caused by Islamophobia in the GCTSconstitutes a landmark achievement in addressing the increasing number ofterrorist attacks against Muslims and their places of worship in many partsof the world.
