缅北禁地Photo/Evan Schneider
On 9 February 2022, Mr. Weixiong Chen, Acting Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Office (UNOCT), briefed the Security Council on the Fourteenth 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 .
Noting that Da'esh and other terrorist groups had exploited the social restraints, political tensions, and economic recessions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr. Chen stated that the social consequences of the pandemic could provide fertile ground for radicalization to violence.
The pandemic had “curtailed not only counter-terrorism operations, but also civil society and humanitarian outreach, thereby worsening pre-existing conditions of displacement and insecurity”, he said.
Mr. Voronkov stressed the need to focus on restoring human dignity, trust and social cohesion, referring in particular to the humanitarian situation in refugee camps and detention facilities in Syria and Iraq, where thousands of people, especially children with presumed family links to Da'esh members, remained stranded through no fault of their own, with a possible risk of further radicalization and recruitment.
For that reason, countries of nationality should guarantee humanitarian access, protection, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration, on the basis of human rights and the rule of law.
The Acting Executive Director and Under Secretary General stressed that counter-terrorism was a long-term challenge with no quick solutions. Although military operations might be needed, holistic approaches with a strong focus on prevention were fundamental to addressing the dynamics at the root of terrorism. The fight against terrorism required a multilateral approach that included national, regional and international efforts, as well as strong collaboration between Member States, United Nations entities, international and regional organizations, and civil society.
The Secretary-General’s report recognizes the significant threat that Al-Qaida, Da'esh, and their affiliates continue to pose. It notes that Da’esh has become more decentralized and that, even as it remains active in Iraq and Syria, its regional affiliates continue to expand rapidly due to the proliferation of weapons, especially in fragile conflict contexts in Central, Eastern, Western and Southern Africa.
Mr. Chen reaffirmed CTED’s commitment to support the Council and the Counter-Terrorism Committee and to work together with UNOCT to address ongoing and emerging challenges and developments in countering the terrorist threat, within the framework of a “whole-of-UN” approach.
Mr. Chen also underlined that all counter-terrorism and countering violent extremism strategies and measures must be tailor-made, gender-sensitive, and human rights-compliant.
Watch the full briefing .
Here are the remarks of Acting Executive Director, Weixiong Chen.