UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon says he is concerned about the growing drift in many countries and regions towards bigotry, anti-Muslim hatred, anti-Semitism, xenophobia, homophobia and outright racism.
Speaking at the General Assembly Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in New York on Thursday, he said terrorist groups were exploiting these negative trends and using them as a recruitment tool.
The strategy was adopted in 2006 and is based on four pillars.
These are addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, measures to prevent and combat terrorism, measures to build states’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism and to strengthen the role of the UN system in that regard.
The other is measures to ensure respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.
The General Assembly reviews the strategy every two years, making it a living document attuned to Member States’ counter-terrorism priorities.
The fourth review of the Strategy took place in June 2014.
"We have a fundamental moral duty to oppose all forms of discrimination and exclusion, and to denounce such demagoguery, which in the past has led to unspeakable horrors.
"We have to build societies in which all legitimate human expressions have a place; societies that include, rather than exclude.
"The only responsible answer to provocation and incitement is shared resolve to uphold universal values," he said.
He said the UN General Assembly was the forum to forge and reinforce a global consensus in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
In the face of the rapidly evolving global nature of the threat, he added, the basic tenets of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy were more relevant than they were 10 years ago.
"Now, more than ever, we need strong and effective international cooperation at the bilateral, regional, interregional and global levels, and balanced implementation across all four pillars.
"The time has come to fully and comprehensively implement the Global Strategy.
"I hope that the focus will be on implementing the commitments we have made through collective action," he added.
He said that while Member States bore the primary responsibility for the implementation of the Global Strategy, the UN System was ready to provide strong, well-coordinated support.
This, he said, the UN would do through its Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which has the main responsibility for coordination and coherence in this critical area.
"If we want to make real and sustained impact on the ground, we will need to mobilise the necessary resources," he said.
However, he said that apart from a generous contribution from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, few new resources have been provided to the UN, while demand has risen exponentially.
No amount of coordination by the UN, he said, could make an impact without sufficient resources.
Ban remembered the thousands of victims of terrorism over the past 10 years.
"The pain, suffering and loss of so many men, women and children peacefully going about their lives is a tragedy for us all.
"We have an urgent moral duty to do all we can to prevent and end this carnage.
"Taking collective preventive action against terrorism, in the spirit of our United Nations Charter, is the only way to secure peace and prosperity for succeeding generations.
" I appeal to you to show the world your resolve by acting in unison and adopting a resolution by consensus," he said.
The review, he said, marked the 10th anniversary of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
He said that important shifts have occurred in the global terrorism landscape since the adoption of the Strategy by consensus in 2006.
The UN scribe said while there has been important progress in its implementation, the strategy has encountered unforeseen challenges.
"The spread of poisonous violent extremist ideologies through modern information technologies, our limited success in preventing new conflicts, the easy availability of arms, have taken control of vast swaths of territory, resources and populations.
"The result is a vortex of protracted conflicts, ungoverned spaces and terrorism.
"Terrorism transcends cultures and geographical boundaries. It cannot be associated with any one religion, nationality or ethnic group.
"It affects all countries," he told the 193 member states.
Violent extremists and terrorists, he added, were posing a direct assault on the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and undermining efforts to maintain peace and security, foster sustainable development, promote respect for human rights and deliver vital humanitarian aid.
He said the world was at an important juncture.
"We need to take tough decisions and make difficult choices, while staying true to the commitments we have made under the Strategy across all four of its pillars.
"Military and security measures have their rightful place.
"However, as leaders of governments and institutions, we must ensure that our responses are fully consistent with our commitments under the UN Charter and international human rights law.
"Protecting human rights and respecting the rule of law while countering terrorism is not only a matter of principle.
"It is also essential to the legitimacy and efficacy of counter-terrorist measures.
"When we fail to uphold the values that unite us, we end up feeding the grievances that can lead to terrorism," he added
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