The International Counter-terrorism Conference concluded its meetings here today under the chairmanship of Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Conference. As many as 50 countries and international, regional and Arab organizations had participated in the four-day conference.
The final communiqué/ Riyadh Declaration/ was read by the Conference's Secretary General Prince Khalid bin Saud bin Khalid Al Saud, the Director General of Financial and Administrative Affairs at the Foreign Ministry.
The countries and organizations expressed their great appreciation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for calling for and hosting the Conference which was held under the patronage of Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard.
The declaration stressed that any international efforts will not be able to confront the phenomenon of terrorism if there is a lack of collective work and comprehensive strategic perspective to deal with it.
Within this framework, the countries and organizations support and adopt the proposal of Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, mentioned in the inaugural address to set up an International Center for Combating Terrorism. The Conference formed a task team to crystallize this proposal.
The statement praised the spirit of understanding and cooperation that had prevailed in the conference and the agreement on visions and stands on the danger of the phenomenon of terrorism and on the inevitability of countering it through international, united, organized and lasting efforts that respect the international legitimacy principles, particularly human and refugee rights and human law, and that enhance the central and comprehensive role of the United Nations and adopt a comprehensive and multilateral approach.
The Conference affirmed that terrorism continually threatens peace, security and stability, adding that there is no justification for terrorist acts which are always condemned whatever might be their circumstances or alleged motives.
The declaration emphasized the importance of enhancing the values of understanding, tolerance, dialogue, multilateralism, acquaintance with peoples, approach among cultures, rejection of clashes of civilizations, and the combating of every ideology that calls for hatred, instigates violence and justifies terrorist crimes rejected by all religions and laws.
The Conference affirmed that terrorism has no certain religion, race, nationality or geographical area. In this context, it stressed that any attempt to link terrorism with any religion will only serve to help terrorists.
The countries and organizations emphasized their commitment to the international resolutions issued by the United Nations Organization relating to combating terrorism which call on the world community to condemn terrorism, combat it by all means, and confront it by all ways in accordance with the United Nations Charter since terrorist acts threaten international peace and security.
The declaration stressed that the United Nations is the basic platform for the enhancement of the international cooperation against terrorism, that the relevant United Nations Security Council's resolutions form a firm and comprehensive basis for combating terrorism internationally and that all countries should fully comply with these resolutions. It called on all countries to join, ratify and implement the 12 international treaties to combat terrorism.
The declaration called for the promotion of self-effort aiming at expanding the political participation, achieving sustainable development, meeting requirements of the social equilibrium, and activating the role of civil institutions to confront the circumstances conducive to the spreading of violence and the deviant thought.
It emphasized the role of mass media, civil institutions and educational systems in forging strategies to confront terrorist allegations and in promoting mass media to set guiding rules for information and press reports.
The Conference demanded that the United Nations develop criteria for assisting non-profitable, charitable and human bodies to play their roles in organizing relief and humanitarian works and for preventing the exploitation of these bodies in illegitimate activities.
The declaration called for cooperation at national, bilateral, and regional level among specializing bodies for combating terrorism, laundering money, trafficking in weapons and explosives, smuggling drugs, and exchanging expertise and experience including training to ensure the effectiveness of fighting terrorists and their links to the organized crime.
It stressed the need for strengthening the international measures aiming at preventing terrorists from possessing mass destruction weapons to support the role of the United Nations in this field including full implementation of the United Nations Security Council's resolution No. 1540.
It called for supporting and assisting countries, upon their request, in the field of combating terrorism particularly equipment, training and building of their capabilities.
The countries and organizations called for the development of national legislation and measures to prevent terrorists from exploiting the laws of asylum and immigration to get a safe haven or use the territories of these countries as bases for recruiting, training, planning, instigating or using them launching pads to implement terrorist acts against other countries.
The declaration emphasized the importance of spreading the virtuous and human values and the spirit of tolerance and coexistence, urging the media on refraining from publication of information materials calling for extremism and violence.
Then Prince Naif delivered a speech in which he expressed his happiness to meet again with the participants at the conclusion of this international and historical meeting in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, noting that the Conference came at a time of a critical confrontation with an ugly crime whose perpetrators have no respect for a religion, human being, or place.
Prince Naif noted that the conclusion of the meeting is not the end of the way, but the practical start to achieving the objectives of ensuring the protection of humanity from the dangers of the crime of terrorism, violence, killing and destruction.
