10 February 2025
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.
Our Vulnerable Targets programme provided tailored support to five new African beneficiaries, including Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Mauritania and Senegal, to enhance the security of critical infrastructures and soft targets.
Second, in light of the situation in northeast Syria, the United Nations continue to advise and support Member States in their efforts to prosecute, rehabilitate and reintegrate individuals associated with terrorist groups. In Iraq, my Office provided advice, training and equipment to assist with the registration and screening of adults seeking repatriation from the Hawl camp, in close coordination with other UN entities.
And in Central Asia, UNOCT, the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe supported the organization of the second meeting of the Regional Expert Council on Rehabilitation and Reintegration of returnees.
In the context of returnees, it is important to recall that many people, who are now in camps in Syria and Iraq actually fled from Da’esh violence. It is therefore paramount that we continue to amplify victims’ voices, and ensure sustained support for victims of terrorism. To pursue these goals, the Office of Counter-Terrorism co-organized with the Government of Spain the International Conference on Victims of Terrorism last October, convening participants from 66 countries.
Third, we need to further strengthen border security to counter movements of terrorists. Last November, my Office partnered with the Governments of the State of Kuwait and Tajikistan in the framework of the Dushanbe Process to organize a High-level Conference on Strengthening International Cooperation and Building Agile Border Security Mechanisms.
The Kuwait Declaration on Border Security and Management emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation and innovative border security measures.
Meanwhile, our flagship “all-of-UN” Countering Terrorist Travel programme continued to expand with 63 beneficiary Member States who are increasingly relying on the goTRAVEL software to collect and process passenger data to detect and prevent terrorist movements.
Fourth, we continue to support Member States in harnessing the opportunities offered by new technologies. In November, we launched the CT TECH+ initiative with INTERPOL and the European Union to provide tailored support to address the misuse of new technologies for terrorist purposes.
In addition, my Office delivered operational trainings to over 100 officials in Southeast Asia and West Africa to operate Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for counter-terrorism and border security purposes.
Mr. President,
Excellencies,
Terrorism remains a significant and evolving threat to global peace and security, one that no State can confront in isolation. Sustained multilateral cooperation remains essential to countering terrorism effectively.
In the Pact for the Future, adopted last September, Member States renewed their commitments to a future free from terrorism and highlighted whole of government and whole of society approaches to counter terrorism.
The United Nations, through its Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact, remains committed to supporting Member States in this regard. By working together, we can address this evolving threat and build a more secure future.
Thank you.