UNICEF/Wathiq Khuzaie. A family walks past a monument to a terrorist attack in Babil, Iraq.
In a briefing to the Security Council today, the Secretary-General's 18th report on the terrorist organization Daesh (self-proclaimed ISIL) reaffirms the observation of recent years: despite the significant progress made by Member States in combating the threat of terrorism, Daesh continues to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, especially in conflict zones.
Volenkov began by pointing out that Daesh's operational strength in some areas has been greatly weakened, and the name of his new leader has not yet been announced. At the same time, the group's financial reserves are now estimated at between $10 million and $25 million, well below the hundreds of millions of dollars a few years ago.
In addition to the main group, Daesh's affiliated groups have suffered setbacks in Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Mozambique, and in Afghanistan, the efforts of the de facto authorities are also believed to have undermined their ability to carry out attacks there.
The risk of a comeback
But Volenkov reminded that the risk of Daesh's comeback remains. He said Daesh itself has ramped up attacks in Iraq and Syria since last November, a testament to the group's resilience and adaptability. In addition, several EU countries and the Philippines are also under higher threat.
In particular, he noted that parts of Africa, particularly West Africa and the Sahel, remained the most affected by Daesh and affiliated groups, and that the situation in those places had become more complicated as local ethnic and regional disputes had been exploited by those groups.
Moreover, as previous reports have shown, Daesh's affiliated groups are increasingly operating independently of their ontology. In response, Volenkov warned that if this trend of autonomous action continues, then a large area of instability could appear on the border from Mali to Nigeria.
联合国图片/Eskinder Debebe
Volrenkov, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and head of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, briefed the Security Council.
Prevent the misuse of counter-terrorism measures
While presenting these developments of concern, Volenkov also reminded Member States to reflect on at least three aspects and act accordingly.
First, counter-terrorism measures are increasingly being abused or have unintended consequences. In order to avoid such a situation, it is important to ensure that counter-terrorism measures are rooted in international law, including international human rights law and humanitarian law.
In particular, Volenkov noted that there are still a large number of individuals believed to be associated with Daesh in camps and other facilities in northeastern Syria, most of whom are women and children, whose situation is deteriorating.
Volenkov reiterated Secretary-General Guterres' appeal to interested Member States to intensify efforts to facilitate the safe, voluntary and dignified return of their citizens from these groups.
Counter-terrorism cannot be fought by force alone
At the same time, he spoke about the limitations of force-based counter-terrorism operations. He stressed that the mere use of force was not the answer to the fight against terrorism and that a comprehensive counter-terrorism response was essential, firmly rooted in political strategy and international law, and in an integrated approach across government departments and society as a whole.
He also said that counter-terrorism efforts could be more effective when multi-stakeholder responses were designed and implemented. To that end, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNCT) and the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact (GCCCC) can help Member States build their capacity accordingly.
Strengthen prevention strategies
The third point that Volenkov stressed was the prevention of terrorism. He noted that it was always more effective and cost-effective to prevent terrorism from taking shape than to compensate for its effects, especially with regard to the impact on human lives.
He also believes that resolving the conflict itself is most likely to mitigate the threat posed by Daesh and other terrorist groups, especially in cases where terrorist groups exploit the dynamics of the conflict.
To that end, he called on Member States to give favourable consideration to the Secretary-General's recommendations in the New Agenda for Peace and to develop and fully invest in prevention strategies at the national and regional levels to address all forms of violence, including terrorism.