Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts - 8716th Security Council Meeting

Draining coffers, aiding victims of Islamic State in Iraq and Levant crucial to stop group’s resurgence, senior counter-terrorism officials tell Security Council.

• Categories: Meetings & Events / Security Council
• Video Length: 02:18:25
• Production Date: 7 February 2020
• Asset Language: Arabic; Chinese; English; French; Russian; Spanish
• Personal Subject: MICHÈLE CONINSX; VLADIMIR VORONKOV
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS OFFICE OF COUNTER-TERRORISM
• Subject Topical: COOPERATION; COUNTER-TERRORISM; DETAINED PERSONS; HUMAN RIGHTS; PEACE AND SECURITY; SOCIAL MEDIA; WOMEN IN ARMED CONFLICTS
• Geographic Subject: AFGHANISTAN; CHINA; LIBYA; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2529784
• Parent Id: 2529412

Description

Despite progress in regaining territory held by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), its chokehold persists in communities in the Middle East while it seeks new members, from West Africa to Asia, top counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council today.

“At a time of heightened divisions among Member States, we cannot afford to jeopardize the global fight against terrorism,” said Vladimir Voronkov, Under‑Secretary-General for the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, briefing the Council on the Secretary-General’s tenth report on the threat posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) (document S/2020/95).

Citing partnerships, activities and persistent threats, Mr. Voronkov urged the global community to work closely together to prevent the resurgence of ISIL and a rise in splinter groups in regions around the world. He warned that between 20,000 and 27,000 foreign terrorist fighters are in or traveling to Iraq and Syria, ISIL’s finances are estimated at $300 million and its tentacles are reaching into Libya, Afghanistan and several sub-Saharan African countries. Meanwhile, the fate of more than 100,000 detainees, most of them women and children, in north-west Syria remains a major challenge, he said, urging the Council and Member States to reaffirm the unity needed to tackle ISIL, save lives and support the victims and survivors of terrorism.

Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, brought the Council up to date on recent gains, including efforts to work with States to bring ISIL perpetrators to justice. “It is vital that we listen to the voices of those directly affected by ISIL’s atrocities and recognize the essential role played by women in building peaceful and resilient communities, and preventing terrorism and violent extremism,” she stressed.

Addressing the Council via video-teleconference from Istanbul, Mona Freiji, an English teacher and civil society activist, shared her experience in her hometown of Raqqa, Syria. When she returned in 2017, she found many incredulous faces of people who could not believe the Da’esh occupation was over, including incidents in which children were recruited and women were forced “to bear children by Da’esh” and “obey the orders of monsters”.

“What makes me sad today is that the international community has forgotten us,” she said, adding that: “As I speak today, international law is being violated,” including targeted bombings of civilians. The only solution is a ceasefire and disarmament, with attention focused on Europe to continue the dialogue to end the conflict and impunity, she said.

Council members agreed that impunity must end, with South Africa’s delegate saying that defeating ISIL requires a global determination to ensure accountability for the group’s barbaric crimes. In the same vein, the representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines urged all Member States to fully adhere to their obligations under Council resolution 2462 (2019), adding that all countries must ensure that those financing, planning, perpetrating or supporting terrorist acts are brought to justice.

Tunisia’s representative joined other speakers in underlining the importance of addressing the root causes of radicalization, voicing concern about the use of social media to spread terrorist narratives to young people. Noting that many militant fighters have moved from Syria to neighbouring Libya, he said that, as intra-State conflicts often serve as breeding grounds for terrorists, the Council should use all the tools available to resolve such conflicts and combat the trafficking of weapons.

The Russian Federation’s delegate warned that the Secretary‑General’s report must not lose sight of the flow of money and military equipment, pointing out that terrorist groups in the Middle East continue to receive such shipments.

As a State that is experiencing the effects of the spread of ISIL affiliations, Niger’s delegate drew attention to an unprecedented spike in terrorist attacks in the Sahel, from northern Mali to Burkina Faso and his own country. While the joint force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel) tasked with combating terrorism is making strides against Boko Haram and other terror groups, its funding remains insufficient. Similarly, the challenge now is forcing the region’s States to allocate more than a quarter of national budgets to counter-terrorism, diverting funds from social services and development efforts.

Viet Nam’s representative underlined a need for greater cooperation to resolve all these issues. The international community must be “innovative in our actions”, he said, expressing support for the United Nations to play a central role in coordinating the global fight against terrorism.

France’s representative said all stakeholders must stop the dissemination of terrorist ideologies, including online. Recalling that his country launched the Christchurch Appeal in that wake of the massive 2019 terror attack in New Zealand, he asked Internet companies and Governments to pledge to ensure that their sites do not become tools to be exploited by terrorists. Echoing a message heard from several other delegates, he cautioned that counter-terrorism must never be used as a pretext for discrimination against religious groups or to violate human rights.

With this in mind, the representative of the United States raised concerns about the situation in Xinjiang, where people remain detained under the guise of counter‑terrorism. Elaborating on this issue, the United Kingdom’s delegate said that, while China may have terrorism concerns, its actions in Xinjiang involving the Uighurs are disproportionate and indiscriminate and only risk exacerbating ethnic tensions.

China’s representative said accusations made by his counterparts from the United Kingdom and the United States were baseless. Beijing has applied law-based counter-terrorism measures to address its internal affairs, he said, urging the United States to heed human rights bodies’ recommendations to close its prison in Guantanamo, Cuba, and pointing out that Washington, D.C., has instigated wars in the Middle East where Muslim populations are still suffering, and triggered humanitarian crises and turbulence in many countries.

Also speaking were representatives of Germany, Estonia, Indonesia, Dominican Republic and Belgium.

The meeting began at 10:04 a.m. and ended at 12:22 p.m.

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