( dpa )- Cooperation between countries in the fight against terrorism has increased dramatically since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, the UN's top counter-terrorism official told the Security Council Wednesday.
But Mike Smith, Executive Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, told the 15-member council that attacks such as that on the UN's mission in Algiers in December provided a "sober reminder" that terrorism remained a threat around the world.
The bomb attack against the UN office in the Algerian capital killed 17 UN staff members.
CTED was set up in 2004 to monitor countries' efforts to combat terrorism, and Smith said the mission's work had shifted from making countries understand the seriousness of the threat to making sure they had the necessary tools.
There has been an almost unprecedented level of international exchange of information ... across borders, with the purpose of disrupting planned terrorist attacks and enabling the arrest and prosecution of those engaged in terrorism," Smith said.
But Britain's representative to the council warned that many countries remained incapable of disrupting terrorist networks and unprepared to counter threats.
"We will know we have succeeded when we see an improvement in member states' preparedness to tackle terrorism," John Sawyer told the council.