The murder of Briton David Haines is an abhorrent act of barbarity which utterly flies in the face of human civilisation. Broadcasting and disseminating the recording of his killing online is unacceptable and violates yet another taboo.

Areas under ISIS control are being subjected to murder, rape and pillaging. The international community must act in a determined manner to combat this threat to Iraq, the entire region and us, too.

France’s initiative to hold a meeting in Paris comes at the right time. We now need to swiftly formulate a political strategy which enjoys broad support and is firmly anchored in the region in order to counter the threat posed by ISIS.

Prime Minister Al-Abadi’s new Government in Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government deserve the support of the international community and above all the countries in the region in the fight against ISIS.

Our goal in Paris is to agree on the basis of a common strategy. To this end I have invited the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries to a meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

Moreover, an internationally coordinated approach is also needed in order to stem the flow of fighters and money. By officially banning ISIS we have taken an important step forward in effectively curbing ISIS propaganda and recruitment in Germany.