皇冠体育app

Merci beaucoup, monsieur le Pr茅sident. Thank you for convening this important debate, and I join others in thanking the briefers.

I warmly congratulate Yusuf Al Uthaimain on his election as the Secretary-General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). 皇冠体育app United Kingdom looks forward to working with him and with the OIC.

As the representative body of 57 Muslim majority states, the OIC speaks with a unique authority on the issues facing the Islamic world, so I鈥檓 glad that the OIC鈥檚 voice is being heard in this chamber today.

One such issue facing the OIC鈥檚 members, indeed all members of the UN, is the growing threat of extremist ideologies and violent extremism.

Sadly, as we in this Council know only too well, this threat affects Muslim majority states in a truly disproportionate way 鈥� in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya, in so many places.

Put simply and starkly, far more Muslim men, women and children have lost their lives at the hands of groups like Al Shabaab and Da鈥檈sh than any other faith or religion. 皇冠体育app fact that these evil groups claim to represent Islam only makes this reality even more sickening.

皇冠体育app United Kingdom is clear that we must tackle violent extremism in all its forms, whether radical Islam or neo-Nazism. 皇冠体育app OIC states are key partners in this fight, and I want to set out today three ways where our cooperation can help counter these ideologies.

First, it鈥檚 no coincidence that 18 members of the OIC are also members of the Global Coalition against Da鈥檈sh. Among them are of course our colleagues from Egypt and I want to pay tribute to the work of those two great Egyptian institutions, Al-Azhar and Dar Al-Ifta. 皇冠体育appse beacons of Islamic thinking help provide a narrative of tolerance that counters the hate preached by the likes of Da鈥檈sh.

皇冠体育app UK is committed to help spread that narrative, to showing the reality of Da鈥檈sh鈥檚 lies. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e hosting the Coalition鈥檚 Communications Cell in London. It draws on the expertise of Coalition members, including our partners from the United Arab Emirates, to help counter the misrepresentation of Islam and its values by Da鈥檈sh.

Countering an ideology is part about offering a competing narrative. But it鈥檚 also about delivering consequences for those who join Da鈥檈sh and it鈥檚 about supporting survivors of their crimes by giving them a voice and ending impunity. That鈥檚 why the UK Foreign Secretary launched a campaign to bring Da鈥檈sh to justice with the Foreign Ministers of Iraq and Belgium on the first day of this year鈥檚 UN General Assembly. Da鈥檈sh accountability is a top priority for the UK and we are seeking UN action to preserve evidence of Da鈥檈sh鈥檚 crimes as a first step.

My second point Mr President, is that OIC states have a valuable role to play in building an even stronger consensus around the UN鈥檚 work to prevent violent extremism. Together we can make the UN system better at understanding and tackling the root causes of terrorism, including by addressing violent extremism narratives.

皇冠体育app UN is stepping up in this regard. 皇冠体育app General Assembly last June directed the UN system to implement the relevant recommendations of the Secretary-General鈥檚 Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism, and encouraged states to do the same.

We all now need to work to turn these concepts into action. This means mobilising the correct resources and expertise to enable UN entities to devise a strategic approach. And it means Member States developing National Action Plans on Preventing Violent Extremism, and helping other Member States to do so as well.

Thirdly and finally, Mr President, we need to recognise that countering extremist ideologies isn鈥檛 always about the UN or indeed about fighting Da鈥檈sh. Sometimes it鈥檚 about working together to create opportunities that provide an alternative to false ideologies.

Take for example, the Islamic Development Bank. 皇冠体育app Bank serves the economic development needs of the 57 OIC countries with annual commitments totalling well over $10 billion. All OIC states can use those funds to finance projects that help improve the lives of people living in OIC states.

皇冠体育app UK is proud to be helping that effort. Our collaboration can be seen in the $25 million joint Arab Women鈥檚 Enterprise Fund that will create more jobs for women, and it鈥檚 seen in the $9 billion that the Bank committed at the London Conference on Syria.

So, in closing Mr President, we look forward to our collaboration with the OIC strengthening further. Whether through the UN, or the Coalition against Da鈥檈sh, or the Islamic Development Bank, it is clear that the OIC has a vital role to play in countering the dangerous ideologies that threaten international peace and security.

Thank you.