UN seeks input on terror plan

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has asked Australia and other United Nations members to contribute to a new plan in 2016 to tackle extremism.

Mr Ban told a forum on countering ISIL and violent extremism at the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday he would present a comprehensive plan to next year's assembly.

He asked all UN members to share their experiences and the plan would provide specific recommendations for individual and collective action to address the drivers of violent extremism.

Mr Ban said the most recent data showed the number of foreign fighters had risen from 20,000 to 30,000 from at least 100 countries.

"It requires a unified response," he said.

Opening the forum, which will later be addressed by Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, US President Barack Obama said it would be a long battle.

"There are going to be successes and there are going to be setbacks," he said.

"This is a long-term campaign."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told the forum his people were making great sacrifices to defeat ISIL.

"Our people are sacrificing their lives for this purpose," he said.

"We must not lose purpose and lose time."

He said members of the international coalition, which includes Australia, fighting ISIL in his country had "stopped the march" of the terrorist group.

"Together we will gain victory which is not only the victory of the Iraqis but a victory for every country that has contributed to fighting terrorism."

British Prime Minister David Cameron told the forum tackling extremism required winning a "battle of hearts and minds" amongst young Muslims.

"The boy who straps a bomb to his chest and blows up an Iraqi town, the guy that stands in the desert with a knife having just beheaded a British hostage or whoever - they don't get there from a standing start.

"They have extremist views and an extremist mindset before they make the final decision to be an extremist terrorist."

He said this would require "rooting out extremist preachers" and building more integrated societies.

"We have to take away the building blocks of extremism," he said.

"That is as important as the military, political and diplomatic steps we need to take."