Enhance ties to combat security threat, Duterte urges Asean, UN

President Rodrigo Duterte attends the plenary of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Nonthaburi, Thailand on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019 (Presidential Photographers Divsion)

NONTHABURI, Thailand— President Rodrigo Duterte has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and the United Nations (UN) to enhance its cooperation in combating security threats in the region.

During the 10th Asean-UN Summit on Sunday, the President said both bodies should promote counter-narratives to address extremists and terrorists.

“The President likewise called on ASEAN and the UN to enhance cooperation in sustainable security,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“Both, according to PRRD, must promote counter-narratives to address the message of hate and destruction propagated by violent extremists and terrorists. The President cited the experience of the Philippines in Marawi to show such methodology of international cooperation,” he added.

The President stressed that the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should assist developing countries in addressing security threats.

According to a Palace statement, the President “noted that under the UN, the global body should increase technical assistance to developing countries to help them improve their capacity to combat the security threat.”

“The ASEAN and the UN can also cooperate in addressing the root causes of radicalization and must work together to counter the narratives of hate and destruction propagated by terrorists and violent extremists,” it added.

/atm