Mr. President,

China welcomes this open debate convened by Peru. I thank UNOCT Executive Director Mr. Yuri Fedotov and CTED Executive Director Ms Michèle Coninsx for their briefings. I have also listened attentively to the remarks of Dr Tamara Makarenko.

Recently, terrorism and organized crime have been mutually colluding and infiltrating, with terrorist organizations using organized crime for financing and organized crime groups going extreme or committing terrorist activities, all posing serious threats to international peace and security. The international community must strengthen result-based cooperation, exchange intelligence and information, share success stories and take concerted actions so as to effectively combat terrorism and organized crime and jointly maintain international peace and security. China wishes to stress the following points.

First, it is important to adhere to unified standards in counter-terrorism while respecting the primary responsibility of member states and the central coordinating role of the United Nations. Terrorism is the public enemy of mankind as a whole. Counter-terrorism must not be subject to double standards, much less selective approaches. Counter-terrorism, instead, must be carried out by upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respecting the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned. Countries must strictly implement the UN Global Counter-terrorism Strategy and the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly in this regard, abiding by and implementing international laws on combating organized crime. Tangible measures must be taken to counter mutual collusion and infiltration between terrorist organizations and organized crime in areas such as people, funding, equipment and incitement. A comprehensive approach must be adopted to root out the causes that breed and proliferate terrorism and organized crime.

Second, it is imperative to enhance global and regional cooperation to form a synergy and more effectively fight terrorism and organized crime. As international terrorism, transnational organized crime and other global security issues grow increasingly connected and diversified, any weakness of any single country could trigger a large influx of external risks, forming a sinkhole that collects risks and a safe haven for terrorists and perpetrators of organized crime. The international community must actively support regional and sub-regional organizations in playing their important roles and conducting effective regional cooperation. China supports closer coordination between UN agencies, on the one hand such as UNOCT, CTED and UNODC, and regional organizations, on the other, to bring forward their respective strengths and expertise. We applaud the series of counter-terrorism meetings jointly hosted by UNOCT and regional countries.

Third, it is important to build up capacities in the member states in a tailored way to address the most prominent challenges. In both counter-terrorism and combating organized crime, the international community must provide tangible assistance to member states, especially developing countries, in their capacity-building efforts in areas such as border control, customs, drug enforcement and judiciary matters. This requires us to proceed from the different security situation in different places and their distinctive culture and history, effectively combat terrorist financing acquired by cross-border trafficking of arms and drugs, illicit trade in natural resources and other means, and combat and stop internet-based terrorist and illegal activities by terrorist forces and organized crime groups, so as to sever the links between terrorism and organized crime. We must follow international law and relevant UN resolutions, take measures of deradicalization, enhance prevention and keeporganized crime groups from resorting to extremist and terrorist means.

Mr. President,

Like many countries in the world, China is also a victim of terrorism. Facing the ongoing threats of terrorism and extremism, China has taken decisive measures and carried out lawful efforts of counter-terrorism and de-radicalization, thus effectively containing the high incidence of terrorist activities in multiple locations and best guaranteeing the basic rights of people of all ethnicities such as the right to life and the right to development. China’s counter-terrorism and de-radicalization campaign is part and parcel of the global fight against terrorism. It is fully consistent with the purposes and principles that guide the UN in fighting terrorism and maintaining basic human rights.

China has been rigorously implementing all UN counter-terrorism resolutions and actively engaging in counter-terrorism cooperation at the global and regional levels. As a State Party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, China has been actively fulfilling its obligations under the Convention in a multi-pronged approach across the legislation, law enforcement and judiciary sectors. We will continue to conduct bilateral and multilateral exchanges and cooperation with all member states, developing countries in particular, on issues related to counter-terrorism and combating organized crime. We will do our utmost to provide material and capacity-building assistance to the countries concerned in a joint endeavor to maintain peace and stability in the region and the world at large.

Thank you, Mr. President.