On Monday, 10 February 2025, Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism and Head of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, and Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), Natalia Gherman, briefed the Security Council on the twentieth 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.
In his report, the Secretary-General underscores the evolving threat posed by Da¡¯esh, with its operational focus growing in regions of instability in Africa and parts of the Middle East. The report highlights the dire humanitarian situation in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic, where tens of thousands remain confined in camps under conditions that could fuel radicalization and perpetuate insecurity. He also stresses the importance of addressing Da¡¯esh¡¯s sophisticated use of emerging financial technologies and decentralized networks to sustain its operations.
In her remarks, Assistant Secretary-General Gherman emphasized the need to address the threat posed by Da¡¯esh through ¡°an approach centred on prevention, grounded in respect for human rights, and with regional cooperation as the linchpin¡±. Reflecting on the assessment work conducted by CTED, on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, over the past year, she highlighted promising practices adopted by Member States, including whole-of-government approaches, while also acknowledging ongoing challenges such as gaps in border security and ongoing deficiencies in national counter-financing of terrorism responses.
Under-Secretary-General Voronkov presented the key findings of the Secretary-General¡¯s report, emphasizing Da¡¯esh¡¯s continued resilience despite leadership losses. He noted that the group has exploited instability in the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, where it has launched over 400 operations in the past six months. Highlighting Da¡¯esh¡¯s growing presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, he warned of the group¡¯s expansion southward and its increased reliance on online platforms for recruitment.
Following the briefings, Council members reiterated their commitment to enhancing global efforts to counter the threat posed by Da¡¯esh. They emphasized the importance of continued cooperation, information-sharing, and targeted strategies, including enhancing border security, disrupting terrorist financial networks, and implementing human rights-compliant counter-terrorism approaches.
The remarks of the Assistant Secretary-General are available here.
You can watch the meeting .