Sisi calls for facing states funding terror, urges UN to update mechanisms

CAIRO – 15 December 2019: The Egyptian President on Sunday affirmed the need for a decisive and firm stance toward the countries funding terrorism, and called for developing the mechanisms of the United Nations to face current global challenges.

During a session dubbed “International Peace and Security: Current Challenges,” which is part of the third edition of the World Youth Forum in South Sinai’s Sharm El Sheikh, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said that the phenomenon of terrorism harms the whole world and therefore, it is necessary to confront these countries that back terrorism and use it to achieve its interests and goals.

Sisi called terrorism a “diabolical industry” that aims to harm humans and obstruct their development, affirming that the organized crime is part of terrorism.

One of the most dangerous forms of terrorism is using beliefs and ideology to achieve political interests and purposes, Sisi said, affirming the need to collaborate with the countries facing terrorism and to support it against such growing phenomenon.

In this regard, Sisi called for helping the Sahel and Sahara countries in Africa confront terrorism, as their security and economic capabilities will not alone manage to eliminate the phenomenon.

Addressing the United Nations, Sisi said that the organization was established over 70 years ago in light of international circumstances and following the World Wars. He added that the humanitarian developments worldwide require developing the mechanism of the UN.

The rules which the UN deals accordingly are not modern anymore, Sisi said.

Concerning the security situation in Egypt, Sisi said that terrorism started in fifties of the last century, adding that Egypt would lose around $15 billion in case it was hit by one or two terrorist attacks that target terrorism.

Politicians and intelligence services in Egypt know that terrorist attacks in Egypt are motivated by interests, Sisi said, reiterating the need to face terrorism through comprehensive attitude that includes cultural and ideological aspects and by reforming religious attitude.



A number of senior officials attended the “International Peace and Security: Current Challenges” session, including Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Secretary General of the Arab League Ahmed Abul Gheit, Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen and Paul Bekkers, director of the Office of the Secretary General at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The forum kicked off on Saturday in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el Sheikh, with the participation of around 7,000 attendees from around the world, according to state’s news agency MENA.