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8605th Security Council Meeting: Threats to International Peace and Security
Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) may have lost its territorial foothold in Syria, but it remains a global threat through a network of affiliates stretching from West Africa to South-East Asia and residual wealth estimated at up to $300 million, senior counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council today.
Presenting the Secretary-General’s ninth report on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security, the Under-Secretary-General for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, said the current lull in ISIL-directed attacks may only be temporary. “We need to remain vigilant to mitigate the risk posed by the evolution of ISIL and its affiliates, deny it new recruits and prevent its resurgence,” he emphasized, calling upon Member States to take a comprehensive and long-term view underpinned by urgent political leadership and a principled approach based on international law.
ISIL continues to evolve into a covert network, with a growing number of attacks in Government-controlled parts of Syria reflecting a pattern seen in Iraq since 2017, he continued. In Africa, ISIL’s West Africa province is among its strongest affiliates, while in Europe, radicalization in prisons and the risk posed by returnees upon their release from detention are a major concern. In Asia, the threat posed by ISIL persists despite military pressure, he said, noting that the group has between 2,500 and 4,000 fighters, as well as women playing a role in the planning and executing attacks.
He went on to express acute concern about the estimated 24,000 to 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters — as well as their relatives and associates — believed to have survived out of the estimated 40,000 who joined the “caliphate”. While acknowledging that Member States face a significant challenge in repatriating ISIL fighters and relatives, he emphasized that they bear primary responsibility for their own nationals, while urging them to avoid measures leading to statelessness.
Also briefing Council members, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) discussed the repatriation of foreign terrorist fighters and their families, noting the significant remaining knowledge gaps relating to the number and profiles of women who travelled to and returned from ISIL-held territory.
She said the Directorate has identified the need for States to develop or expand existing national strategies and action plans to consider the risk and threat to so-called “soft” targets. Victims of terrorism are another critical issue, she said, underlining the need to listen to their voices and to bring perpetrators to justice. “Despite their military defeat, ISIL and its affiliates remain a significant threat,” she stressed. “We, therefore, must remain vigilant, innovative, adaptive and proactive in our response.”
In the ensuing debate, Council members acknowledged that ISIL remains a threat to peace and security around the world and underscored the urgent need for continued international cooperation – including through the United Nations – to counter the group, including by stemming its financial flows. They also acknowledged the challenges of repatriating, prosecuting and reintegrating foreign terrorist fighters and their families.
The Russian Federation’s representative, recalling Syria’s efforts to stamp out ISIL with help from his own country and other partners, said every effort must be made to stop the group from evolving into a more sophisticated terrorist organization. About 3,000 ISIL members still operate in Syria alongside other terrorist groups, he said, adding that some conceal themselves among displaced persons.
His counterpart from the United States noted the contribution made by the Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), emphasizing that its work is far from complete and that its 81 members remain committed to carrying on the fight. He also urged Member States not to overlook the ongoing threat of Al-Qaida and to ensure the group does not consolidate power and threaten the United States or its allies and partners.
Equatorial Guinea’s representative pointed to the growing number of foreign terrorist fighters in Africa and its affiliates, such as Islamic State in the Sahara, which is flourishing alongside Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. “The African continent is bleeding,” she said, noting that Da’esh-supported groups are placing an enormous burden on everyday life and forcing people to flee their homes.
Indonesia’s representative, noting that authorities in his country foiled a plot by an ISIL-related group in May, described as crucial international responses in such areas as cutting off terrorist financing, securing judicial cooperation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration, as well as engaging communities. Alongside “hard” measures, Member States should also invest in “soft” approaches to counter terrorist narratives and steer people away from extremism, he added.
France’s representative said foreign terrorist fighters should be prosecuted in the country where the relevant crimes were committed. Priority must also be accorded to preventing use of the Internet for terrorist activities, she emphasized, noting that the Christchurch attack demonstrated that much remains to be done in that regard. France and New Zealand launched the Christchurch Call to Action, appealing for voluntary, collective partnerships between Governments and service providers, she added.
Also speaking were representatives of Germany, China, Dominican Republic, United Kingdom, South Africa, Peru, Kuwait, Belgium, Côte d’Ivoire and Poland.
The meeting began at 3:07 p.m. and ended at 4:57 p.m.
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