Madrid proposes creation of international court to combat militants

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo proposed the creation of an international court to combat terrorism as the Spanish capital of Madrid hosted a meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) on Tuesday.

Garcia-Margallo said the proposal would be "perfectly defined and drawn up" in October, when Spain assumes the Presidency of the UN Security Council.

Tuesday's meeting, which was hosted by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, along with Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, and Garcia-Margallo in Madrid's Palacio del Pardo, is the first time the CTC, which is an organ of the UN Security Council, has met outside of New York since 2011.

Over 400 experts from 70 counties were represented at the reunion, which had as its focal point the issue of how to prevent people travelling to countries such as Syria and Iraq to join jihadist groups such as the Islamic State.

It is estimated that between 25,000-30,000 people from around the world, 125 from Spain, have travelled from their homelands to join jihadist groups.

Those present in Madrid focused on three main issues: the detection and prevention of recruitment networks for foreign jihadist fighters, how to prevent these fighters reaching their destinations and the judgement, punishment and rehabilitation of those who have returned from combat zones.

Rajoy said terrorism was "one of the great threats to peace and world security," highlighting the need for all countries to work together in order to combat a threat which "knows no frontiers".

Rajoy expressed Spain's willingness to combat terrorism, stating his country was "in the front line" in the struggle.