8 August 2024
Thank you, Mr./Madam President, excellencies, distinguished delegates,
I am pleased to address the Security Council on the nineteenth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and on the wide range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering this threat.
I extend my gratitude to Under-Secretary-General for CounterTerrorism and Head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, as well as the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, and all of our United Nations partners for their close collaboration on this report.
Mr./Madam President,
Since the Secretary-General’s last report on the threat posed by Da’esh, we continue to witness the profound challenges that Member States face in preventing and countering terrorism.
West and Central Africa have been particularly affected by armed groups affiliated with Da’esh, who have engaged in complex attacks against security forces and civilians.
This has led to widespread displacement.
The Lake Chad Basin region has seen persistent activity from Islamic State West Africa Province, contributing to the displacement of more than 2.9 million people as of May 2024.
In the central Sahel, the impact on children is severe.
Most States in the region continue to face capacity challenges to manage the escalating threat, including through effective screening, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of people associated with terrorist groups.
At the same time, the horrific attack on the Crocus City Hall in Moscow in March and with increased threat levels in Europe, Da’esh affiliates demonstrate their capacity to mount attacks across the globe.
In the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic, more than 44,000 individuals are still held in closed camps and detention facilities.
More than half of those are children that live in dire conditions of overcrowding, limited services, inadequate shelter, and scarce access to essentials.
The longer this situation is allowed to exist, the harder it will be to solve.
Mr./Madam President,
In the face of these challenges, in the last six months, progress has also been made by Member States, many working in close cooperation with the United Nations.
The United Nations has been assisting Member States to address barriers to the sustainable return and reintegration of displaced individuals from Da’esh-affected conflict zones.
10 Member States have repatriated children – and some adults – from the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The United Nations continued to support the prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of individuals returned from conflict zones in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq.
That support included implementing specialized rehabilitation programmes in collaboration with local governments and civil society organizations.
Supporting victims of Da’esh, including those affected by sexual and gender-based violence, remained a priority for the United Nations.
To contribute to those efforts, in April, CTED published a report on civil society perspectives on advancing accountability for such crimes in 16 Member States in regions affected by terrorism.
That work emphasized the need for Member States to adopt a survivor-centred approach and insist on justice for all victims and survivors.
In parallel, the United Nations has highlighted challenges and opportunities for Member States to improve law enforcement and border management approaches to countering terrorism.
In May, CTED published two Trends Alerts on counter-terrorism and border management in Africa, highlighting the need for an integrated approach to border security, involving local communities and addressing conditions conducive to terrorism.
The United Nations continued to promote accountability for terrorism through dissemination of good practices.
Despite the increasingly dire situation in West Africa and the Sahel, CTED has observed some good practices in addressing those challenges that can be shared by other Member States in the region and conflict affected areas around the world.
In Nigeria and Benin, for example, CTED and other United Nations agencies have worked with authorities that are addressing violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
Both Member States are implementing comprehensive prevention plans with a focus on development and inclusion of civil society, women and youth groups, and religious leaders.
And, in June, the Counter-Terrorism Committee convened to examine the criminalization and codification of terrorist offences in accordance with Security Council resolutions.
The meeting highlighted good practices in defining terrorism offences with full respect for the principle of legality, so as to limit the potential for the misuse of legislation to undermine human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The United Nations also continued to work with Member States to counter the financing of terrorism.
In this regard, CTED further enhanced its cooperation with its Global Research Network.
In May, CTED hosted the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) President to the Counter-Terrorism Committee to discuss implementation of international standards against the financing of terrorism.
Mr./Madam President,
The United Nations has also been actively involved in initiatives aimed at transitional rehabilitation and justice, as well as improving social cohesion.
CTED reaffirms its commitment to working closely with Member States, international, subregional and regional organizations, civil society, and the private sector.
To this end, we believe that a “One UN” approach is crucial in our common endeavours to effectively combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Thank you.