On 15 February 2024, the Security Council held a thematic debate on the “Eighteenth 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 ().” UN Photo/Evan Schneider
On 15 February 2024, the Security Council held a thematic debate on the “Eighteenth 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 ().” Together with Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov of the Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Secretary-General Jürgen Stock of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) briefed the Council.
The UN Secretary-General’s latest report says “while continuing to face leadership attrition and financial setbacks, Da’esh and its affiliates retained their capacity to conduct terrorist attacks and project a threat beyond their areas of operations. The risk of resurgence of the group remained in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, and the activity of Da’esh affiliates contributed to a deterioration of the situation in parts of West Africa and the Sahel.”
“The African continent now accounts for approximately half of terrorist acts worldwide, with central Sahel accounting for about 25% of such attacks. It is a priority of the United Nations’ counter-terrorism architecture to support African Member States and partners in addressing these trends,” stated Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of CTED.
Ensuring accountability and justice is also a priority for CTED. This year will mark 10 years since the adoption of resolution 2178 (2014) on the prosecution, reintegration and rehabilitation of foreign terrorist fighters. “The prosecution rate for sexual and gender-based violence crimes remains low despite these types of crimes being a recurring tactic of terrorist groups, including Da’esh and its affiliates, as we have seen in Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic and Nigeria,” said ASG Gherman. In November 2023, CTED published a landmark report entitled “Towards meaningful accountability for sexual and gender-based violence linked to terrorism”.
Here are the remarks of the Assistant Secretary-General.
You can watch the meeting .