Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – Despite leadership losses and diminished cash reserves, the extremist group ISIL, or Da’esh, continues to pose a threat to international peace and security, the UN counter-terrorism chief warned in New York.
Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov briefed the Security Council where he presented the latest UN report on the terrorist organization, underlining the need for concerted global action.
Mr. Voronkov began by focusing on the plight of victims and survivors of terrorism worldwide.
“Because beyond the headlines and behind the numbers, there are numerous people and communities who were affected by the heinous crimes of Da’esh and other terrorist groups and individuals,” he said.
The Da’esh threat remains high and has increased in and around conflict zones where the group and its affiliates are active, he reported.
Their expansion in central and southern Africa, and the Sahel, remains particularly worrying.
Da’esh also continues to use the Internet, social media and video games for propaganda and recruitment purposes, along with new and emerging technologies, such as unmanned aerial systems, or drones.
Mr. Voronkov drew attention to the dire situation, warning against the far-reaching consequences and slow pace of repatriations.
He emphasized that the foreign terrorist fighter issue is not exclusive to Iraq and Syria, but a global challenge, with implications that go beyond accountability and prosecution for crimes.
“As noted in the report, terrorist attacks committed by such individuals have proven to be particularly lethal compared to those committed by purely homegrown terrorists,” he said.
He called for multidimensional approaches, with “more complementarity” between security responses and preventive measures. These strategies must be gender-sensitive and anchored in international law and human rights.
Finally, given the increased threat from conflict zones, he stressed the need to better understand the complex relationship between conflict and terrorism.
