Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, Ms. Natalia Gherman, briefs the Security Council on 8 August 2024 on the nineteenth report of the Secretary-General on “The threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat” (). CTED/Vijai Singh-Persaud
On Thursday, 8 August 2024, the United Nations Security Council was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism and Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, and Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Ms. Natalia Gherman, on the nineteenth report of the Secretary-General on “The threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat” ().
The Secretary-General’s report highlights the resurgence of the Da’esh core, its continued operational focus in Africa and the threat posed by ISIL-K. It also reiterates the urgent need for the international community to address the situation faced by thousands of individuals, mostly women and children, held in camps and other facilities in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic for their alleged links or family ties to Da’esh.
In her remarks, ASG Gherman expressed concern regarding the impact of terrorist groups in parts of West and Central Africa, noting that widespread displacement has exacerbated “capacity challenges in managing the escalating threat, particularly in the areas of effective screening, prosecution, rehabilitation, and reintegration of individuals linked to terrorist groups”. While recognizing the profound challenges in preventing and countering terrorism, ASG Gherman commended Member States for the progress made in implementing relevant Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism, many working in close collaboration with the United Nations.
USG Voronkov underlined the complex terrorism landscape in West Africa and the Sahel, emphasizing that “terrorist groups continued to expand in the Sahel and inflict high casualties, undermining regional stability. Two of the Da’esh affiliates in the region, the Islamic State West Africa Province and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahel, have expanded and consolidated their areas of operations”.
Following the briefings, Council members reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening global counter-terrorism efforts. They acknowledged the multifaceted threat posed by Da’esh and called for continued cooperation, information sharing, and the implementation of effective counter-terrorism strategies such as enhancing border security, disrupting financial networks that support terrorism, and human rights compliant approaches.
are the remarks of the Assistant Secretary-General.
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