Chairs Statement

International Meeting on Counter-Terrorism

Bali, 10 August 2016

As the Chair, I have the honour to present the salient points of the ministerial
deliberation and some follow-up actions of the International Meeting on Counter-
Terrorism in Bali, 10 August 2016.

I. Introduction

1. Ministers recognized that terrorism has been increasingly a transnational

phenomenon as it respects no national boundaries. In that regard, Ministers
emphasized the need to improve law enforcement and border management
cooperation in combating cross-border movement of terrorism in accordance to
UN Charter and international law.

2. Ministers underlined the importance of effective control of states over their

borders to prevent cross-border movement of terrorists and their goods, funds
and material. In that respect, Ministers also called for a more effective
management of airports, seaports, and other border crossing points.

3. Ministers recognized that as ISIS/L and Foreign Terrorist Fighters (FTF) have
emerged as a new global phenomenon of terrorism, the global war on terror
enters a new chapter. Therefore, Ministers reaffirmed their commitments to
strengthen international cooperation in the fights against terrorism in all forms
and manifestations.

4. Ministers strongly condemned the heinous acts of terror that occurred recently
in France, Turkey, Belgium, Indonesia, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, and any
other parts of the world, and extended their deepest condolences to all families
of the victims.

5. Ministers underscored that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with
any religion, nationality, race, civilizations, or ethnic group. However, as in most
cases, terrorist groups use those associations as justification, Ministers
acknowledged the need to strengthen dialogue and promote moderation,
tolerance, and mutual understanding by involving civil society, including
communities and religious organizations, without making distinction on the
categorization of terrorist.

II. Controlling Cross-Border Movement of Terrorism

6. Ministers recognized that terrorism constitutes a grave threat to global peace

and security. Terrorism has been undergoing complex and profound changes in
recent years, where patterns of terrorist attacks have become internationalized,
and cross-border movement of terrorists, including their weapons and deadly
materials for explosive devices, has become increasingly frequent. As terrorism
has multiple dimensions, manifestations and causes, and respects no national
 boundaries, it is a complex phenomenon that requires a comprehensive
approach and unprecedented international cooperation covering the aspects of
human, information, financing and security of dangerous materials.

7. Ministers underlined that in stopping the mobilization of people to conduct

terrorist attacks in certain places or even to go to conflict zones to join with
terrorist groups, states should strengthen its national measures, including in law
enforcement, border control, and in obtaining intelligence information, as well
as create good collaboration among home, transit, and destination countries to
prevent the travel and provide necessary evidence to prosecute them before
the law upon their return.

8. Ministers encouraged the implementation of all necessary measures to

eliminate the supply of weapons, including small arms and light weapons, as
well as illegal movement of deadly materials which could be used for explosive
devices, to terrorists.

9. Ministers expressed concern on the easy access of information which indeed

plays an important role, both in spreading terrorist propaganda by using the
internet, which successfully recruits terrorist group members, as well as in
developing home grown terrorist, including lone-wolves, as they could obtain
information easily on how to create bombs or any explosive devices. Therefore,
Ministers are encouraged to strengthen concerted efforts to develop effective
counter-narratives, involving private sectors and civil society, while respecting
the rule of law and human rights.

10. Ministers expressed concern on the terrorist financing, which could be obtained
by kidnapping for ransom or any other transnational organized crime.
Furthermore, Ministers further expressed concern on the advance of
information technology that could make the transfer of funds become easier for
terrorist groups to support their cells in conducting terrorist attacks in other
countries. In this regard, Ministers underscored that strengthening cooperation
among related stakeholders is necessary, particularly cooperation among
Financial Intelligence Unit, to cope with the methods used by terrorist groups
which tend to keep changing.

III. Countering Foreign Terrorist Fighters

11. Ministers acknowledged the significant increase of the flow of FTFs to Syria
and Iraq, in which some of them have returned to their home countries, poses
new risk to all countries. In this regard, Ministers are encouraged to work
harder and smarter in conducting a more effective and comprehensive
approach which combines hard and soft approach.

12. Ministers underlined the importance of strengthening law enforcement

cooperation among countries in extraditing and collecting evidence to
prosecute terrorists. Furthermore, Ministers are encouraged to improve
 respective national laws and capacities through capacity building by sharing
information, experiences, and good practices among countries in establishing
necessary legal framework on counter-terrorism.

13. Ministers underscored that de-radicalization and counter-radicalization play an

important role in countering terrorist propaganda, particularly by empowering
religious leaders and scholars, ex-terrorist inmates, victims of terrorism, and
civil society, as well as utilizing social media in promoting peace and amplifying
the voice of the moderates.

IV. Way Forwards

14. Ministers reaffirmed their commitments to strengthen international cooperation,

particularly in controlling cross-border movement of terrorists, through law
enforcement and intelligence information as well as database sharing, effective
border control, preventing terrorist network from utilizing cyber technology and
access to terrorist financing, including global information sharing through
INTERPOL.

15. Ministers agreed that the United Nations should take a lead and play a more
significant role in countering terrorism, as well as addressing its root causes.
Ministers highlighted that the recent UN Secretary General Plan of Action to
Prevent Violent Extremism could complement the United Nations Global
Counter-Terrorism Strategy in strengthening efforts which have been done in
terms of countering terrorism, both at national, regional, and global level.

16. Inspired by the achievement of ASEAN to have its own convention on

countering terrorism in 2007, Ministers reaffirmed their commitments to
continue the finalization of the Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism as it will serve as alegal basis in countering international terrorism.

17. Ministers welcomed the proposal of Malaysia to strengthen cooperation among

Centers of Deradicalization in the region.

V. Participants

18. The International Meeting on Counter-Terrorism was attended by

representatives of Australia, Belgium, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, China,
France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan,
Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United
States, Vietnam, United Nations Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate
(UNCTED), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and International
Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).

19. Ministers expressed its appreciation to the Government of the Republic of

Indonesia for its generosity and hospitality in hosting the International Meeting
on Counter-Terrorism.