A weeklong UN Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week has kicked off to discuss the strategic and practical challenges of countering terrorism in a global pandemic environment.

Speaking at the high-level opening session on Monday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Like the virus, terrorism does not respect national borders. It affects all nations and can only be defeated collectively.

"So, we must harness the power of multilateralism to find practical solutions."

The UN chief warned that "IS, Al Qaeda, their regional affiliates – as well as neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups – seek to exploit divisions, local conflicts, governance failures and grievances to advance their objectives", reports Xinhua news agency

The Secretary-General urged member states to keep the momentum in the fight against terrorism and be innovative in their responses, which must protect and promote human rights.

"We must commit to do more and better. As in every other area of our mission. Our work should be assessed by the difference we make in people's lives," he stressed.

The Virtual Counter-Terrorism Week encompasses a total of 10 webinars and interactive discussions, in which more than 1,000 representatives will address key counter-terrorism topics in light of the COVID-19 crisis across all four pillars of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy..