On behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, opened today in Jeddah, the 2nd meeting of the Advisory Board of United Nations Counter Terrorism Center in the presence of the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Prince Saud Al-Faisal delivered the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in which he said, 'I have the honor to deliver the speech of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the second meeting of the Advisory Board of United Nations Counter Terrorism Center. I thank U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for the efforts he has made in the establishment of the Center, also express our best thanks to him for coming to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to participate in the works of the second meeting of the Center's Advisory Board which held its works in Jeddah. I am sure that his wisdom, experiences and cooperation will contribute to the success of the meeting. One of the most important challenges facing us at the present time is the phenomenon of terrorism whose combating is no longer a local matter confined within the limits of a State, but it goes beyond that to become the goal of the international community as a whole. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has affirmed on several occasions and at international forums its condemnation and denunciation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and whoever might be its perpetrators, and has announced its full readiness to join the international efforts to combat it, and contribute effectively in the framework of international efforts collectively under the umbrella of the United Nations to define terrorism phenomenon, address its causes and eradicate its roots. This stance reflects the Kingdom's consistent and continuous policy against international terrorism and its perpetrators. The Kingdom has been making many local, regional and international efforts and measures to combat effectively this phenomenon and eliminate it for being one of the most important threats to international peace and security. This challenge can only be confronted through the international community by formulating comprehensive, integrated and supported strategies. The fight against terrorism is a common international responsibility requiring the highest degree of coordination and cooperation among the members of the international community. The adoption of the strategy of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism in 2006 by General Assembly resolution 60/288 is an evidence that terrorism combating requires strengthening of cooperation and coordination among States, which is embodied in the establishment of UN Counter Terrorism Center under the umbrella of the United Nations, the initiative adopted by the International Conference on Combating Terrorism held in Riyadh in 2005, which became a reality by signing an agreement on the establishment of United Nations Counter Terrorism Center (UNCTC) under the umbrella of the United Nations on September 19, 2011, New York City. Believing in the importance of cooperation and contribution to the support of international efforts to combat terrorism, the Kingdom has provided financial support for the establishment of the Center over the past three years with an amount of $10 million. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia recognizes that the establishment of U.N. Counter Terrorism Center is considered as the culmination of the objectives of the International Conference on Combating Terrorism, and requires collective efforts to combat the phenomenon of terrorism, taking into consideration the following elements: - - The Center is not a substitute for the bodies and international institutions involved in combating terrorism, which play significant roles in international efforts to combat terrorism, but it will be supportive in coordinating these efforts and achieving the required efficiency of the procedures and measures to prevent and combat terrorism. - The importance of the Centre's roles in the exchange of experiences, training programs, support for Member States, coordination in the field of formulating and exchange of appropriate legislations and procedures, cooperation in the field of enlightening media, educators and the public of the dangers of terrorism and the need to fight it, and the development of a database of best practices on combating terrorism. - The Center is supportive and essential to achieve and implement the United Nations strategy to combat terrorism and reflects its importance. It assists in the exchange of methods for combating the causes of terrorism, speeds up the dialogue and mutual understanding among its members, and supports the development of national and regional strategies to combat terrorism. The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also delivered a speech in which he thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting this meeting and for its generosity. He said he would like to particularly appreciate the commitment and generosity of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, whose support was important in making the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre a reality. He added that the center has attracted considerable interest and once again he thanked the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its initiative to establish this center and all of those who helped to develop it. The U.N. Secretary General said that the need is evident as terrorism continues to affect all regions around the world and claimed lives, so he noted that the world should respond to this threat and danger. He said that the United Nations strategy to address global terrorism, adopted by all member states, is the cornerstone of a global collective response. Ban Ki-moon stated that suppressing the financing of terrorism is also an important area and called for building a culture of dialogue and the dissemination of education while at the same time, he stressed the importance of commitment to human rights and the rule of law.
