As it opened its eighty-first session today, speakers in the Sixth Committee (Legal) underlined the importance of international law to the fight against terrorism while also considering how best to utilize time and resources to deliver on their task of progressively developing and codifying that law.
“The Sixth Committee is once again meeting during a challenging time for multilateralism,” noted Committee Chair Trishala Simantini Persaud (Guyana). Myriad conflicts are threatening the integrity of the UN “and one of its main tenets — international law”, she said. Underlining the importance of both the Committee’s work and delivering on its mandate, she observed: “We must not ignore the responsibility of this Committee in responding to existing and emerging global issues.”
One such issue is the need to address the evolving threat posed by terrorism, said the representative of Cameroon, speaking for the African Group, as the Committee took up “measures to eliminate international terrorism”. As new and emerging technology can facilitate terrorist propaganda, recruitment, financing, operational planning and evasion, he called for “stronger international cooperation, information-sharing and tailored capacity-building” — particularly for affected African States.
He also joined other speakers today in supporting the conclusion of a comprehensive convention on combating international terrorism. The representative of Cambodia, speaking for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), spotlighted the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism as an example of regional success in this area. He said that all ASEAN member States are party to the Convention, which “reflects our unwavering commitment to collective security and cooperation”.
In addition to cooperation and codification, delegates underlined other imperatives in the fight against terrorism. Effective responses also require “addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism” said Uruguay’s representative, speaking for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). These, she said, include prolonged unresolved conflicts, discrimination, exclusion, human rights violations and the weakening of the rule of law.
The representative of Australia, also speaking for Canada and New Zealand, said that counter-terrorism measures are most effective “when informed by the communities they protect”, stressing the need to preserve civic space, enable inclusive participation and counter intolerance, hatred and discrimination. She also joined many others today in condemning terrorism and violent extremism in “absolute” terms — including the “devastating antisemitic terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, Sydney, on 14 December 2025”.
Iran’s representative, speaking for the Non-Aligned Movement, underlined the need to combat terrorists’ misrepresentation of religions to “instil hatred in the hearts and minds of the youth while justifying and glorifying brutality and violence”. The representative of Saudi Arabia, speaking for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), pointed to the need to distinguish between terrorism and the exercise of the legitimate right to resist foreign occupation, condemning “the system of oppression and terror by the illegal Israeli colonial occupation”.
Since 2023, the UN has documented 6,100 settler attacks against Palestinians — about 5 per day on average — that were “sanctioned, advanced, facilitated, funded, protected and supported by the State”, said the observer for the State of Palestine. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel has killed over 1,300 people since a ceasefire was announced a year ago. Underscoring that “this is the gravest form of terrorism”, she called on the international community to hold Israel accountable. “The law is what distinguishes us from the terrorists,” she stressed.
Israel’s representative also invoked the memory of 2023, stating that on 7 October of that year the world “received a stunning example of the gap between the theory reflected in UN documents and the reality of the terrorist threat”. He said that some speakers today “claim to condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while immediately undermining their words by raising exceptions or excuses for terrorism”. Stressing that “terrorism is terrorism is terrorism”, he said that the threat “cannot be condemned in principle and justified in practice”.
For her part, the representative of Norway, also speaking for Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden, said that counter-terrorism and respect for international law “reinforce one another”. All measures to prevent and combat terrorism must comply with States’ international law obligations, and upholding human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law is both a legal duty and a prerequisite for effective counter-terrorism. She stressed: “Measures that disregard these standards lose legitimacy, weaken effectiveness and can fuel further radicalization.”
Delegates also Discuss Revitalizing General Assembly
During the Committee’s other debate today — concerning “revitalization of the work of the General Assembly” — the representative of Côte d’Ivoire noted that the rise of terrorism and violent extremism have “hit Africa especially hard”. Revitalization, then, “should not be limited to optimization of procedures”, she urged. “In a word, it ought to be focused on human beings,” she said.
She also underlined the need for “greater inclusiveness” so that efforts to boost efficiency do not penalize smaller delegations, suggesting the timely publication of documents, “rigorous” adherence to multilingualism and sufficient time for informal consultations. “Measures to improve time management and the organization of work should strike an appropriate balance between efficiency and effective participation,” concurred Cuba’s representative.
“For us, revitalization is about allowing this Committee to focus its time and resources on its core legal work,” said the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer. Recalling that Assembly resolution 79/327 encourages Member States to reduce the frequency, length and number of resolutions submitted to that body, he suggested that the Committee could reintroduce substantially similar texts “only when operational adjustments are being made”.
“We believe one of the top priorities for this Sixth Committee session is taking action to agree on meaningful, concrete recommendations to improve our effectiveness and efficiency,” said the representative of the United States. She noted that other Committees have decided to reduce their quantity of meetings and set stricter time limits for statements. She concluded: “Creating space to focus on areas where this Committee’s engagement is most timely and impactful is the essence of the revitalization initiative.”
Nevertheless, Romania’s representative voiced a sentiment expressed by others today: “What we seek through revitalization is better outcomes, not only fewer meetings.”