G8 leaders pledge to counter terrorism

Leaders from the Group of Eight (G8) countries condemned terrorism on Saturday in their Statement on Countering Terrorism announced at the end of their annual summit in Huntsville.

"We, the Leaders of the G8, reiterate our absolute condemnation of terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations, and our commitment to work together to eradicate this threat," the statement said.

"Terrorism threatens people everywhere and undermines peace, stability and security. All acts of terrorism are criminal, inhumane, and unjustifiable irrespective of motivation," the statement said. "We condemn suicide bombings, and we abhor in particular the practice of recruiting the young or disadvantaged to carry out such acts."

The leaders pledged to help countries address their basic development needs and meet the legitimate aspirations of their people.

"It is critical to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, and, in particular, that governments promote the rule of law, the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, democratic values, good governance, tolerance and inclusiveness to offer a viable alternative to those who could be susceptible to terrorist recruitment and to radicalization leading to violence," the statement said.

The leaders reiterated the central role of the UN in the fight against terrorism and stressed the importance of full implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

"We strongly urge all states to join and implement the international conventions and protocols against terrorism," the statement said.

The leaders vowed to enhance international cooperation, by strengthening old partnerships and building new ones with governments, multilateral organizations and the private sector.

"We pledge to strengthen the cooperation between relevant UN bodies and the G8 and, together with committed partners, we will work to broaden, deepen and make more robust the global multilateral counter-terrorism umbrella," said the statement.