S/PV.8017 Security Council

In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Mr. Jehangir Khan, Officer in Charge of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; Mr. Weixiong Chen, Deputy Executive Director of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Mr. Emmanuel Roux, Special Representative of INTERPOL to the United Nations. Mr. Fedotov is joining us via video-teleconference from Vienna. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2017/659, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Egypt. I now give the floor to Mr. Fedotov. Mr. Fedotov: Allow me to begin by commending the presidency of Egypt for holding a meeting on this very important and timely topic. As the Security Council has recognized on several occasions, preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, including conventional arms as well as weapons of mass destruction, is essential to countering terrorism. Terrorists obtain weapons by many means, in all parts of the world, facilitated by access to poorly secured stockpiles; weak border management; the use of online platforms, including hidden marketplaces; and diversion linked to poor transfer controls. Illicit weapons trafficking is often associated with other forms of organized crime. Furthermore, the Security Council has highlighted the growing threat to international peace and security posed by the nexus of organized crime and terrorism, with terrorist groups benefiting from crime and from links with organized criminal networks. Preventing weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists thus presents complex challenges requiring integrated, multifaceted criminal-justice responses. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is entrusted with promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, including its Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition. UNODC also supports the implementation of the international instruments against terrorism, the conventions on corruption and drugs, and United Nations standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice. Seven of the nineteen international legal instruments related to counter-terrorism address the criminalization of conducts by non-State actors regarding chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, as well as nuclear and other radioactive material. UNODC also works closely with the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its Group of Experts to prevent the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors. We support the implementation of the Firearms Protocol to prevent and combat the illicit manufacturing and diversion of and trafficking in firearms and ammunition, and to enhance States’ capacities to go after criminal organizations engaged in the illicit firearms business and related forms of transnational organized crime. This includes enhancing national policies and legislation as well as firearms management and collection and destruction activities; technical assistance tools and capacity-building; and promoting and facilitating international cooperation and information exchange. Through our Global Firearms Programme, UNODC is working in key parts of the world, including the Maghreb and the Sahel as well as the Western Balkans, to strengthen the fight against illicit trafficking in firearms and its links to terrorism. The Office also took part in a briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on this topic in May, and we are in discussions with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate to explore synergies for joint action. However, many challenges remain in preventing, detecting, investigating and successfully prosecuting illicit trafficking in weapons, including inadequate regulatory environments and data collection; lack of specialized skills and equipment; and lack of coordination within and among countries and regions. Looking ahead, we need to further strengthen cross- border partnerships and operational responses, promote the involvement of diverse stakeholders, including the private sector, and step up tailored assistance to address gaps in capacity. UNODC remains fully engaged in providing comprehensive support through our integrated country, regional and global programmes and network of field offices, in coordination with our United Nations partners and other partners, including INTERPOL. Our Global Container Control Programme with the World Customs Organization in particular is helping to detect and stop illicit trade within the global supply chain at sea and air ports. We are supporting Governments in their efforts to curb corruption and money-laundering as well as combat cybercrime and the exploitation of the Internet for terrorist purposes, all of which represent critical elements of an integrated response aimed at preventing and disrupting terrorism and organized crime. We look forward to working closely with the new Office for Counter-Terrorism, recently established by the Secretary-General, to ensure that our work is as efficient and effective as possible and better coordinated through the United Nations system. UNODC welcomes the draft resolution to be adopted today by the Council (S/2017/659) and will take it as important guidance to further advance our efforts to respond to this threat.

I thank Mr. Fedotov for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Khan. Mr. Khan: I would like to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for having organized today’s meeting. I would also like to express my gratitude for the excellent leadership shown by the Arab Republic of Egypt of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. I am sincerely grateful also to Assistant Secretary-General Jean-Paul Laborde, who has just left the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), for his very effective stewardship of CTED, with which the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism enjoys an excellent relationship. We look forward to working closely with his successor. As this marks the first occasion on which the Office is briefing the Security Council since it was established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/291, allow me to thank all 15 members of the Council for their strong support for this very first United Nations reform initiative instituted by the Secretary-General. As the Council is aware, the Secretary-General has appointed a highly experienced and very distinguished diplomat, His Excellency Ambassador Vladimir Voronkov, as the Under-Secretary-General-designate of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and we look forward to working under his leadership. Two weeks ago Under-Secretary-General Voronkov met with the President of the Security Council and agreed to work closely on countering terrorism. In proposing the establishment of the Office, the Secretary-General expects that we should strengthen our coordination efforts, in particular by promoting the “All-of-UN” approach to countering terrorism. The Security Council-mandated bodies, specifically the CTED; the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Al-Qaida; and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) Expert Group will need to play a key role if we are to be successful in supporting Member States in implementing the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy in a balanced manner. The spectre of terrorists acquiring lethal technologies and new weapons, including weapons of mass destruction, poses a serious threat to international peace and security. For that reason, we welcome the consideration of today’s draft resolution (S/2017/659) on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, and we wish to congratulate the President for putting forward that initiative. It goes to the heart of the Secretary- General’s efforts to make prevention the core mission of the United Nations. If we are to survey the threat, according to recent assessments made by Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) entities, the Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) and the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Al-Qaida, the illicit manufacture and uncontrolled flow of arms, including their parts and ammunition, contribute significantly to terrorism and armed violence. The diversion of weapons from Government stockpiles, either through theft, pilferage or capture of depots, constitutes an important source of supply of weapons to terrorist groups and other non-State actors. In addition, terrorist organizations and foreign terrorist fighters rely on legal and illegal supply chains to procure parts, including for improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The illicit online trade in weapons through the use of the dark Web on the internet is particularly worrisome. Over the years, terrorists have also improved their capabilities to design and manufacture IEDs out of commercially available dual-use components. Our focus, therefore, must not only be on preventing the illicit trade in arms, but also on ensuring that terrorist organizations cannot acquire essential components through legal or illegal commercial channels. While the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has experienced challenges in acquiring high- quality equipment for weaponry because of sustained military pressure and shrinking income sources, they maintain some in-house ability to manufacture rocket launchers and IEDs on a very large scale. ISIL is also using commercially available drones in a variety of ways, from filming propaganda videos to observing targets to drop small-scale ammunitions. In terms of the United Nations response, a number of United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force entities — including, as we have just heard from Under-Secretary-General Yury Fedotov, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Counter-Terrosirm Executive Directorate, ODA and INTERPOL, all of which are members of CTITF — are implementing valuable programmes to address that threat. As we also heard from Under-Secretary-General Fedotov, UNODC is working to address illicit arms trafficking, the association between terrorism and different forms of organized crime and the need to strengthen cross-border cooperation, and soon my colleague from INTERPOL and CTED will address members of the Council in regard to that same issue. Other United Nations entities are also working in that field. For example, in the Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Somalia the United Nations Mine Action Service works in partnership with national authorities to provide training and equipment to mark, register and store weapons; build or refurbish armouries; and help clear and destroy explosive remnants of war, including IEDs. That prevents the potential recovery and reuse of those weapons by terrorists groups. The two constituent bodies of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism — the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Office and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre — also help address that threat through the 12 inter-agency working groups and targeted capacity-building support of CTITF. I would like to mention three specific areas through which the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorim is making a contribution. First, effective border control, especially of large, unmonitored spaces, is critical to preventing the flow of arms to terrorist groups. To help law enforcement and border control agencies prioritize, institute and implement effective measures, the CTITF Working Group on Border Management and Law Enforcement related to Counter-Terrorism spearheads a number of capacity-building projects, including the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre’s Border Security Initiative, which was implemented with the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. That project, which developed a number of best practices, will contribute in its next phase to stronger border controls through capacity-building exercises aimed at reducing the risk of arms trafficking across borders in the Sahel region and the Horn of Africa. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism has also launched its Integrated Assistance for Counter- Terrorism (I-ACT) initiative in key regions and countries where the flow of arms represents a key challenge. The I-ACT for the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), as mandated by Security Council presidential statement S/PRST/2015/24, and the Mali and Nigeria I-ACTS are based on a mapping of capacity-building needs and, subsequently, the delivery of tailored capacity-building assistance against the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In the case of the I-ACT for the G5 Sahel, which includes Mali, border management and the prevention of trafficking of arms will be a key component. Secondly, in the context of addressing the foreign terrorist fighters threat, United Nations Counter- Terrorism Centre and the Office of Disarmament Affairs are implementing a project, co-funded by Switzerland, which is aimed at helping States in the Lake Chad basin region address the illicit proliferation and diversion of small arms, light weapons and ammunition to non-State armed groups, including terrorist groups. Additional trainings through the Office for Disarmament Affairs would help national authorities develop capacities to identify and interdict arms flows to foreign terrorist fighters. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre-ODA project that I just mentioned is part of the Security Council-mandated capacity-building implementation plan for countering the flow of foreign terrorist fighters that the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force has developed. Taking an “All-of-UN” approach, the Office of Counter-Terrorism has developed the Plan, which currently includes 50 mutually reinforcing capacity-building projects that address the entire life cycle of the foreign terrorist fighters, including radicalizing, travelling, financing, returning, disarming, prosecuting, rehabilitating and reintegrating. The 13 United Nations CTITF agencies participate in the plan, and the total of the project budget is $107 million over five years. Contributions and pledges currently add up to $44 million, or 41 per cent of the total, and we encourage more Member States to contribute to that Plan. Thirdly, the CTITF is active on addressing the threat of terrorists acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction. The recent use of chemical weapons by terrorist groups in certain regions shows that such threat is not simply theoretical. The implementation of the obligations under resolutions 1540 (2004) and 2325 (2016) are vital to preventing non-State actors from acquiring and using nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. An effective response to a weapons of mass destruction attack is also crucial. Through the specialized CTITF Working Group, United Nations agencies and international organizations are working to improve their coordination mechanisms in emergency response to a chemical or biological weapons attack. That project has completed an analysis of existing United Nations coordination mechanisms and made recommendations for improvement, and also organized a simulation exercise that brought together 16 United Nations agencies to test their coordination in a hypothetical weapons of mass destruction terrorist attack situation. To conclude, General Assembly resolution 70/291, adopted at the fifth review of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, notes that member States should work together to: “eliminate the supply of weapons, including small arms and light weapons, to terrorists, as well as to prevent, combat and eradicate the illicit trade in said weapons, including their diversion, to terrorists” (resolution 70/291, para. 61). The existing international legal framework against the flow of weapons to terrorists provides clear guidelines for all States in that regard. Today’s draft resolution is another step in the right direction. We at the United Nations Office of Counter- Terrorism through the Inter-Agency Working Groups of CTITF and United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre’s capacity-building assistance, will actively support its implementation, working closely with member States and all relevant CTITF entities. As called for by the Secretary-General in his report (A/71/858), we are committed to stepping up our United Nations assistance to member States, and forging a new agenda for multi-lateral cooperation, including in countering the flow of weapons to terrorists.

I thank Mr. Khan for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Weixiong Chen.

Today, the Security Council discusses the issue on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons with a view to adopting a draft resolution on that topic, which is both significant and necessary. (spoke in English) In many of its resolutions, the Council has stressed the importance of preventing terrorists’ access to weapons. The current draft resolution, once adopted, will add further tasks to the mandate of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in this area. Under the policy guidance of the Counter- Terrorism Committee, CTED is required to monitor, facilitate and promote the implementation of the aforementioned resolutions by Member States and to support the policy development of the Committee and the Council and their efforts in defining the international counter-terrorism agenda. We are proud to support the policy responses of the Committee and the Council on the broad range of counter-terrorism issues through our assessment visits, our analyses and our identification of trends and challenges, gaps and good practices. Our analysis has reviewed a wide range of concerns with respect to terrorist access to weapons, including poor stockpiling management and shortcomings in monitoring the protection, control, sale, brokerage, export and imports of small arms and light weapons; looting of military arsenals; transnational organized crime; weak border controls; activated and deactivated weapons; and the international arms trade and trafficking via the Internet, in particular via the Dark Web markets. Even though Member States have achieved significant progress in addressing these issues, further efforts are needed, including in the following areas. First, reviewing and strengthening national legislation on countering the supply and trafficking of weapons to terrorists; second, strengthening national control regimes for the possession, use and transfer of weapons; third, ensuring that weapons held by defence and security forces are properly stored and controlled; fourth, preventing the flow of weapons to conflict- affected regions and conflict zones; fifth, strengthening professional and expert training, including through the provision of modern technology and equipment; sixth, effectively implementing arms embargoes, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions; and seventh, strengthening and expanding cooperation and partnership with United Nations entities, international and regional organizations and civil society. The country visit remains a critical tool for CTED. It enables us to assess Member States’ overall national counter-terrorism efforts and their specific achievements, strengths, weaknesses and technical assistance needs and to identify and promote good practices. We will continue to make optimum use of this vital tool, including within the framework of post-visit information-sharing and in facilitating the delivery of technical assistance with our implementing agencies. Cooperation with other United Nations entities and international and regional organizations is essential to CTED’s work. In that regard, I would note that CTED is Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Working Group on Border Management and Law Enforcement Relating to Counter-Terrorism, and works closely with the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team pursuant to resolution 1526 (2014) and 2253 (2015), concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh); the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs; the United Nations Mine Action Service; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; INTERPOL; the World Customs Organization and many other international and regional organizations. CTED has also contributed to a number of initiatives, including the development of International Small Arms Control Standards, the INTERPOL Illicit Arms Records and Tracing Management System. Moreover, the CTED and INTERPOL recently signed a formal cooperation agreement that will enable us to deepen our cooperation in denying terrorists’ access to weapons. It is also essential to raise Member States’ awareness of this topic and promote related international good practices. In this regard, the Committee, with the support of CTED, has arranged a series of related thematic and regional briefings. CTED will continue to pay increased attention to new and emerging threats and trends, and strengthen its efforts to assist Member States to address new risks deriving from international arms trafficking via the Internet and across borders. Just last week, Mr. President, under your leadership and stewardship as Chair of the Committee, CTED finalized the updated version of the Technical Guide to the Implementation of Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) , 1624 (2005), 2178 (2014) and other relevant Council resolutions and decisions. The Technical Guide serves as a comprehensive and unique reference tool, both for CTED and for Member States, in our joint efforts to counter a broad range of terrorist threats, including access to weapons. Preventing and eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists is a complex task, but rest assured that CTED will continue to strengthen its engagement with the United Nations entities and international and regional organizations, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, to assist Member States in denying terrorists access to weapons.

I thank Mr. Weixiong Chen for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Roux.

I deliver this briefing on behalf of our Secretary-General, Mr. Jürgen Stock. (spoke in English) It is a great privilege to address the Security Council once again. I would like to thank the Egyptian presidency for convening this meeting and for their recognition of the role of the INTERPOL in this framework. Preventing foreign terrorist fighters from accessing weapons is of utmost importance and is one of the five action streams in INTERPOL’s Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. We have been reminded time and again that no country can claim itself immune from the threat. Yet this also means that we can all be part of the effort to stop their movement and break the supply. It is vital to mobilize international cooperation, not only across regions, but also across action domains ranging from international and domestic legislation to police work in the field. I therefore welcome Egypt’s initiative to bring this issue to the forefront of discussions at the United Nations, and I look forward to the outcomes of today’s meeting. Although neither weapons nor their use by terrorists are new phenomena, today’s threat landscape is one of unprecedented complexity. Convergence is the keyword — convergence between organized crime and terrorism; between old and new technologies; between military and law enforcement. We see firearms used in conflict zones reappear on the streets of major cities; legal commercial products turned into components for improvised explosive devices; and guns manufactured decades ago found reactivated and for sale in the marketplaces of the Dark Web. In parallel, foreign terrorist fighters may be exploiting the tactics and knowledge learned from the battlefield; the contacts and supply chains of organized crime groups they often used to belong to; and technology allowing the creation of modular firearms and 3D printing to access and use weapons. The challenge may seem daunting. Where can we start in tackling these threats? There are many crucial actions that the international community can undertake with the support and expertise of the United Nations. Standardizing end- user export controls, ensuring secure stockpile management and strengthening and implementing strong national legislation are all essential steps. Yet like the Secretary General of the world’s largest law enforcement organization, and as a police officer myself, I must look at weapons trafficking from a narrower but equally pivotal focus on what frontline officers can do to prevent foreign terrorist fighters (FTF) from acquiring weapons and how international policing can assist them. The first step involves tracing the weapon back to its source. That is where every single gun turns from being a threat into an asset for the purpose of police investigations. The gun might turn out to be part of an arsenal discovered by the military in a conflict zone. It might be found at the crime scene of an armed robbery or a murder. It might be recovered on a suspect or in the trunk of a car. Traditionally, investigations would end at that point, with the seizure of a firearm. INTERPOL suggests that the recovery of a weapon is just the beginning. Until proven otherwise, a gun used in the commission of a crime must be considered as part of a larger scheme, not an isolated piece of evidence. INTERPOL has developed a firearms recovery protocol, which has been made available to all member countries and provides a guide to obtaining the necessary intelligence and investigative leads to trace the source of the supply. The questions for any investigator are simple but fundamental. First, who has had contact with the firearm? To answer that question, the identifying data obtained from the gun’s exterior — the make, model, calibre, and serial number — should be checked so as to find its status and transaction history. INTERPOL’s Illicit Arms Record and Tracing Management System (iARMS) can be used to search and trace lost, stolen, smuggled or trafficked firearms internationally. For instance, the iARMS platform was used to issue trace requests in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks. More recently, INTERPOL-coordinated operations in the Balkans and Eastern Europe have shown how international tracing can become a multiplier, thereby leading to new weapon recoveries and arrests. In parallel, latent fingerprints and DNA can also be examined, where possible, through using INTERPOL’s forensic databases, as well. The next question is — in which crimes has the gun been used? The ballistics data from inside the gun can be used to link crimes, guns and suspects, whether through domestic ballistic comparison or across borders. In such cases, the INTERPOL Ballistic Information Network provides a means by which to conduct international searches to determine if the same gun was used in multiple crimes and crime scenes across different countries. The intelligence generated can help track a gun used in a crime to a trafficker and cut off a supply of firearms. Every hit in the system and every subsequent link count. That is how key individuals can be identified, new trafficking routes detected and responses designed. Secondly, we are focused on the weapons. We should never forget about the individuals. They are the ones driving the demand and ultimately putting those commodities to use. Preventing foreign terrorist fighters’ access to weapons also builds on preventing their mobility across borders and achieving positive identification in the field. In that regard, I must emphasize once again the need to strengthen and integrate border management in compliance with resolution 2178 (2014). Since its adoption, we have witnessed FTF-related information sharing through INTERPOL channels increase dramatically. That momentum can be seized by maximizing the use of INTERPOL’s first-line screening tools for travel documents and nominals at all borders in members’ respective jurisdictions so as to set up a tripwire and an early warning system against terrorist mobility. The same applies to known weapons traffickers who may be moving abroad to coordinate shipments and manage their operations, whether upstream towards the source, or downstream for distribution. If flagged through INTERPOL channels, any random search or border control may lead to the detection, identification and apprehension of such high-value players. In a nutshell, strong borders and improved coordination are the first defence in both FTF interdiction and preventing the illegal, cross-border movement of weapons. The capabilities, which I have described, hold enormous potential in assisting law enforcement officers to prevent terrorist access to weapons. Yet in order to be unleashed, that requires proactive action. The databases must be populated, the trace requests sent and responded to, and the access to secure information system extended to border control points and other key frontline locations. I would respectfully ask each of the delegations represented here to reach out to their respective capitals and national security services and inquire whether that potential is being maximized at a time of unprecedented threats. INTERPOL stands ready to assist all member countries represented here today in that endeavour.

I thank Mr. Roux for his briefing. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2370 (2017). I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Egypt. First of all, I would like to express my appreciation to all those who participated in a constructive and positive manner in the negotiations that led to the adoption today of the important resolution 2370 (2017), especially as it is the first resolution of its kind to address in detail the problemterrorists from acquiring weapons. The importance of this issue made the Egyptian chairmanship of the Counter-Terrorism Committee eager to organize a briefing on the subject within the framework of the CTC in May 2017, with the participation of all United Nations Members and the relevant organizations. Based on the conclusions of that briefing, the Egyptian Mission was able to develop the first version of the resolution that was just adopted, withEgypt’s commitment to taking into account the opinions and recommendations of every State, including those that are not members of the Security Council, while designing policies on counter-terrorism under its auspices. Arming terrorists and terrorist groups is an extremely serious issue. I would even say that it involves a crime that is no less horrible than the terrorist act in and of itself. Providing terrorists with weapons means directly supplying them with the means that they will use to kill, destroy and terrorize populations, including women and children. It is therefore necessary for the international community, represented by the United Nations, to face up to this issue in earnest and decisively, and hold to account all of those who supply weapons to terrorists and terrorist groups. In that regard, resolution 2370 (2017), just adopted, contains very important provisions at the national and international levels. Indeed, the resolution reaffirms the commitment of all States to preventing the provision of weapons to terrorists and, in that respect, it emphasizesthe need to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. The resolution stipulates that the Council will address cases of failure to implement its resolutions. Furthermore, it reiterates the need to prevent and avoid the smuggling of arms to terrorists in conflict zones. It reaffirms the importance of strengthening cooperation to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons via the Internet or social networks. The resolution stresses the importance of international judicial cooperation and law enforcement to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons. The resolution requests that the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, as well as the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Al-Qaida, each within its respective areas of competence, to give the necessary priority and focus to the issue of preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. We take this opportunity to restate what we have often said in the past regarding the need for the full implementation of Security Council resolutions, in particular those on counter-terrorism. We reiterate the need for the Security Council to hold those States that do not comply with the relevant resolutions accountable. All Council members should work to develop the political will within the Council to ensure that rogue States are held accountable when they expressly violate its resolutions. In the past as now, Egypt has suffered, directly and indirectly, at the hands of certain States that support, arm and finance terrorists. That is what has led Egypt, in addition to its ongoing counter-terrorism efforts, to present the comprehensive and multidimensional vision of the counter-terrorism issue that was laid out in the statement delivered by President Al Sisi at the Riyadh Summit in May. Egypt also stresses the need for all States to comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, which request the international community and individual States to fight terrorism and the regimes that support it by all means compatible with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. In conclusion, I can assure Council members that Egypt will remain committed to being at the vanguard of international efforts to fight and defeat terrorism, while respecting international law, human rights and the rule of law. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I give the floor to the other members of the Council who wish to make statements.

I would like to begin by expressing my thanks to Ambassador Liu Jieyi and his team for a very successful presidency last month, and to welcome Ambassador Nebenzia, our new Russian colleague, to the Security Council. I should like to wish you, Sir, all the very best for the month ahead as President of the Security Council. You have got us off to a flying start with the unanimous adoption of resolution 2370 (2017) today, which the United Kingdom is very pleased to support. I hope that you have started the month as you mean to go on, because there is a lot to do together and we need to maintain the unity and activism of this morning as we grapple wth the challenges of the month ahead. There is no greater challenge than the unrelenting scourge of terrorism. It is a threat that we all face and that we must all unite to defeat. Through the resolution adopted today, we have committed to taking practical steps to do just that, first, by stopping terrorists’ deadly use of explosive devices, and secondly by stopping their illegal supply of small arms and light weapons. We need only look to Mosul — to its ruined buildings and ruined lives — to see that these weapons and explosives are crucial enablers of the brutality of groups like Da’esh. Over three years, Da’esh used small arms and light weapons and explosive devices to impose its sick ideology on the people of Mosul, systematically persecuting anyone who dared to stand in its way. Three years on, thanks to the bravery of the Iraqi security forces, Da’esh has now been defeated in Mosul. But not content with years of brutality, Da’esh has left behind a bitter, bloody legacy for those returning home — a city littered with booby traps and other improvised explosive devices (IEDs). We must make no mistake — the indiscriminate use of these devices goes against the basic tenets of international humanitarian law and the basic tenets of human decency. That is why the United Kingdom is committed to developing practical approaches that reduce the use and availability of improvised explosive devices. It is why we have committed to spending $129 million over the next three years to tackle the problem of IEDs, explosive remnants of war and land mines. And it is why we are committed to developing an effective and informed network across the international community that will help track key components and prevent the manufacturer of these devices. In parallel, we need to do more to combat the illicit trafficking and, crucially, the diversion of small arms and light weapons. It is not enough just to investigate and dispose of illicit weapons; we must prevent the moment when a legal weapon becomes diverted to illegal use. The Arms Trade Treaty remains the most important instrument at our disposal to do that. It is a robust, effective, legally binding treaty, and one that took years to agree. We must use it to its fullest extent, drawing on its transparent and consistent standards to regulate the global arms trade. I therefore strongly urge all States to join the Arms Trade Treaty. The Council has already made a call on the international community to consider signing and ratifying that vital instrument, captured in the most comprehensive resolution adopted on small arms and light weapons — resolution 2220 (2015). I deeply regret that we were unable today to repeat that call unanimously, but we may rest assured that the Arms Trade Treaty will remain central to the United Kingdom’s approach to preventing irresponsible trafficking in arms. Before I cede the floor, I think it is important to recognize that the words in resolution 2370 (2017) are only as good as their implementation outside the Chamber. As an example, it is simply not good enough to express our support for arms embargoes mandated by the Security Council in the resolution if we are unwilling to make them a reality in areas of genuine need around the world. If we look at South Sudan, last year the Council had a real chance to take steps to lessen the carnage caused by the uncontrolled flow of weapons there, and yet when we voted to impose an arms embargo we failed. The United Kingdom maintains that it is long past time for us to return to that issue, and when we do I hope that we will channel some of the fervour for arms embargoes that we found in the resolution adopted today.

I would like to begin, Mr. President, by congratulating you at the outset of the Egyptian presidency and thanking the Chinese delegation once again for its capable leadership of the Security Council’s work in July. I am also grateful for the words of support taddressed to me and to my colleagues. I have already had the opportunity to assure my colleagues that I have come here with the hope and intention of working constructively with them with the aim of helping to solve the problems facing the international community. It so happens that the first official meetings of both the General Assembly and the Security Council that I have had the opportunity to participate in as Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation have been devoted to the issue of combating terrorism. For our country, the topic is an absolute priority for the forum of the United Nations, where we must all work diligently to unite the international community’s efforts to confront that universal evil. We are grateful to Egypt for organizing today’s meeting and to today’s briefers for their substantive contributions to our discussion. We would like to highlight the activities of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate in proposing and providing specialized technical assistance. We firmly believe that the United Nations system’s newly created Office for Counter-Terrorism will enable us to expand their work’s impact, and the efforts that have been undertaken through INTERPOL and other specialized organizations are significant in that regard. My delegation supported the Council’s adoption today of resolution 2370 (2017), on the issue of weapons falling into terrorists’ hands. As the resolution notes, States should work to suppress any kind of support to terrorists, including commercial, economic and financial ties. In laying out these provisions, the Security Council also urges all States to intensify their efforts to secure their borders. We hope that message will be heard. Despite the international community’s efforts, the massive flow of arms to terrorists from outside continues. The fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the other terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq has gone on almost as long as the Second World War, and in all that time, the militants have never experienced any disruption in their supply of arms and ammunition, including the most up-to-date types, and they continue to use these weapons. Only today the Russian Embassy in Damascus was again shelled from terrorist groups’ positions. Even with the effective offensive currently under way, ISIL’s resources, though reduced, are still unacceptably high. They can be enabled only through a large-scale, systematic, reliable supply of arms to terrorists that continues even now and would not be possible without the connivance, if not the assistance, of State organizations. The solution to the problem that we have consistently proposed for years is an initiative that would impose a comprehensive trade and economic embargo on territories controlled by ISIL, with the goal of banning the import and export of all goods to or from ISIL-controlled territories and imposing financial restrictions and strengthening border security in Syria and Iraq’s neighbours, because the information that we have shows that their border controls have been ineffective. Unfortunately, our proposals, which could significantly strengthen the impact of the resolution we have adopted today, have once again met with stubborn resistance from various delegations. Their unwillingness to go down the road of tightening controls on the circulation of arms in the region plays into the hands of international terrorism. We continue to be puzzled as to why this is the case and whose interests it serves. We are wasting an opportunity to make an effective joint decision. More than that, we are wasting time. The terrorists are exploiting this situation, preserving their combat potential and clearly assuming that some of their sponsors, including State structures, will continue to support them. Of course, international arms dealers such as, for example, private companies, significantly enhanced their activities on a background of the crises that have erupted in the Middle East and North Africa and that feed the wanton greed of the world’s notorious arms lords. In their pursuit of profits or political goals, suppliers frequently prefer to turn a blind eye to whatever the destination and purpose of the batch of arms they are exporting may be or whose hands it may ultimately end up in. The numerous middlemen operating in the market sometimes fail to exercise the appropriate responsibilityonsibility. States that have accumulated excessive stockpiles of small arms and light weapons are not always as careful as they should be with their supplies. The production of weapons under expired licences, or without a licence from the countries that own the relevant technology, continues to be a serious problem. With a view to solving these problems, we have repeatedly proposed strengthening the concrete national measures in Security Council resolutions that could significantly reduce the risk of small arms and light weapons falling into the hands of terrorist organizations. We note that in adopting today’s resolution, the Council has acknowledged the need for improving legislation in these areas, but any specifics have gone by the board. We all know that where there are military conflicts of this type, private companies can do only what States allowed them to do. Russia has sufficient information from trustworthy sources to confirm the fact that there are States that condone such activity and that a number of countries’ interested agencies, including special services, are frequently involved in supplying arms to terrorists. If necessary, we are ready to share particulars of that data. We consider such a state of affairs unacceptable and we will continue to take steps aimed at using the international community’s joint efforts to deal with it. In conclusion, we would once again like to affirm Russia’s willingness to cooperate multilaterally with the United Nations counter-terrorism entities, including on the problem of arms supplies, and we urge all delegations to work actively to that end.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on Egypt’s presidency of the Council for the month of August, and on starting it off in a very good way, especially for your negotiations on something that draw attention to an important issue such as this one, for which we thank you. We know that terrorists have many ways to get their hands on dangerous weapons. They divert legal arms transfers, take advantage of poorly secured stockpiles, seize weapons on the battlefield and get them through criminal networks. The Council’s adoption today of resolution 2370 (2017) is meant to address the many ways in which terrorists acquire arms. It calls on Member States to do more to strengthen export controls and assist other countries in destroying excess weapons. It highlights the importance of enhancing the physical security of weapons and stockpiles and of establishing tracing programmes for them. It trains a spotlight on the murderous potential of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It encourages cooperation between the public and private sectors in preventing the transfer of IEDs, drones and light weapons to terrorist organizations. Most importantly, it calls attention to the obligation of all nations, particularly those that profess concerns about weapons falling into terrorists’ hands, to enforce United Nations arms embargoes. The Security Council has been clear in prohibiting arms transfers to Yemen, Somalia and other places. And yet we know that weapons continue to flow across borders in open violation of the Council’s resolutions. For some Member States, this is an issue of extreme hypocrisy. For all of us, it is an unacceptable stain on the Council’s authority that must be removed. It is true that in recent months we have made great progress against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS) and Al-Qaida. We are pleased that regional partners have taken steps to improve their ability to cut ISIS off from financial and material support. But it is not merely some members’ failure to take action that is enabling weapons to find their way to terrorists. One country stands out for its deliberate and systematic contributions of arms, training and funding to terrorist groups. One country uses its support to terrorist proxies as a way to conduct its foreign policy and compensate for its own weakness. That country is Iran. The United States first designated Iran a State sponsor of terrorism in 1984. Its training, funding and arming of terrorists has continued unabated to this day. Terrorist proxies are doing the Iranian regime’s will in Iraq and Syria. Iran also supports Hamas and Bahraini terrorist groups. Through its partner Hizbullah, Iran is engaged in preparing for war in Lebanon. It is building an arsenal of weapons and battle-hardened troops. We applaud the message at the heart of today’s resolution that says that the international community must work together and do more to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists. But I encourage the Council to be aware that weapons do not always just “fall” into the hands of terrorists. Too often, they are pushed. That is the threat that we face today in Iran and it is a threat that no amount of technical cooperation or security upgrades will diminish. As long as we allow the Iranian regime to violate the Council’s prohibitions with impunity, Iran will be a source of weapons to terrorist groups that will only grow in volume and destructive capability. The United States will continue to raise the issue of Iraninan non-compliance with international obligations at every opportunity.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Egypt on assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of August. It has laid out a very comprehensive coverage of key items on our agenda. Likewise, I offer our most sincere appreciation to the Chinese presidency for its very capable and outstanding stewardship of the Council in July. I also congratulate and welcome Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia as the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation and look forward to working with his delegation to take the work of the Council forward. Our delegation offers its condolences to Afghanistan for the most recent terrorist attack in Herat province and, like others, we condemn the attack in the strongest terms. Our thoughts are with the families of the victims and we wish a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack. The delegation of Kazakhstan welcomes the adoption of resolution 2370 (2017) on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, which was put forth by Egypt. The resolution will significantly enhance our effectiveness in countering the illicit arms flow and monitoring the arms embargo. It will also contribute to the efforts of the United Nations in the framework of the Arms Trade Treaty and implementing resolution 2220 (2015) on the illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons. We are convinced that the only effective way to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists and terrorist groups is to create and effectively implement relevant norms at the national, regional and international levels. The international community needs to expand its cooperation and interactions in order to include a more rapid and timely exchange of information providing, if necessary, full support to carry out activities to identify and prevent the acquisition of arms or suppress the intentions of terrorists to illegally acquire weapons. That collaboration should be at the regional and global levels. It should involve the mechanisms of international and regional organizations, primarily the United Nations system, including sanctions committees. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Monitoring Team of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida,and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, along with other sanctions committees, play an important role. In addition, it is necessary to take measures to disclose and eliminate sources of the financing of terrorist groups and their accomplices. Particular attention should be paid to strengthening national expert control mechanisms. When exporting weapons and dual-use technologies, mandatory verification of end-user certificates should be carried out in strict compliance with sanctions regimes for the supply of weapons. Despite the fact that resolution 2370 (2017) updated provisions related to strengthening control over and preventing conventional weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists, it is appropriate to highlight the efforts and aspirations of terrorist groups to obtain weapons of mass destruction. Therefore, it is necessary to raise levels of security in order to protect facilities containing nuclear, chemical and biological materials, as well as their components and manufacturing technologies. It is necessary to strengthen control and determine appropriate conditions for personnel who are allowed to work with them. Kazakhstan pays special attention to the physical protection of nuclear facilities and infrastructure, as well as other facilities that have abundant potential to draw criminal and terrorist groups interested in acquiring nuclear and other materials for creating dirty bombs. Kazakhstan is a committed member of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which was launched by the United States of America and the Russian Federation in order to strengthen the interaction of the international community in preventing nuclear materials from falling into the hands of terrorists. As part of the global fight against the illicit trade in conventional arms and their transfer and use for terrorist purposes, we believe that the following important tools should be used. First, we must improve domestic procedures for issuing permits for the transfer of conventional weapons. We must also improve the reporting of all States. That includes harmonizing legislation among countries of the region, helping countries in passing national legislation and with their ability to take action, strengthening control over the targeted use, transfer and supply of conventional weapons, as well as ensuring liability provided for by national laws for violations. We must improve customs mechanisms and legislation and strengthen control over borders in order to prevent trafficking across countries. That can be done through the training of specialists and providing equipment. It is also necessary to support all forms of capacity- building between States through bilateral cooperation, North-South cooperation, South-South cooperation and trilateral cooperation. Therefore, Kazakhstan stands ready to join the multilateral effort to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons that imperil peace and security.

Let me join others in congratulating Egypt on assuming the presidency for the month of August. We wish Egypt all the best. I would also like to thank the Chinese delegation for an impressively effective presidency in July. I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome our new colleague, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia as the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation. I would like to thank Egypt for organizing today’s briefing. I would also like to thank the briefers for their valuable presentations. International terrorism is clearly one of the greatest threats to international peace and security. The fight against terrorism requires greater cooperation across national borders and across policy areas. In that regard, we thank Egypt for introducing resolution 2370 (2017), which was just adopted. A coordinated response is necessary in order to eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists and to prevent the illicit trade of weapons. The relevant national law enforcement agencies need to cooperate and share information in order to combat illicit firearms trafficking, as well as to ensure adequate marking and tracing procedures for weapons. The full implementation of existing multilateral agreements, such as the Arms Trade Treaty; the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects; the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons; and the United Nations Firearms Protocol are also essential in preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. Moreover, Security Council arms embargos must be fully respected and properly implemented, in accordance with relevant resolutions and legal instruments. Today, we would have liked to see the Council urge all Member States to accede to the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) . The ATT is the first legally binding instrument for the regulation of the international arms trade. In order to achieve the effective control of arms flows, it is important that all arms-producing countries accede to the Treaty. Illegal arms are usually start off as legally produced and traded weapons. However, their irresponsible export can cause as much damage as and lead to illegal flows. Furthermore, it is crucial that importing countries join the ATT, as inadequate control leads to the diversion of arms to the illegal market. Transit countries should also join, as they risk becoming unwitting links in the physical shipment of arms to conflict areas. Resolution 1540 (2004) is also a very important resolution in that context. It aims to stop non-State actors, notably terrorists, from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Resolution 2370 (2017) constitutes an important complement to resolution 1540 (2004), since it encompasses conventional arms and the illicit flows of small arms and light weapons, as well as explosive elements for the manufacture of improvised explosive devises. In conclusion, let me underline that all counter- terrorism measures must be carried out in accordance with international law, including international human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law, as reiterated in numerous resolutions. Human rights and fundamental freedoms, online as well as offline, and open societies are critical for fostering resilience against terrorism. Member States working together, based on these agreed norms and standards, is the only and most effective way to counter the great threat of international terrorism. Our hope is that resolution 2370 (2017), which we have just adopted, and this meeting will contribute to those efforts.

At the outset, allow me to echo the words of gratitude and congratulations directed to Ambassador Liu Jieyi for the excellent work carried out during China’s presidency of the Security Council in July. I also congratulate you, Mr. President, and your team on your assumption of the presidency of the Council and assure you of our support and my delegation’s readiness to cooperate with you. We, too, welcome the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vasilly Nebenzia. I wish also to thank Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Mr. Jehangir Khan, Officer in Charge of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; Mr. Weixiong Chen, Deputy Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Mr. Emmanuel Roux, Special Representative of INTERPOL to the United Nations. I wish also to thank the Egyptian presidency for having submitted to the Council resolution 2370 (2017), which we deem particularly important given the current context and the global challenges that we are facing. We congratulate Egypt on the work it did to ensure the unanimous adoption of the resolution, which is a clear reflection of the spirit of cooperation that we must maintain in order to confront the scourge of terrorism. We express our support for the ongoing efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, as well as the recently created United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. The Plurinational State of Bolivia, in line with its policies aimed at peace, categorically condemns all acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation and wherever and by whomsoever committed, as this is one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. That is why we stress the urgency of implementing the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Bolivia is Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), which is charged with promoting efforts to strengthen the exchange of information and knowledge between United Nations entities and international organizations, with the specific purpose of ensuring that States, inter alia, refrain from supplying any kind of support to non-State actors attempting to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use, in this case, nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their delivery systems. The Committee therefore seeks to promote international cooperation, and the resolution that we have just adopted is, as has been noted, a fitting complement to the Committee’s mandate. My country wishes also to underscore the content of resolution 2370 (2017), which stresses the need for inter-State cooperation aimed at preventing any kind of active or passive support for entities or individuals involved in terrorist acts. We reaffirm the need for States to combat this human scourge by all peaceful means set out in the Charter of the United Nations and stress that measures to prevent it must be in line with the obligations incumbent upon us by under international law and the relevant international conventions and protocols, in particular human rights conventions, refugee law and international humanitarian law. However, we believe that such cooperation and technical assistance should be provided at the request of States and should not be viewed as another element of interference or political exploitation, and should be specifically aimed at building national capacities. Bolivia believes that the international community’s responsibility to combat this global problem must be based on a common but differentiated approach in which weapons-producing countries must acknowledge their own responsibility, which differs from that of those countries that suffer the consequences of the broad availability of weapons that undermine peace and threaten the lives of people living on the territories affected as a result of weapons being obtained by those who intend to carry out terrorist acts. We deplore the fact that some international treaties do not address the structural causes of this issue. Weapons manufacturing is focused on profit and promotes human suffering. Bolivia rejects war and along with it the entire industry that funds it. Today we must focus on preventing the sale of weapons to those intending to commit terrorist acts. To that end Bolivia, in the context of the preventive measures that it has taken, enacted in 2013 a law regulating firearms, munitions, explosives and other related materials. The goal of the law is to ensure peaceful coexistence and safeguard the lives of the people and prevent, combat and punish crimes related to the illicit traffic of firearms as well as crimes against the security and defence of the State and civilian security by regulating the manufacture, import, export, storage and commercialization of firearms, munitions, explosives and other materials. In this context, we believe that in the context of preventive measures we should focus in particular on the financial mechanisms that make it possible to launder the profits of the illegal arms trade, including so-called tax havens. Terrorism today, both locally and globally, is the major challenge that we are facing, and it is for that reason that we call on the Security Council to unite its efforts to combat this scourge through greater international cooperation, with full respect for international law and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Italy welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2370 (2017), adopted today, as a substantial step forward in the international community’s commitment to combat the scourge of terrorism. It is a very good way, Sir, to start your presidency, on which we congratulate you and wish you all the best. We wish also to thank Ambassador Liu Jieyi and his team for their remarkable presidency in July. If I may say so, it is good to have among us so important a colleague and one with the name of one of the main characters of Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, which is one of the best operas ever written, so I congratulate Ambassador Liu Jieyi. I also warmly welcome Ambassador Nebenzia; we are ready to work together as usual. I should like also to take this opportunity to thank our four briefers from New York and Vienna for their important contributions to our discussion. Illegal trafficking in weapons is a threat to peace and security in every region of the world. Every day we see the consequences of the ease with which individual criminals and organized groups, including terrorist groups, obtain and make use of such tools. The illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons contribute to instability and security and continue to undermine the effectiveness of States’ development efforts. According to the World Bank, illicit trafficking in weapons represents one of the most profitable activities of organized criminal groups. The revenue generated through this illegal market is equal to 20 per cent of the legal arms trade. Weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists because of poor stockpile security and weak border control. The activities of foreign terrorist fighters further increase the probability that weapons and ammunition will cross borders. In recent years the international community has also been confronted with the threat posed by the increasing use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), particularly by non-State armed groups and rogue individuals. Such IED attacks deliberately target concentrations of civilians so as to achieve maximum lethality, terror and social disruption. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has used IEDs since its inception. However, despite sustained military pressure, the group has been able to develop a capacity to assemble such devices on an industrial scale and, as current Chair of the Mine Action Support Group, we have seen the proliferation of these instruments and the creativity shown in that respect. Terrorists’ access to small arms and light weapons has also been facilitated by the spread of an online marketplace. The illegal sale of arms on the dark Web presents challenges for law enforcement agencies and national Governments. The anonymity enabled by that platform makes preventing illegal trade and linking it to specific individuals extremely difficult. Last May, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate held an open briefing aimed at analysing and discussing emerging threats, trends and developments relating to preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons and to identifying gaps in Member States’ efforts to address those issues. During the briefings, the experts underlined, inter alia, links between organized crime and terrorism in illicit trafficking, including trafficking in weapons, as well as the need for an integrated approach. In resolution 2322 (2016), the Security Council stated that it counts on States to continue sharing information on individuals and entities implicated in terrorist activity, in particular their supply of weapons and certain material support. INTERPOL highlighted a tool that enables information exchange and enhanced cooperation among law-enforcement agencies with regard to the international movement of illicit firearms and licit firearms that have been involved in committing a crime. Italy has actively participated with the European Union in elaborating ways to curb the destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons and their ammunition, and we will continue to offer our cooperation to interested States, in particular on the role of up-to-date technologies and on best practices in physical security and stockpile management, in addition to the marking and tracing of weapons. However, it is important to recall the need to guarantee a clear-cut separation between the legal manufacturing and marketing of arms as opposed to their illegal versions, which hamper the authorities’ control and contribute, among other things, to financing and participation in criminal and terrorist groups. In that regard, the Arms Trade Treaty represents a balanced, broad-based text, resulting from a comprehensive and inclusive negotiation process in which the views of all Member States have been reflected. That instrument has the potential to significantly contribute to international peace and security by regulating the international trade in conventional arms, making it more responsible and transparent and eradicating illicit trafficking. In conclusion, Italy looks forward to working together with partners and relevant stakeholders towards a stronger outcome in the next 2018 Small Arms and Light Weapons Review Conference, which should present an opportunity to reinforce our common action aimed at preventing terrorists from accessing those types of weapons.

I would like to join others in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency for the month of August, and I assure you of our fullest cooperation and support in the effective discharge of your responsibilities. I also wish to express appreciation to you for organizing this briefing on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. We are grateful to all the speakers for their informative briefings. Ethiopia commends Egypt for its leadership in facilitating the negotiation on resolution 2370 (2017) and welcomes its unanimous adoption. I would also like to express, more formally, my appreciation to Ambassador Liu Jieyi and China for their very successful presidency last month. I would also like to say how pleased we are to welcome the Russian Permanent Representative, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya. Access by terrorists to weapons, both conventional weapons and small arms and light weapons, poses a serious threat to the maintenance of peace and security, particularly in the context of countries affected by conflict. We endorse all that the President said when speaking in his national capacity. The proliferation of weapons that end up in the hands of terrorists has increased, mainly owing to transnational organized crime, poor border management, illicit arms-trafficking, including using the Internet, and gaps in export control and end-user verification. That, in turn, continues to pose a significant challenge to the implementation of the mandates of peacekeeping missions, the provision of humanitarian assistance and the protection of civilians. The threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), particularly in the context of asymmetrical warfare, continues to lead to enormous challenges. For instance, in Somalia, IEDs are an increasingly mortal component of the al-Shabab arsenal as they become larger and more sophisticated, inflicting loss of life on civilians and peacekeepers. They also continue to threaten the operations of humanitarian organizations, as well as the safety, security and livelihoods of internally displaced persons returning to their homes. That is mainly associated with the illicit flow of explosive elements in dual-use items that could be used for the manufacture of IEDs, and with gaps in controlling and regulating their use. Those growing threats, resulting mainly from the increased supply of weapons, require all Member States to adopt a comprehensive approach that would integrate and coordinate their measures at the national, regional and international levels, as appropriate, and enhance their cooperation. The cross-border and international nature of the challenge also requires all of us to adopt a multilateral response, complimenting measures taken at the national level by Member States within their jurisdictions. It is also critical for Member States to address some of the challenges in the context of broader disarmament discussions. It is in that context that we recognize the importance of various measures incorporated in resolution 2370 (2017), which we adopted today, aimed at eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists within the framework of resolution 1373 (2001). Resolution 1373 (2001) imposes a Chapter VII legal obligation on all Member States to refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive, to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, which includes the elimination of the supply of weapons to terrorists. It requires Member States to take concrete measures to refrain from providing any form of support, which may include financing, training or harbouring terrorists. It also requires Member States to prevent terrorists from acquiring conventional weapons and small arms and light weapons. It is therefore important for the Council to take into account the multi-faceted aspects of direct or indirect support to terrorists and adopt a broader outlook when addressing the issue of the access to weapons by terrorists as called for by resolution 2370 (2017). In that regard, I would like to underline the critical role that the various sanctions committees can and should play in ensuring the proper implementation of relevant arms embargoes and in eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists. I would like to conclude by reiterating our firm commitment to the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and by expressing our readiness to work with all the relevant actors in the implementation of the important resolution 2370 (2017) to prevent and eliminate the supply of weapons to terrorists.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of August. We are confident that under your and your team’s guidance the Council will be very effective in its work during the month. China will fully cooperate with the presidency. I thank members of the Council for their expressions of appreciation to China during our presidency of the Council last month. We thank members of the Council for their cooperation. I welcome the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, to the United Nations. China appreciates the Egyptian initiative in convening this meeting, and thanks the briefers: Executive Directors Fedotov and Khan, Acting Executive Director of Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate Chen, and INTERPOL Special Representative Roux. China welcomes the unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 2370 (2017), and we thank Egypt for the important efforts it has made in that connection. We hope that the resolution will further facilitate the strengthening of cooperation and taking comprehensive measures within the international community aimed at cutting off the channels that enable terrorist organizations to acquire weapons, thereby safeguarding regional and international peace and security: First, the international community must use uniform standards in combating terrorism so as to plug loopholes that may make weapons available to terrorist organizations. The various Security Council resolutions clearly stipulate that all States shall refrain from providing any form of support, including weapons, to entities and persons involved in terrorist acts. All States should fully and strictly implement the relevant Council resolutions, giving particular effect to the provisions on the arms embargo and the monitoring mechanism. Only through Council-defined uniform standards and comprehensive and effective measures can we cut off the pathways through which terrorist organizations acquire weapons. We must plug all loopholes that allow the transfer of weapons between terrorist organizations or give them opportunities to undertake terrorist acts. Secondly, Member States should play their appropriate role by assuming their primary responsibility to prevent terrorist organizations from acquiring weapons. All countries must, within their jurisdiction, exercise enhanced control and supervision over weapons production, storage and transportation, and their transfer. Countries must suppress any illicit arms trade, trafficking and smuggling, which supply weapons to terrorist organizations. Countries should also continuously improve their legislation, regulations and administrative processes so as to establish an international institutional framework that is guaranteed to prevent terrorist organizations from acquiring weapons from arms-trafficking criminal networks. Thirdly, Member States should step up international and regional counter-terrorist cooperation forming synergies and interconnectivities aimed at preventing terrorist organizations from acquiring weapons. Countries should enhance the sharing and exchange of information pertaining to the ways and means by which terrorist organizations buy weapons. We must draw on one another’s good practices and experience in combating illegal trafficking and the transfer and production of weapons and improvised explosive devices. The United Nations counter-terrorism entities should focus on the new trends and characteristics identified in counter-terrorism efforts, and the Organization should fully play its role as a coordinator in multilateral counter-terrorism efforts. Moreover, at the request of Member States, those entities should provide technical support in order to build up their capacity in that regard. It is imperative to step up efforts and cooperation in blocking the use of the Internet and social media by terrorists in acquiring weapons and funds. China participates actively in many multilateral mechanisms, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum. The 17th meeting of the heads of State of the SCO was recently held in Kazakhstan. At that summit, the SCO Convention on Countering Extremism was signed. China called for enhancing the regional counter-terrorism mechanism and offered once again to host the SCO online counter- terrorism exercise. That shows that China and other relevant countries are making efforts to enhance regional counter-terrorism initiatives. China looks forward to the translation of the outcome of this meeting today into new measures to strengthen international counter-terrorism cooperation.

At the outset, I would like to join others in congratulating Egypt on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. I thank the delegation of Egypt for convening today’s meeting and also thank the briefers for their insightful inputs for our discussion. So far this year we have witnessed a rather effective international campaign aimed at dismantling the core of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in the Middle East and at weakening its presence in other parts of the world, mainly through resolute military efforts on the ground. However, that could not have been achieved without depriving terrorists of their sources of financing and especially weapons supplies. Significant progress on that track has been made in Iraq, Syria and in certain parts of Africa. Today, the persistence of the terrorist threat makes it imperative to strengthen existing mechanisms for the sake of prohibiting the acquisition, production, storage, transfer and use of weapons by terrorist groups. In that context, we consider today’s resolution 2370 (2017), which introduces a multifaceted approach linking two dimensions, namely, counter-terrorism and arms control, to be an important step in that direction. Although today’s resolution focuses mainly on small arms and light weapons as a primary tool used by terrorists in various regions of the world, there are also alarming signs that even more sophisticated weapons are within the reach of determined terrorist groups. To prevent them from acquiring such weapons, strict measures must be implemented at the national level to strengthen export and border controls, in particular regulations on the transfer of weapons and other sensitive military equipment or matériel, and to bolster financial intelligence cooperation. That relates, inter alia, to ensuring the protection and security of national stockpiles; addressing illicit brokering activities; the thorough checking of end- users’ backgrounds; tracing trade routes for weapons and identifying countries known as transshipment points for terrorist organizations; enhancing border security; and tracking suspicious money transfers. In that regard, we consider the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons, the International Tracing Instrument and the Arms Trade Treaty as important tools that can significantly contribute to that process and pave the way for resolving the problem of illicit trafficking in weapons in all its aspects, reduce the scale of terrorist violence and subsequently end the spread of this scourge worldwide. The international regime that seeks to curb arms supplies to terrorists runs into a problem when States that are supposed to uphold that regime turn out to be in breach of their international obligations and commitments in that regard. One of the most telling cases of our times is the continuing flooding of the occupied territories in eastern Ukraine with all kinds of weapon systems, all coming from the neighbouring State. Over 400 battle tanks, 840 armoured personnel vehicles, 200 multiple-launch rocket systems, 730 artillery systems and 400 air-defence units have been provided to terrorist organizations operating there. Those deadly supplies have been used to conduct devastating terrorist attacks, including, for example, the downing of Malaysian Airlines flight MH-17. The rhetorical question is, how did the terrorist organizations in Ukraine get weapons that surpass the armament stocks of many European States, or why do the terrorists not run out of munitions? Today, we adopted a document that clearly defines the scope of States’ obligations with regard to eliminating the supply of weapons to terrorists. Having unanimously backed today’s Security Council resolution, all countries around this table undertook to respect the obligation not to support and supply terrorists with weapons. We expect that all countries, first and foremost, those that voted for today’s resolution, will remain faithful to both the letter and spirit of the relevant norms of international law. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize the importance of bringing to justice those who knowingly engage in providing terrorists with weapons, funds and other types of assets. The suppliers of weapons and other sponsors and masterminds of terrorist activities should bear no lesser responsibility than those who perpetrate crimes on the ground.

The Senegalese delegation welcomes the holding of this Security Council meeting on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, which is being held at the very beginning of the Egyptian presidency and which we hope will be constructive. I can assure you, Sir, of the full support of the Senegalese delegation in the discharge of your important task. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our briefers today for the quality of their briefings, which reaffirm our conviction of the imperative need to prevent terrorists from acquiring all weapons at all costs, including conventional weapons, weapons of mass destruction and cyberweapons. I would, in that connection, like to thank Mr. Yury Fedotov, Mr. Jehangir Khan, Mr. Weixiong Chen and Mr. Emmanuel Roux. After having procured and transferred the funds necessary for financing their activities and having implemented an efficient communications strategy, including through the dark Net, and recruited and trained combatants to carry out operations, terrorist groups need to acquire the weapons and the technical and logistical means to execute their cynical plans. It was with that in mind that the Security Council, which is responsible for providing the international community with the means needed to prevent and, where relevant, eliminate those multiple threats, adopted several resolutions, including resolutions 1373 (2001) and 2195 (2014) on financing terrorist activities, resolution 2178 (2014) on the recruitment of foreign terrorist fighters, and resolution 2354 (2017) on a comprehensive international framework to counter- terrorism narratives, as well as travel bans that affect a number of terrorist groups. It is for those reasons that Senegal voted in favour of resolution 2370 (2017), which we have just unanimously adopted, with the hope that it can provide one of the missing pieces in the framework for preventing terrorism. Accordingly, I would like once again to thank the Egyptian delegation for having initially proposed it. In that resolution, the Security Council reaffirms its decision to prohibit all forms of support, whether active or passive, for entities or individuals involved in terrorist acts, including by eliminating every possible means of supplying such support to terrorists. The resolution calls on Member States to take the necessary legal measures against anyone who deliberately provides arms to terrorists and to ensure the secure management of small arms and light weapons, improve their traceability and strengthen capacities in the legal sphere, as well as in the technical area of border control. In the same vein, in calling on Member States to fully implement the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, the resolution pays particular attention to improvised explosive devices, as well as other non-conventional weapons. Accordingly, we welcome the attention accorded to arms embargoes in the resolution as an important means of controlling the influx of arma. The Senegalese delegation is, however, of the opinion that the resolution just adopted would have gained in scope had it integrated the obligation incumbent on Member States to prevent the direct or indirect delivery, the sale, and the transfer of weapons to terrorists originating in their territories or with regard to terrorism carried out by their citizens. Although it is not included in the text of the resolution, that obligation warrants the full attention of the Security Council at a time when we are intensifying our efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons. My country therefore regrets the resolution’s failure to mention disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes in countries and regions affected by conflict, while, even according to the fifth 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 that threat (S/2017/467), the return of foreign terrorist fighters to their country of origin or their immigration to other countries represents one of the most pressing challenges facing the international community. Given the growing number of conflicts throughout world, especially in Africa, we fear that terrorist groups and other combatants could use poorly executed disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes to their advantage so as to draw demobilized troops into their ranks, which is a possibility that could also aggravate the problem of porous borders. That is why in his 2006 report, entitled “Uniting against terrorism: recommendations for a global counter-terrorism strategy”, the Secretary- General warned, “In order to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons in conflict zones, it is critical to establish more stringent control over small arms and ammunition and to put in place more effective disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programmes” (A/60/825, para. 46). That speaks to the scale of the challenge to be overcome, which demands that the international community and, in particular the Security Council, take a holistic and integrated approach to ensuring consistency in the collective action of the Organization. With the adoption of increasingly complex resolutions, which are therefore becoming increasingly difficult to implement, we will never be able to emphasize enough the importance of better coordinating and pooling the work of all the components of the international community. In that regard, the establishment of the new Office of Counter-Terrorism is particularly important, with its five primary functions, including steering actions carried out through the various anti-terrorism mandates delivered by the General Assembly and reinforcing the coordination and consistency of the activities of the 38 United Nations bodies and external entities that constitute the special team to combat terrorism, which is responsible for the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. In conclusion, the Senegalese delegation would like to draw members’ attention to the importance of constructively disseminating and making accessible what is required in the fight against terrorism through the holding of seminars and regional workshops that provide information and training for the benefit of Member States, in particular the most disadvantaged Member States, namely, a manual of best practices on support and guidance for victims of terrorism. The series of regional meetings that the important Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), currently chaired most ably by Bolivia, has continued to hold worldwide is also focused on such awareness-raising and training. To conclude, my delegation would like, once again, to state that further efforts are necessary to finalize the drawing up and adoption of an international convention on counter-terrorism. The draft of that convention has been negotiated for decades within the United Nations, and its adoption is due.

At the outset, let me express my congratulations to Egypt for assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of August. At the same time, we would like to thank the Chinese delegation for its excellent stewardship of the Council during the month of July. We also would like to extend our welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya. We appreciate the briefings delivered by today’s distinguished briefers. We also thank the delegation of Egypt for the negotiation of the text of resolution 2370 (2017), which we adopted today. The resolution is of great relevance, because of the serious threat to international peace and security posed by the acquisition and use of weapons by terrorist groups and their links to transnational crime. We understand that it is the primary responsibility of States to adopt national standards aimed at strengthening controls over the possession and use of arms, as well as at controlling their export, import and transit, so as to prevent and combat illicit trafficking. We also consider that there is a shared responsibility on the part of all States to deal with such a global problem, whose resolution necessitates that we all cooperate. The development of national, bilateral, regional and international strategies forms an essential element in such necessary collective work. However, there is also a differentiated responsibility of States, since the very root of the problem lies in the production of and trade in arms. Consequently, the first responsibility lies with the States that carry out such activities. In that regard, I think it is worth remembering what the Uruguayan Foreign Minister, Rodolfo Nin Novoa, expressed on 25 May in his address to the Council, which recalled that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute had pointed out that the five permanent members of the Security Council provided 75 per cent of the volume of total arms exports from 2011 to 2015 (see S/PV.7951). As we have said on other occasions, Uruguay is a country committed to the fight against terrorism and disarmament. Uruguay is a party to 16 international instruments against terrorism and has signed and ratified existing regional and international treaties on disarmament and non-proliferation. At the national level, Uruguay has a law on the possession and marketing of and trafficking in firearms, ammunition, explosives and other related materials. Among other things, that law refers to the international trafficking in such weapons. It criminalizes trade in those arms from or through Uruguay’s national territory to any other State without obtaining the prior authorization of all the States concerned. At the sub-regional level, within the Common Southern Market (MERCOSUR), there are legal instruments in that domain, as well as a working group on firearms. The members of MERCOSUR and associated States participate in that group. Its objectives include establishing convergent regional security policies in order to facilitate information exchange and cooperation. At the regional level, the Organization of American States has also adopted key documents, such as the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials, the Bogota Declaration and the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean. At the international level, Uruguay is a party to the Arms Trade Treaty, which is currently the main instrument for the international regulation of the arms trade. For the sake of universalization, all States should accede to the Treaty. We also recognize the importance of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects. The problem of illicit trafficking in arms and their acquisition by terrorist groups and members of organized crime requires collective approaches and efforts. To that end, international cooperation and the provision of assistance should be strengthened, with special emphasis on building national capacities. Without those elements, the complex links between illicit trafficking in arms, terrorists and other transnational criminals can hardly be dismantled. It is necessary to increase cooperation among States in order to identify the routes and mechanisms of the circulation of arms, as well as to strengthen border controls. Uruguay reaffirms its commitment and cooperation in that task.

First of all, I would like to congratulate the Egyptian delegation for assuming the presidency of the Council for the month of August. We would also like to thank China for its excellent stewardship of the Council throughout July. We also would like to extend our welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya. Japan looks forward to working with him. We are witnessing an ever larger number of terrorist attacks around the world. Access to weapons increases the number of civilian casualties. Resolution 2370 (2017), which we have adopted today, calls upon Member States to enhance measures to prevent terrorists from acquiring weapons. As the resolution prescribes, it is important not only to strengthen our own capabilities, but also to support efforts in other countries. Allow me to provide a few examples that may be useful. Japan has been supporting capacity-building in Asia, as well as in the Middle East and Africa. We are working with the World Customs Organization (WCO), the International Criminal Police Organization, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other organizations to help South and South-East Asia enhance their ability to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs), as well as small arms and light weapons. In March, Japan provided $3.5 million to the WCO to help customs authorities in South and South-East Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands. Those funds will help them, at their land and sea borders, strengthen their investigative capabilities against the illicit trafficking in precursors to IEDs. We have also provided $1.5 million to prevent the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons through air cargo and postal services. In relation to today’s resolution, we emphasize that the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), which seeks to counter the illicit trade in conventional arms, provides an effective means of preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. Japan was one of the co-authors of the resolution that led to the establishment of the ATT (General Assembly resolution 67/234B). We believe strongly in its implementation and universalization. While the ATT was not incorporated in today’s Council resolution, we call upon countries who have not yet done so, particularly major arms-trade States, to ratify the ATT as soon as possible.

First of all, allow me to extend our welcome to the new Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya. We would also like to thank China for the remarkable way in which it conducted itself during its presidency of the Council in July. I would also like to thank Egypt for assuming the presidency for the month of August. We thank Egypt for having organized today’s important meeting and for having taken the initiative to put forth resolution 2370 (2017), which tries to tackle the problem of preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. Lastly, I would also like to thank the representatives of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the Office of Counter-Terrorism, INTERPOL and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for their informative briefings. Current events constantly remind us of the urgency and severity of the problem of the illicit arms trade, which, besides constituting a serious threat to international peace and security, fuels terrorist groups and provides them with the means to act that they need. France has had to confront it directly in the form of the terrorist attacks that have been occurred on its territory in the past few years, several of which were committed with small arms obtained through illicit transnational trade, and many other countries have been similarly affected. Beyond that, we are dealing with threats to the stability and development of many entire regions — the Sahel and the Middle East, to mention only two — as well as the viability of national reconciliation processes and people’s full exercise of their human rights. There are two types of such materials that have turned out to be particularly sensitive because they are well suited to the commission of terrorist acts — small arms and light weapons and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Resolution 2370 (2017), which we have just adopted unanimously, emphasizes them. France is taking special action regarding these weapons at various levels. The first is in the framework of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects, whose third Review Conference, which France will chair, will be held in New York in 2018. The Programme of Action is an appropriate framework for guiding our collective action that has already resulted in significant progress whereby many States have improved their small- arms legislation, assistance programmes have been established and regional organizations are taking better account of the problem. Despite those advances, however, many challenges remain. The Review Conference will provide an essential opportunity for making concrete progress in the fight against the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, including by ramping up the mobilization of all stakeholders in the security, arms control and development sectors, and by exploiting all the potential synergies between existing instruments. We are also working within the framework of the Arms Trade Treaty to improve regulation of the legitimate arms trade, and also through the Palermo Convention — under which France has begun its process of acceding to the Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition — as well as through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union and bilateral cooperation. With regard to IEDs in particular, France has also been very active in the General Assembly and in the context of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, as well as through bilateral cooperation. It is in the interests of all States Members of the United Nations to promote comprehensive mobilization on the political and administrative fronts, and of all civil-society stakeholders, with a view to combating the spread of small arms and light weapons in as many States as possible. That commitment is essential if we are to do as much as we can to prevent terrorist groups and individuals from acquiring the means for violent action. We should work on a number of different kinds of action on trafficking, both upstream of it — in order to prevent the distribution of weapons in the first place — and downstream, so as to interrupt existing flows. Such measures include developing adequate national legislation, reducing illicit stocks in circulation through collection and destruction campaigns, improving the security and physical management of arms and ammunition stocks and strengthening police and customs controls. Importantly, resolution 2370 (2017) encourages States to redouble their efforts in this area. At the international level, it is crucial to ensure that countries accede to and ratify the principal related international instruments, and France urges all countries to accede to the Arms Trade Treaty as soon as possible. I would like to conclude, Mr. President, by thanking you once again for giving us the opportunity to have this enriching and complex exchange on an issue that is a big priority for my country. France will continue to play its full part in the international community’s efforts to prevent terrorists from acquiring their means of attack. That means, among other things, that we must continue to be absolutely determined in the fight against every kind of traffic that is fueling terrorist groups, whether in weapons, narcotics or human beings.

There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.