Statement [Made on Behalf of the Security Council, at the 9221st Meeting, 15 Dec. 2022, in Connection with the Council's Consideration of the Item Entitled "Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts"]

S/PRST/2022/7View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Security Council, under agenda item 31 Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, published in 2022.

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 subjects

Counter-Terrorism Foreign Terrorist Fighters International Cooperation New Technologies Terrorism Terrorism Financing

What’s in this document?

25 paragraphs

At the 9221st meeting of the Security Council, held on 15 December 2022, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”, the President of the Security Council made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

“The Security Council reaffirms that terrorism in all forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed, and remains determined to contribute further to enhancing the effectiveness of the overall effort to fight this scourge on a global level.

“The Security Council condemns in the strongest terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and all terrorist acts, including those on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief, and further reaffirms that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or group.

“The Security Council strongly condemns attacks by terrorist groups or individuals on civilians, critical infrastructure and soft targets, including transnational and cross-border attacks, and demands the immediate cessation of such attacks, and calls on all Member States to summon the requisite political will to denounce all acts of terrorism.

“The Security Council expresses its deep concerns as terrorist groups continue to make efforts to destabilize governments.

“The Security Council expresses condolences to the families of victims of terrorism, deeply deplores the suffering caused by terrorism to the victims and their families, expresses its support for the survivors and victims of violence committed by terrorist groups, including sexual and gender-based violence, stresses the need to promote and protect rights of victims of terrorism, including women and children and reaffirms its profound solidarity with victims of terrorism and the countries that have suffered terrorist attacks.

“The Security Council underlines that acts of terrorism can seriously impair the enjoyment of human rights and threaten the social and economic development of all States and undermine global stability and prosperity and emphasizes that the threat of terrorism is continuing, affecting an increasing number of Member States across most regions, which may exacerbate conflicts in affected regions, and contributes to undermining affected States, specifically their security, stability, governance, social and economic development.

“The Security Council further reaffirms that Member States must ensure that any measures taken to counter terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular, the UN Charter, international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, underscores that effective counterterrorism measures and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are complementary and mutually reinforcing and are an essential part of a successful counter-terrorism effort, and notes the importance of respect for the rule of law so as to effectively prevent and combat terrorism, and further notes that failure to comply with these and other international obligations, including under the Charter of the United Nations, is one of the factors contributing to increased radicalization to violence and fosters a sense of impunity.

“The Security Council underscores the importance of a whole of government and whole of society approaches, recognizes the importance of cooperation with all relevant stakeholders, such as civil society, including community-based civil society, grassroots organizations, the private sector, academia, think tanks, media, youth, women, and cultural, educational, and religious leaders in increasing awareness about the threats of terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism and effectively tackling them, and in this regard urges Member States to continue efforts to ensure the full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership of women and inclusion of youth in all counter-terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism approaches and strategies.

“The Security Council notes with concern that terrorist groups craft distorted narratives that are based on the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of religion to justify violence, and that terrorist groups further seek to use names or religion or religious symbols, in order to manipulate followers and for propaganda or recruitment purposes.

“The Security Council, in this regard, recognizes the importance of conducting outreach to entities with expertise and experience in crafting counter-narratives and promoting tolerance and coexistence, including religious actors, to counter terrorist propaganda and narratives.

“The Security Council reminds all States that they have an obligation to curb the terrorist activities of all individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities included on the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions list created pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011), and 2253 (2015) regardless of the nationality or residence of such individuals, groups, undertakings, or entities.

“The Security Council urges Member States to participate actively in maintaining and updating the ISIL (Da’esh) & Al-Qaida Sanctions List by contributing additional information pertinent to current listings, submitting delisting requests when appropriate, and by identifying and nominating for listing additional individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities while ensuring that listing and delisting proposals of individuals and entities under Security Council sanctions are evidence-based.

“The Security Council expresses grave concern that foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) who have joined entities such as ISIL/Da’esh, Al Qaida, the Al-Nusrah Front, and other cells, affiliates, splinter groups or derivatives of ISIL/Da’esh or Al-Qaida, may be seeking to return to their countries of origin or nationality, or to relocate to third countries, recalls that all States shall in accordance with their relevant international obligations, including international human rights law, take specific actions to address the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), underscoring the urgent need to implement fully and immediately resolutions 2178 (2014) and 2396 (2017), including their provisions on developing comprehensive and tailored prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration strategies, and stressing the importance of assisting women and children associated with FTFs, who may be victims of terrorism.

“The Security Council notes with grave concern that terrorists and terrorist groups, raise, move and transfer funds through a variety of means, which include but are not, limited to abuse of legitimate commercial enterprise and non-profit organizations, cash couriers, use of emerging payment methods, exploitation of natural resources, and proceeds of criminal activities including kidnapping for ransom, extortion, the illicit trade and trafficking in cultural property, persons, drugs, and small arms and light weapons, and reaffirms that Member States have obligations, including those in its resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2462 (2019) to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts and to refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts.

“The Security Council calls upon all Member States to implement the comprehensive international standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Combating Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation; and encourages FATF to continue its efforts to prioritize countering terrorist financing, in particular identifying and working with Member States with strategic anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing deficiencies in order to effectively countering the financing of terrorism, including by ISIL/Da’esh, Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, group, entities and undertakings.

“The Security Council reiterates the obligation of Member States to prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by, inter alia, effective border controls, and, in this context, urges Member States to exchange information expeditiously, improve cooperation among competent authorities to prevent the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups to and from their territories, the supply of weapons for terrorists and financing that would support terrorists and terrorist groups, and underlines that safe havens provided to terrorists continue to be a significant concern and urges Member States to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism, especially with those States where or against whose citizens terrorist acts are committed, in order to find, deny safe haven to, and bring to justice, extradite or prosecute, in accordance with applicable international law, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or commission of terrorist acts or provides safe havens.

“The Security Council reaffirms its resolution 2664 (2022) and urges Member States, when designing and applying measures to counter the financing of terrorism, to take into account the potential effect of those measures on exclusively humanitarian activities, including medical activities, that are carried out by impartial humanitarian actors in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law.

“The Security Council acknowledges that in specific contexts and regions terrorists may benefit from organized crime, whether domestic or transnational, such as the trafficking in arms, drugs, artefacts, cultural property and trafficking in persons, as well as the illicit trade in natural resources including gold and other precious metals and stones, minerals, charcoal and oil, illicit trafficking in wildlife and other crimes that affect the environment, as well as from the abuse of legitimate commercial enterprise, non-profit organizations, donations, crowdfunding and proceeds of criminal activity, including but not limited to kidnapping for ransom, extortion and bank robbery, as well as from transnational organized crime at sea, and calls upon Member States to investigate, disrupt and dismantle organized criminal networks involved in such activities and encourages Member States to promote and strengthen border cooperation and regional and subregional coordination, as appropriate.

“The Security Council calls on Member States to fulfil their obligations enshrined in relevant international counter terrorism conventions and protocols to which they are a party.

“The Security Council underlines the need to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, as outlined in Pillar I of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy and recognizes that a comprehensive approach to defeating terrorism requires national, regional, subregional and multilateral action.

“The Security Council notes with concern the increased use of the Internet, and other information and communications technologies, including social media, virtual assets and new financial instruments for terrorist purposes, and the increasing global misuse of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) by terrorists to conduct attacks against, and incursions into, restricted commercial and government infrastructure and public places, and recognizes the need for strengthening cooperation in countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.

“The Security Council strongly condemns the flow of weapons, military equipment, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and their components, and improvised explosive device (IED) components to and between Da’esh, Al-Qaida, their affiliates and associated individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities, and other terrorist groups, and illegal armed groups and criminals, and encourages Member States to prevent and disrupt procurement networks for such weapons, systems, UAS and components to Da’esh, Al-Qaida, their affiliates and associated individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities, and other terrorist groups associated.

“The Security Council expresses deep concern that the threat of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, has increased and become more diffuse, in various regions of the world, aided by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, while recognizing that innovations in technology may also offer significant opportunities to use technology to counter terrorism and in this regard welcomes the adoption of “Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes” by the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC), and calls on CTC to consider developing, with the support of CTED, within a reasonable period, a set of non-binding guiding principles, as provided in the Declaration.

“The Security Council recognizes the need for adequate funding for programs, technical assistance, and capacity building provided by the entities the UN Counterterrorism Global Compact, including the Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) for counter terrorism to effectively support counterterrorism efforts of Member-States, especially developing ones, and encourages Member States to contribute voluntary funding in this regard.”

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