August 8, 2024
Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you Under-Secretary-General Voronkov and Executive Director Gherman for the joint preparation of the nineteenth ISIL report and for your briefings.
The United States shares the Secretary-General’s concern regarding ISIS-Khorasan’s ability to conduct attacks outside of Afghanistan, as we saw with the horrific terrorist attacks in Kerman on January 3 and Moscow on March 22 that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The Taliban have made efforts to counter ISIS-K, and it is critical they adhere to their counterterrorism commitments.
Similarly, we remain particularly focused on the terrorism threat across Africa outlined in the Secretary-General’s report. We share his concern over developments in West Africa and the Sahel, as well as in Central and Southern Africa where the situation is fragile with the prospect of greater instability.
We continue to provide our African partners essential assistance in degrading the capabilities of and countering ISIS and al-Qa’ida affiliates, in a manner consistent with international law. Capable law enforcement and broader security service responses are vital to preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
In this vein, the United States welcomed the adoption of Resolution 2734, which extended the mandate of the UN 1267 sanctions regime. We welcome the Council’s recognition that sexual and gender-based violence is a strategy that terrorists use to further their nefarious aims, which was recognized in Resolution 2734 as a potential ground for sanctions listings.
Promoting accountability for conflict-related sexual violence is a priority for the United States. Pursuant to the Presidential Memorandum on Promoting Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, last December the United States issued sanctions against four leaders from the ISIS affiliate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who killed, maimed, and committed sexual violence against women and girls.
Resolution 2734 is a critical step forward for the global campaign to end gender-based violence. We encourage the Security Council and Member States to nominate individuals, including terrorist operatives and facilitators, to be sanctioned for committing or enabling these types of offenses.
We encourage Member States in need of assistance to avail themselves of sanctions and other tools, and to play an active role in updating and implementing UN 1267 sanctions to counter ISIS and al-Qa’ida.
The United States continues to prioritize the repatriation of detained non-Syrian ISIS fighters and displaced ISIS-associated family members, because the return of these individuals to their communities of origin is integral to securing the enduring defeat of ISIS.
The United States therefore welcomes the efforts of Member States that have repatriated their nationals, especially Iraq. Over the past three years, nearly 11,000 displaced individuals have been repatriated, including more than 5,000 in the last twelve months. This trend reflects a general increase in the willingness of countries of origin to make the difficult, but necessary decisions to repatriate their nationals from the region.
Still, the situation in the displaced person camps of al-Hol and Roj in Syria constitutes an urgent humanitarian, human rights, and security challenge. More than 43,000 people reside in these camps, the majority of whom are children. Countries of origin must do more, and more quickly, to repatriate their nationals from northeast Syria.
The United States recognizes the importance of partnerships with civil society across the work of the UN Counterterrorism Compact. The inclusion of civil society, particularly local women leaders, is essential in ensuring Member States and the UN system are accounting for all voices and perspectives. As called for in Resolution 2734, the United States looks forward to continued Secretary-General reporting that highlights the impact of UN counterterrorism efforts.
The Secretary-General’s report correctly recognizes that the fight against terrorism requires comprehensive efforts beyond security-centered approaches. The international community must continue investing in whole-of-society approaches that respect human rights and the rule of law, in order to effectively prevent and counter the spread of ISIS and other terrorist groups.
Thank you, Mr. President.
###
Thank you, Mr. President.
I apologize for taking the floor once again, but I need to respond to some remarks made earlier by the representative of the Russian Federation. Once again, he tried to politicize the global effort to eradicate terrorism. The growing threat of terrorism, especially in the Middle East, is something we can only tackle effectively as a united global community.
So, in that vein, I call on Russia to use its real and growing influence with terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hizballah, and the Houthis, and with Iran, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism, to end their terrorist attacks which threaten to ignite a greater war in the region.
One last point, Mr. President, in response to comments made by the representative of the Russian Federation about a U.S. presence in Syria: as we have said many times, and I will just say it once more, U.S. forces are in Syria only – and I repeat only – to fight and combat ISIS.
Thank you, Mr. President.