The Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov while addressing the Security Council said that the “volatile situation in the Syrian Arab Republic is of great concern, especially as there is a risk that stockpiles of advanced weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists.
Briefing the Council on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security, Voronkov while speaking on international peace and security noted that the Syrian Badia region serves as a centre for Da’esh external operational planning and a critical region for their activities.
He also expressed concern over the situation in detention camps and other facilities in the north-east of the country.
Voronkov said ISIL- Khorasan is also posing a significant threat in Afghanistan, the region and beyond, adding that supporters have “plotted attacks in Europe and were actively seeking to recruit individuals from Central Asian States.”
He stressed that no State can confront terrorism in isolation, and noted that Member States “must prioritize comprehensive, long-term responses that address the conditions conducive to terrorism while strengthening the rule of law and upholding international human and humanitarian rights.”
Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, Natalia Gherman, while addressing the council on the twentieth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security highlighted the UN’s efforts to support Member States in addressing the challenges.
Gherman said, “the challenges posed by Da’esh remain complex, with humanitarian, security, and governance concerns persisting across regions affected by its activities.”
She said, after devastating so many parts of the world for more than a decade, Da’esh and other terrorist groups now pose the most significant threat to peace, security and sustainable development across the African continent.
United States Ambassador Dorothy Shea said, “countering ISIS and other terrorist groups around the world is a top priority for the Trump Administration. President Trump has already taken decisive action in conjunction with the Somali government by directing precision airstrikes against ISIS in Somalia on February 1st.
