Statement by Ms. Varduhi Melikyan, Counsellor of the Mission of Armenia at the UNGA81 Sixth Committee under agenda item “Measures to eliminate international terrorism”

05 October, 2026

Madam Chair,

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you and the other members of the Bureau on assuming the leadership of the Sixth Committee. I wish you every success in guiding our work during this session.

International terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, stability, and the enjoyment of human rights. Armenia reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, irrespective of its motivation. Preventing and combating terrorism requires effective international cooperation in full compliance with international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, as applicable.

At the same time, the terrorist threat continues to evolve. Rapid technological developments, social media and online platforms have created new opportunities for terrorist organizations and their supporters to disseminate propaganda, facilitate recruitment and radicalization, and promote violent extremist narratives.

These challenges, compounded by hate speech, xenophobia, intolerance and increasing polarization, require comprehensive and preventive approaches.

In this context, I would like to highlight several recent developments in Armenia’s international cooperation and national efforts.

Armenia continues its active engagement within the Council of Europe’s Committee on Counter-Terrorism /CDCT/. As a member of the CDCT, Armenia contributes to the development of recommendations, guidelines and other instruments aimed at strengthening the capacity of member States to prevent and combat terrorism. Within the framework of the Council of Europe Counter-Terrorism 2023–2027 Strategy, the CDCT has developed a new pan-European legal definition of “terrorist offence” that was incorporated into an Amending Protocol to the Warsaw Convention and is now open for signature by member states. The reform is intended to strengthen and modernize the European legal framework for preventing and combating terrorism by providing greater clarity and legal certainty regarding the conduct covered by the Convention. At the same time, the new framework underscores the importance of ensuring that counter-terrorism measures are implemented in accordance with the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms and applicable international law.
Armenia further attaches importance to its longstanding cooperation within the framework of MONEYVAL, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Experts on the Evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism. This cooperation forms an important part of Armenia’s efforts to strengthen measures against money laundering, terrorist financing, and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, in accordance with applicable international standards. The sixth-round Mutual Evaluation Report on Armenia was published in June 2026. It provides assessment on the effectiveness of the country’s framework for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing and recognizes the progress achieved in a number of areas.

Madam Chair,

The fight against terrorism requires sustained political commitment, effective international cooperation, and practical measures grounded in international law. Armenia remains committed to contributing to these collective efforts and to working constructively with all Member States towards a safer and more secure international community.

We equally believe that the counter-terrorism agenda should not be instrumentalized for political purposes or used to characterize issues that properly belong within the frameworks of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Armenia remains firmly committed to its peace agenda and believs that lasting peace and stability can be achieved through dialogue, mutual respect and the building of trust. In this spirit, we hope that outstanding humanitarian issues arising from past conflicts will be addressed without delay, including through the return of those who remain in detention, as an important contribution to confidence-building and lasting peace.

I thank you.

MFA RA
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