Aussie Foreign Minister urges global strategy in terror fight

NEW YORK — Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has called for a coordinated international strategy to combat terrorism amid the threat of Islamist militant groups such as the Islamic State.

Chairing a special meeting of the United Nations Security Council on counterterrorism in New York on Wednesday, Ms Bishop was quoted saying by Australia’s ABC news website: “Every country has an obligation to prevent terrorism. Every country has an obligation not to export terrorist capabilities.”

She called for the appointment of a UN envoy to build a “coordinated and strategic message” and prevent the spread of extremism.

Australia holds a non-permanent seat on the security council that it won in 2012 and which expires at the end of this year. This month, it became chair of the rotating council’s presidency, a role that has pushed it to the forefront of the global fight against the Islamic State. Wednesday’s meeting had focused on the threat of jihadists in Iraq and Syria, following on from a special council summit in September where the council adopted a resolution seeking to halt the movements of foreign terrorist fighters. Agencies