The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday convened, under China's council presidency, a debate on "Peace and Security of Africa: Countering Terrorism and Extremism," and unanimously adopted a presidential statement, Trend reports citing Reuters.
The participants highly commended China for convening the meeting as president of the council for the month of March, and welcomed the adoption of the presidential statement.
They expressed the view that terrorism and extremism have become a serious threat to peace and security in Africa, and agreed to take a holistic approach to combat terrorism and extremism and help African countries strengthen capacity building, eradicate poverty and achieve socio-economic development.
African countries placed high importance on fighting terrorism and extremism and saw the meeting as a highly important and timely one fitting the needs of African countries.
The presidential statement put forth comprehensive, actionable and specific measures to help African countries combat terrorism and extremism, and emphasized that the international community will help African countries strengthen capacity building, step up information sharing, border control and judicial systems, combat foreign terrorist fighters and terrorist financing, and achieve socio-economic development through promoting employment, education and health programs to remove the breeding ground for terrorism in a bid to realize lasting peace and security in Africa.
Firmly committed to and supportive of Africa, China initiated the meeting to provide a platform of dialogue for UN member states to find ways to address the inadequate capacity of African countries in combating terrorism and extremism, and push for international efforts to help African countries fight terrorism and extremism through a holistic approach.
UN Undersecretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the council on behalf of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The permanent observer of the African Union to the United Nations, Fatima Kyari Mohammed, and UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdoulaye Mar Dieye also briefed the council.
More than a dozen UN member states and the European Union made statements at the meeting.