Ms Anne O'Mahony:

When there is poor governance and a collapse of the system, a space is created in which terrorists can operate. The only way to address the issue is to rebuild structures. It is necessary to have peace if one is to rebuild structures and reduce the operating space for terrorists. We cannot just wring our hands and say the problem is too big to solve. We have to keep trying to get people around the table to open up the conversation. It is almost as if terrorism can be managed under a wider umbrella because all of the individuals in question have mothers, fathers and families. They are human beings, although some of them may not appear to be. It is a question of closing the space for them to operate. That is what international will and direction can achieve. The higher the level of the players around the table, the better. During the early days of the Syrian crisis there was almost paralysis in the UN security system, with Russia abstaining and no concerted effort being made among leaders. This created the opportunity for the current crisis to emerge in terms of its size and extent. People need to get back around the table to hold substantive talks.