ABU DHABI - The Fourth Meeting of the Task Force on Combating Terrorism in MENA, Southwest Asia and the Pacific regions, began in Abu Dhabi today.

The three-day meeting, hosted by the UAE, was organised by the "Permanent Specialist Committee for Internal Security," in cooperation with the INTERPOL, was attended by representatives of participating countries.

Lt. General Saif Abdullah Al Shafar, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, delivered the meeting’s opening speech, saying that the participation of many countries in the meeting reflects its importance to countering terrorism, stressing that the UAE prioritises its efforts to combat all forms of terrorism, to maintain security and safety for its UAE citizens and residents. The National Counter-Terrorism Committee was, therefore, established based on Federal Law No. 01 for 2004 on combatting terrorist crimes, he added.

Al Shafar further said that the UAE has ratified many international and regional treaties and agreements related to combatting terrorism, including relevant United Nations, UN, conventions, the Arab Convention for the Suppression of Terrorism, the "Convention of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Combating International Terrorism," and other related treaties and agreements.

He also pointed out that the UAE supports all initiatives that aim to develop a comprehensive international convention to combat terrorism.

"Facing all forms of terrorism requires exceptional regional and international efforts to eliminate its sources of financing and repel all attempts to spread it, indicating that terrorist threats have increased remarkably over the last decade. Terrorist operations have become very sophisticated, and terrorists have taken advantage of the technology, ‘Al Haditha,’ which has caused considerable damage almost equal to losses caused by wars, whether in terms of lives, property or infrastructure. Therefore, regional and international efforts must be combined to contain and confront terrorist operations, to guarantee their elimination, save the lives of innocent people, and maintain the world’s safety and security," Al Shafar said.

At the end of his speech, Al Shafar thanked the organisers and participants of the meeting and wished them success.

© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2019.