Source: United Nations (Video News)
Briefing by Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
“Mr. President,
Excellencies,
I am honoured to brief the Security Council on the 20th report of the Secretary-General on the
threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security and the United Nations efforts in
support of Member States in countering the threat.
I am pleased to be joined by Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, Ms. Natalia Gherman, to present this
report, which was prepared jointly by our Offices.
I would also like to thank Mr. Colin Smith, Coordinator of the Analytical Support and
Sanctions Monitoring Team, for their contribution in the preparation of this report.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
The terrorism landscape is evolving and demands collective, multilateral action, as terrorist
attacks threaten life, wellbeing and the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals.
Despite steady counter-terrorism efforts by Member States, international and regional
partners, Da’esh continues to demonstrate resilience and adapt its modus operandi.
The volatile situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is of great concern, especially as there is a
risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists. The Syrian
Badia region continued to serve as a centre for Da’esh external operational planning and a
critical region for their activities.
This instability also affects the camps, detention and other facilities in the north-east of the
country. An estimated 42,500 individuals, some with alleged links to Da’esh, remained held.
This includes 17,700 Iraqi and 16,200 Syrian nationals, as well as 8,600 nationals from other
countries.
Regrettably, the overall pace of repatriations declined significantly in the reporting period.
Only five Member States reportedly repatriated more than 760 individuals from Iraq and the
Syrian Arab Republic. The Government of Iraq repatriated approximately 400 Iraqi children
from the northeast of the Syrian Arab Republic to a rehabilitation centre. I would like to
commend Iraq’s leadership in facilitating the return of its citizens from northeastern Syria.
I reiterate the Secretary-General’s call for Member States to facilitate the safe, voluntary and
dignified repatriation of their nationals still stranded in those camps and facilities.
ISIL-K continued to pose a significant threat in Afghanistan, the region and beyond. In
addition to attacks in Afghanistan, ISIL-K supporters plotted attacks in Europe and were
actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States. There were also reports of
small numbers of foreign terrorist fighters continuing to travel to Afghanistan.
I would like to recall the Secretary-General’s appeal to all Member States to unite to prevent
Afghanistan from again becoming a hotbed of terrorist activities.
In sub-Saharan Africa, Da’esh and its affiliates continued to increase their operations and
expand territorial control.
The situation is deeply concerning in West Africa and the Sahel, where Da’esh affiliates and
other terrorist groups intensified attacks, including against schools in Burkina Faso, Mali and
Niger. Both ISGS and ISWAP continue to operate and recruit fighters across borders.
In East Africa, Da’esh in Somalia successfully recruited foreign terrorist fighters and the AlKarrar Office remains a key financial and coordination hub for Da’esh in the region.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Allied Democratic Forces remained resilient
despite the military operations conducted by Congolese and Ugandan forces and perpetrated
horrific attacks resulting in over 300 civilian fatalities.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
The resilience of terrorist groups underscores the need for sustained international
collaboration. Member States must prioritize comprehensive, long-term responses that
address the conditions conducive to terrorism while strengthening the rule of law and
upholding international human rights and humanitarian law.
The United Nations continues to adapt and tailor its capacity-building support to the
evolution of the threat posed by Daesh and its affiliates. I would like to highlight four priority
areas of focus:
First, as sub-Saharan Africa has become the epicentre of global terrorism, we have prioritized
capacity-building support to the continent. Last year, my Office increased its delivery of
technical assistance by 16 per cent, relying notably on the work of our Office in Rabat. For
instance, our Fusion Cells programme delivered specialized training to 124 analysts from 21
African Member States (…)” [Excerpt].