UNITED NATIONS, June 29 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday stressed four priorities in global counter-terrorism efforts -- prevention, cooperation, technology and values.
"We meet at a moment of acute instability," with conflicts triggering energy shocks, inflation and hunger across the globe; temperatures rising; millions being displaced; and millions more facing economic hardship, Guterres said at the Fourth UN High-level Conference of Heads of Counter-Terrorism Agencies of Member States.
"These conditions -- of want, of fragility, of mistrust -- are ideal circumstances for terror to thrive," said the UN chief, stressing that "each of you gathered here today bears an exceptional duty: to help lead the global response to terrorism."
He warned that "terrorists of all stripes are adapting," as new technologies make it easier for them to finance and recruit, criminal networks speed the flow of cash and weapons, and armed conflicts contribute to the erosion of the rule of law, which leads to entrenched patterns of impunity across many affected regions.
On the four priorities, Guterres said the international community must address the conditions and grievances that allow terrorism to take root -- poverty, discrimination, disenfranchisement, and violations of people's rights. "These wrongs do not justify terrorism ... But they can create vulnerabilities that terrorist groups are quick to exploit."
"A more equal world is a safer world. That is the power of prevention," he said.
Because terrorism is a transnational threat, and no nation can address it alone, the international community can, by deepening collaboration between states, close critical gaps, enhance capacity-building, and leverage one another's expertise, said the secretary-general.
While terrorists have grown adept at exploiting emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and unmanned weapons, technology also offers powerful tools to detect threats early, stop the flow of illicit assets, and understand pathways to terrorist radicalization, Guterres pointed out.
He noted that heavy-handed or inappropriate counter-terrorism measures risk fanning the flames of division, and cause people to lose faith in the institutions supposed to protect them.
In the worst-case scenario, measures purported to counter terrorism can in fact feed the conditions conducive to radicalization to violence, the UN chief said. "That is why our response must be rooted in the very principles terror seeks to destroy: justice, human dignity, and solidarity."
"All our efforts must be firmly grounded in the rule of law and human rights," he said.
"Through prevention, cooperation, and unwavering commitment to human rights, we can build a safer world, where people everywhere live free from fear," said Guterres.
As part of the 2026 Counter-Terrorism Week at the United Nations, the high-level conference on counter-terrorism is taking place from Monday to Tuesday under the overarching theme "A Future Free from Terrorism: Consolidating the Global Commitment to Multi-Stakeholder Approaches to Counter Terrorism through Member States' Leadership and Action." Enditem
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