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8116th Security Council Meeting: Threats to International Peace and Security
With violent extremists having suffered defeats in Syria and Iraq, the international community must step up cooperation to address the complex problem of foreign terrorist fighters returning home or travelling to other regions, the senior‑most United Nations official on that issue told the Security Council today.
“This is a truly global challenge that demands an urgent and concerted multilateral response,” emphasized Vladimir Voronkov, Under‑Secretary‑General and Head of the Office of Counter‑Terrorism. Joining Mr. Voronkov in briefing members were Michele Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter‑Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan) in his capacity as Chair of the Security Council 1267/1989 Sanctions Committee on Al‑Qaida and Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and associated groups.
Mr. Voronkov said that, at one stage more than 40,000 foreign terrorist fighters from 110 countries might have travelled to join the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. The flow to that region had decreased significantly, but terrorists had tried to relocate to such countries as Libya, Yemen and Afghanistan, fuelling existing conflicts and further destabilizing the region. The affected countries needed international support to address the threat, he stressed.
Of at least 5,600 fighters from 33 States who had returned home, many were trained and equipped to carry out attacks in their own countries, he said. Others hoped to recruit new followers and yet others had rejected terrorist ideologies and posed no threat. There was a need to enhance cooperation, improve the exchange of information, and ensure effective border controls and stronger criminal justice systems, in accordance with the rule of law and human rights standards.
Ms. Coninsx outlined many of the challenges confronting States in building capacity to address the problems posed by travelling terrorist fighters. One example was that fewer than 60 States had so far introduced measures requiring airlines to provide advance passenger information.
Mr. Umarov said that, in addressing the movement of terrorists, his Committee was working to ensure that its sanctions list was updated and as accurate as possible. He encouraged Member States to be active in proposing individuals and entities, including foreign terrorist fighters, for listing under the sanctions regime.
Delegates then took the floor, expressing concern over the threat of foreign terrorist fighters and describing their national initiatives to implement relevant Council resolutions. They affirmed the need for more effective international cooperation on the issue, particularly in sharing information and working with INTERPOL and other relevant actors.
Some delegates discussed the scope of the problem in relation to their own citizens. For example, France’s representative reported that 688 French nationals were currently in Syria and Iraq, with 244 adults and 59 minors having returned from the region since 2013. France’s combination of legislative and policy responses ranged from breaking up recruitment networks to providing support for families, while reintegrating and monitoring returnees, he added.
As various delegates emphasized the need to balance criminal responses against reintegration efforts, Egypt’s representative stressed the importance of universally criminalizing the crossing of borders to join terrorist groups, and of all individuals engaged in that activity to face accountability.
The Russian Federation’s representative said his country carried out comprehensive prosecution of those who recruited or travelled for terrorism, adding that it was pointless to consider rehabilitation programmes outside the criminal justice system.
Some delegates stressed the need for advanced passenger information and updated identification methods so as to keep pace with the changing tactics used by terrorists. Japan’s representative said his country was prioritizing the use of such biometric tools as fingerprint readers capable of identifying altered prints. Several others urged the United Nations to help build further capacity in those areas, with the representative of the United States calling for greater Security Council focus on border and aviation security.
Also speaking today were representatives of Bolivia, Uruguay, United Kingdom, Senegal, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Sweden, China and Italy.
The meeting began at 3:05 p.m. and ended at 5:15 p.m.
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