Three Security Council committees hold joint special meeting on linkages between terrorism and organized crime

On 26 April 2019, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the Taliban Sanctions Committee hosted a Joint Special meeting to discuss the nexus between international terrorism and organized crime. Participants included Security Council members, UN Member States, academic institutions, international and regional organizations, as well as partners from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate’s (CTED) Global Research Network.

Opening of the Joint Special meeting

In his opening remarks, H.E. Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, stressed the need to coordinate efforts at all levels to effectively respond to the challenges posed by the links between the two areas. He also highlighted the importance “to address these matters in a more coordinated manner at the law enforcement and prosecutorial levels as we have seen with the creation of joint investigative units and prosecution authorities.”

H.E. Dian Triansyah Djani, Chair of the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, as well as of the Taliban Sanctions Committee, stated that there is a “need to develop a more structured cooperation and information sharing to enable us to address these challenges in an effective way.”

The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee, the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee, and the Taliban Sanctions Committee hosted a Joint Special meeting to discuss the nexus between international terrorism and organized crime.

The main purpose of the meeting was to address regional specificities, as well as strategies, responses, and lessons learned in addressing the linkages between terrorism and organized crime, and underline the need for strengthened domestic, regional, and international cooperation in this area. Interactions and synergies between terrorists and criminal groups may take a number of forms, including simple coexistence in the same territory, the development of ad hoc alliances based on a common interest, and the convergence or merging of activities.

Documents:

Agenda for the Joint Special meeting

Concept Note

Chairs’ summary Joint Special Meeting

Presentations and remarks:

Ms Florence Keen, Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

Mr Juan Belikow, Argentine Council for International Relations

Mr. Andrés Eduardo Jiménez Camargo, Office of the Attorney-General, Colombia

Ms. Maria Fernanda Sarmiento, Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, Organization of American States

Mr. Antonin Tisseron, UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa

Mr. Boubacar Oumarou Issaka, Central Office for the Repression of Illicit Drugs Trafficking, Niger

(Presentation) (Remarks)