'Manipulative messages' on social media luring people: UN chief Ban Ki-moon

UNITED NATIONS: "Manipulative messages" of extremists on social media have achieved considerable success in luring people, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has said and called on the international community to counter violent extremism with preventive measures.

UN Secretary-General Ban presented his 'Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism' to the UN General Assembly as the 193-member body adopted a resolution on the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy, with the aim of security peace and prosperity for succeeding generations.

Ban stressed that he has consistently called for the balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy.

"While we need to continue our concerted efforts to counter violent extremism, we have to broaden our responses, engage earlier and address the drivers of violent extremism. We need to complement the countering of violent extremism with preventive measures.

"Making prevention an integral part of our comprehensive approach will help us tackle many of the underlying conditions that drive individuals to join violent extremist groups," he said, adding that violent extremism undermines peace and security, human rights and sustainable development and no country or region is immune from its impacts.

"Violent extremism is a diverse phenomenon, without clear definition. It is neither new nor exclusive to any region, nationality or system of belief. Nevertheless, in recent years, terrorist groups such as Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), al-Qaida and Boko Haram have shaped our image of violent extremism and the debate on how to address this threat," he said in the plan.

The UN chief stressed that these terror groups' message of intolerance - religious, cultural, social - has had drastic consequences for many regions of the world.

"Holding territory and using social media for the global and real-time communication of their ideas and exploits, they seek to challenge our shared values of peace, justice and human dignity," the UN Chief said.

Spread of violent extremism has further aggravated an already unprecedented humanitarian crisis which surpasses the boundaries of any one region. Millions of people have fled the territory controlled by terrorist and violent extremist groups, he said.

The "manipulative messages" of violent extremists on social media have achieved considerable success in luring people especially young women and men into their ranks, Ban said.