S/PV.8059 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. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; and Mr. David Scharia, Officer-in-Charge of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. At this meeting, the Security Council will hear briefings by Mr. Voronkov, Mr. Scharia and Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, Permanent Representative of Egypt, in his capacity as the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism. I now give the floor to Mr. Voronkov. Mr. Voronkov: I would like to begin by thanking you, Sir, for organizing today’s important meeting, which marks the sixteenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). Allow me to start by remembering the tens of thousands of victims of terrorism around the world. It is an honour to brief the Security Council for the first time as Under-Secretary-General of the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT). I thank all 15 members of the Council for their strong support to the creation of the OCT — the very first reform initiative of Secretary-General Guterres. As he said last week in the General Assembly, “National and multilateral counter-terrorism efforts have indeed disrupted networks, reclaimed territory, prevented attacks and saved lives, but we need to intensify this work. Stronger international cooperation remains crucial against terrorism.” (A/72/PV.3, p. 2) I am strongly committed to the Secretary-General’s vision and look forward to working with the Security Council to achieve this goal. I would also like to express my gratitude for the able leadership shown by Ambassador Aboulatta of Egypt, as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. I look forward to working closely with the Committee and its Executive Directorate (CTED) to build a strong partnership among all General Assembly and Security Council-mandated bodies to promote the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and all relevant Security Council resolutions. The new Office of Counter-Terrorism established by the Secretary-General, which I head, intends to make a qualitative difference in our support to Member States by bringing leadership, mobilizing resources and developing, together with United Nations entities at Headquarters and in the field, a coherent and well- coordinated one-United Nations framework to counter- terrorism and prevent violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Support and assistance for Member States are the key words in this regard. In order to meet this goal, I intend to work closely with all States members of General Assembly, the Security Council and all other relevant organs and bodies of the United Nations. Listening and acting on their priorities will be my priority. That is why I held more than 50 high-level meetings with Member States and international and regional organizations last week. I also listened carefully to the statements delivered in the General Assembly, in which counter-terrorism was clearly one of the highest priorities for the majority of Member States. From these consultations and statements, we have already identified six key areas that are fully aligned with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Council’s priorities, namely, strengthening international counter-terrorism cooperation; preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism in the context of Pillar I of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy; addressing the terrorist use of the Internet; enhancing intercultural dialogue; addressing the threat of foreign terrorist fighters; and increasing the exchange of information and good counter-terrorism practices. I will continue listening in order to build, together with the Security Council and all relevant United Nations entities, an effective, future-oriented and balanced counterterrorism programme to support Member States. Since 2001, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate have resolutely contributed to supporting Member States in the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). Leveraging their respective comparative advantages, the United Nations Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) has also contributed significantly to that effort. Now it is high time to bring together our collective efforts. I therefore welcome the growing emphasis that the Security Council is placing, in its resolutions and presidential statements, on ensuring that United Nations entities work closely together in addressing the terrorist threat. This must be followed by concrete actions and initiatives, respectful of mandates and done in the spirit of collaboration from the very start. Allow me to cite four examples of what the two constituent parts of the OCT — the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, of which CTED is a core member, and the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre — are already doing. First, our 12 Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force inter-agency working groups represent a good example of counter-terrorism coordination in action. This means exchange of information, the identification of threats and challenges, and the development of all-of-United Nations projects. Our new Office of Counter-Terrorism intends to further mainstream the all-of-United Nations approach to our counter-terrorism efforts across the United Nations system both at Headquarters and the field. This strengthening of coordination and coherence will be the highest priority of the Office of Counter-Terrorism . Secondly, through our CTITF Foreign Terrorist Fighters Working Group, we have developed, as mandated by the Security Council, an all-of-United Nations CTITF foreign terrorist fighters capacity- building implementation plan that now includes over 50 projects from 13 United Nations entities, addressing the entire life cycle of the foreign terrorist fighters phenomenon. Leveraging CTED’s comparative advantages, capabilities and knowledge of Member States’ needs and priorities, these projects have been thematically and geographically ranked by their criticality so as to ensure an impact on the ground and efficient use of donor resources. Thirdly, as requested by the Council, the OCT United Nations Counter-Terrorism Centre is implementing the all-of-United Nations Integrated Assistance for Counter-Terrorism initiative in the Group of Five for the Sahel, as well as in Nigeria and Mali. In mapping the priorities and needs of those countries, close coordination and input from CTED have been critical. Fourthly, resolution 2242 (2015) calls for the greater participation and leadership of women in developing strategies to prevent terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism — a substantial component of Pillar I of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. As called for by the resolution, the CTITF is integrating gender as an all-of-United Nations cross-cutting issue in its work, and created a dedicated CTITF Inter-Agency Working Group on Gender, chaired by UN-Women. We must recognize that there are four important spheres of United Nations activity that need to be aligned if we are to effectively develop a coherent and well-coordinated all-of-United Nations framework for our future counter-terrorism efforts, namely, the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies, with their international peace and security mandate; the General Assembly, which brings together our common efforts through the consensus-based Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, its review resolutions and international counter-terrorism legal instruments; the Secretary- General and the Secretariat, which now includes the Office of Counter-Terrorism; and the 38 United Nations agencies, funds and programmes that directly or indirectly contribute to our efforts to counter terrorism and prevent violent extremism in support of the balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. These four spheres of United Nations activity will need to be more closely aligned if we are to build, as the Secretary-General stated before the General Assembly last week, “a new international counter-terrorism partnership” (A/72/PV.3, p. 2). For their part, Member States will also have to mobilize the political will and resources necessary to backstop this effort, especially through the full implementation of all relevant United Nations resolutions and counter-terrorism Conventions. Our new Office of Counter-Terrorism stands ready to be strongly engaged in this effort, and I look forward to hearing the Council’s views on how we can move forward together in pursuit of this goal. I commit to doing my utmost in this regard and thank all Council members for their support.

I thank Mr. Voronkov for his briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Scharia. Mr. Scharia: Allow me to begin by thanking the Ethiopian presidency and the Russian Federation for supporting the inclusion of this topic on the Council’s agenda and for inviting the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to address the Council. On behalf of CTED, I wish to congratulate Under- Secretary-General Voronkov on his appointment as head of the Office of Counter-Terrorism. CTED looks forward to strengthening its partnership with him and his Office. Sixteen years have passed since the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), and terrorism today still affects us all. No single country can claim to be invulnerable to it. As the Council is aware, since its establishment CTED has been tasked with providing the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC) with neutral and independent expert assessments of Member States’ implementation of that resolution and subsequent resolutions on counter-terrorism. One of the principal tools it uses is the country visit, a highly collaborative process that involves experts from many partner organizations. The visits are designed to help Member States develop an effective road map while also avoiding duplication of effort. Our assessments bring to the CTC and all our partners in New York and in the field the most updated assessment of Member States’ counter-terrorism situation. They also serve as a practical way to discuss current trends with national experts and to advise Member States on developing and implementing national counter-terrorism strategies. Since the beginning of the year, CTED has visited 16 States. The full list can be found in my written remarks, which will be shared after this meeting. Seven further visits are scheduled for the remainder of this year, more than in any other equivalent period since the Committee’s creation. CTED has now conducted 133 visits covering 96 States, including 45 visits since its previous review. Much has been accomplished through this process. New national and regional laws have been enacted, new institutions established and capacities strengthened. This progress reflects not only the impact of resolution 1373 (2001), but also the determined efforts of Member States to comply with their obligations. And yet many States still do not have all counter-terrorism measures in place. Many CTC recommendations still await action. As the Council is aware, the recommendations are usually divided into two categories: those that require technical assistance and those that do not. Over the years, many of our partners have delivered technical assistance on the basis of the Committee’s recommendations and integrated them into their work programmes. However, the Committee’s recommendations could be acted upon much more rapidly and much more widely. The establishment of the Office of Counter- Terrorism, with a strong mandate on prevention of violent extremism and capacity-building, provides an opportunity to strengthen the links even further and shorten the time period between our assessments and the delivery of assistance. We look forward to discussing ways to strengthen those links with Under- Secretary-General Voronkov and his Office. But let us make no mistake: as much as we invest in capacity-building, we should avoid any perception that technical assistance is a precondition for implementing binding Council resolutions. The Council may wish to consider ways to encourage States to implement CTC recommendations, especially in cases where technical assistance is not the reason for the lack of implementation or when States are visited more than once. These are not regular times. The Council has adopted six new resolutions on terrorism in a short period of time, an unprecedented achievement and show of consensus. CTED has contributed to their elaboration. One notable example is CTED’s development of the comprehensive framework on counter-narratives, which served as the foundation for resolution 2354 (2017). CTED, relying on its thematic expertise and guided by resolution 2129 (2013), will continue to advice the CTC on the implementation of these resolutions. CTED will also promote them. It will also continue to integrate them into its work streams and identify challenges as well as practical ways to overcome them. In this regard, I would note that CTED recently updated its technical guide, which serves to strengthen and deepen CTC assessments and helps Member States prepare for them. It contains the most updated advice on practical ways to implement all the new resolutions. It is now available for download in English on the CTC website. The new resolutions also require CTED to prepare analytical reports in a wide variety of areas that require new and constantly developed expertise. New areas for CTED include foreign terrorist fighters, the use of digital evidence and battlefield evidence, new border-control measures, including advance passenger information and biometrics, the use of the Internet by terrorists, the role of women and the human rights aspects of all these issues. All United Nations bodies can benefit from CTED assessment and analysis. Let me stress that most CTED work products, including in particular its thematic and regional analysis, are not confidential. As demonstrated in the multiple open briefings we held, including meetings on Iraq, CTED can and does share its work. Since its last review, CTED is also mandated to identify emerging issues, trends and developments related to resolution 1535 (2004). Our cooperation with the Monitoring Team and the joint drafting of the five reports of the Secretary-General required under resolution 2253 (2015), as well as periodic exchanges between the two expert bodies, have allowed us to make a valuable analysis of the threat and Member States’ responses and to enrich our work on identifying trends and developments. It also allows us better to understand the challenges that Member States face. We are thankful to the Monitoring Team and to the Committee for their cooperation with us. CTED continues to strengthen its capacity to identify trends and developments, also through its global research network. CTED is able to provide the CTC with research-based policy advice on a range of issues, from the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees and the protection of critical infrastructure to the effectiveness of counter-messaging. CTED also takes great care to ensure that identified trends and developments and the threat assessments provided by the Monitoring Team are thoroughly and consistently integrated into its assessments. I should note also that CTED’s analysis of trends and developments is free of confidentiality requirements. We need to explore ways together to ensure that the entire United Nations system benefits from CTED’s analysis, as it is probably the most updated and comprehensive evidence-based analysis in the United Nations system on counter-terrorism capacity, challenges, trends and developments. Over the past 12 months, CTED has organized four open briefings and four special meetings. These meetings serve at least three important purposes. First, they bring transparency to the Committee’s work. On numerous occasions, Member States, notably States not serving on the Council, have thanked us for these meetings and expressed a strong wish that they be continued. Secondly, they enable the CTC to forge new partnerships with international, regional and subregional organizations, civil society and even with private-sector actors. The meeting held yesterday on aviation security (see S/PV.8057) is one example of such partnership. The establishment of the Global Internet Forum by four major companies and its partnership with the CTC is another. Lastly, these meetings play an important role in policy formulation. Resolution 2370 (2017), on small arms and light weapons, is a good example of the effectiveness of that practice and its role in supporting policy formulation both at the CTC and at the Council. CTED remains committed to our contribution by assessing Member States’ implementation, facilitating technical assistance delivery, identifying trends and good practices and advising and promoting the policy decisions of the Committee and the resolutions of the Council. However, those tasks are also stretching our capacity and resources to the maximum. It is therefore CTED’s hope that the Council will provide it with the resources required to fulfil its significantly expanded mandate. The CTED Executive Director Designate, Ms. Michèle Coninsx, intends to submit a report to the CTC, setting out CTED’s vision of how the CTC, the Council and the entire United Nations can maximize the impact of CTED and benefit from its work. The debate today serves an important function and will guide us in drafting that report. Together, we have achieved a great deal since the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). However, the terrorist threat continues to evolve at an alarming pace. Terrorist organizations continue to demonstrate flexibility and the capacity to quickly adapt their methods. They are also particularly adept at exploiting new technologies on the Internet — whether to spread their messages, recruit new members, or finance, plan and perpetrate attacks. More than ever before, the Committee needs a dynamic, agile and responsive body of experts to support and promote its work. CTED will continue to do its utmost to fulfil that role, and is honoured to serve this cause.

I thank Mr. Scharia for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ambassador Aboulatta.

In my capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism (CTC), I have the honour to brief the Council on the topic of threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. I wish to thank the Ethiopian presidency and the Russian Federation for supporting the inclusion of this item on the Council’s agenda. I also wish to welcome the Secretary-General’s recent counter-terrorism reforms, including his establishment of the Office of Counter- Terrorism, led by the Under-Secretary-General. I believe that those reforms will greatly enhance the coordination of counter-terrorism activities, both within and outside the United Nations system. This month marks the sixteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 against the United States and the Council’s adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), which also established the CTC to monitor the implementation of its provisions. Since 2005, the CTC has been supported by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which works to implement the Committee’s policy decisions, coordinate the monitoring of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), and assess Member States’ implementation efforts. Acting on behalf of the Committee, CTED conducts assessment visits to Member States, with the consent of the host Government. The assessment visits enable the CTC and CTED to engage in constructive dialogue with the visited State; gather an accurate picture of its overall counter-terrorism capacity; and identify gaps, challenges, trends, good practices, and technical assistance needs. An essential part of the assessment process is to identify priority areas for further action, as well as priority technical assistance requirements. The information gathered during the visits is also used to produce global implementation surveys of the efforts of all Member States to implement not only resolution 1373 (2001), but also resolution 1624 (2005), on preventing incitement to commit terrorist acts. Regarded as the most comprehensive analytical documents on counter-terrorism in the United Nations system, the surveys identify where gaps remain, where the international community might most usefully focus its efforts, and where progress has been made. And Member States have made significant progress in many areas, assisted by an international counter- terrorism legal framework that has itself developed considerably — especially over the past decade — in response to the constantly evolving terrorist threat. However, many States continue to face significant challenges. Some States do not yet have all the necessary counter-terrorism measures in place. States also face challenges in their efforts to ensure that the measures that are in place are constantly reviewed and amended as terrorists develop new operational methods and techniques. In order to ensure that our assessments continue to serve a useful purpose, we must continue to build upon the dialogue that has been developed between the Council and Member States, through the CTC and CTED. Member States should be encouraged to strengthen their efforts to implement the Council’s resolutions on terrorism, as well as the recommendations emanating from the Committee’s assessment visits. Our assessments and analysis show that many States lack the necessary capacity and resources to comply effectively with the Council’s resolutions. Moreover, our follow-up assessments show uneven progress in implementing our recommendations. It is vital that our recommendations be taken up by our implementing partners and integrated into their work and technical assistance programmes. In order to be successful, the follow-up process must receive strong support from our implementing partners, including the Office of Counter-Terrorism. At the political level, successful follow-up depends in part on the Council’s consideration of States’ non-compliance with its counter-terrorism resolutions. With respect to practical follow-up action, I would recall that our visit assessments are shared with the visited State. CTED may also share the recommendations for further action with its implementing partners and share the assessment itself, in full or in part, with third parties, with the consent of the visited State. Member States are encouraged to give that consent, as it greatly enhances our ability to identify potential donors and technical assistance providers. Member States should also be reminded of their obligation to meet their international counter-terrorism obligations, for it is in their primary interest to protect their citizens’ lives, their borders, and their institutions. Over the past decade, in response to the rapidly evolving terrorist threat and operational landscape, the Committee’s country visits have become considerably more demanding and complex. As States increasingly request more focused assessments and follow-up visits, the Committee and the CTC must be able to provide needs-based and flexible responses. Within a relatively short time period, the Council has adopted six new resolutions on counter-terrorism, addressing issues as diverse as strengthening international judicial and law enforcement cooperation, countering terrorist narratives, countering the use of information and communications technology for terrorist purposes, human trafficking for terrorism-financing purposes, terrorist threats to civil aviation, protecting critical infrastructure against terrorist attacks, building public- private partnerships and preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. All those resolutions require the CTC and CTED to assist in their implementation and promotion, including through special meetings on themes, such as international cooperation and civil aviation security. The role of CTED thus continues to expand thematically. With respect to international cooperation, for example, its mandate has expanded through the requirements to address biometrics and the downgrading of intelligence threat data. The addition of new tasks has also brought horizontal and conceptual expansion. In addition to its work of identifying gaps and challenges, CTED is also required to support the work of its key partners in many areas. Through its work on those issues, CTED supports the policy development of the CTC and the Council, assists the CTC in defining its priorities and promotes the Security Council global counter-terrorism policy. I wish to commend CTED for its readiness to engage proactively in those areas. I also wish to stress the need for CTED to be provided with the necessary resources, both human and financial, to effectively assist the Committee to monitor, promote and facilitate Member States’ implementation of all relevant Council resolutions. In accordance with the relevant Council resolutions, the Committee and CTED will continue to cooperate closely with their key partners, including the Expert Group of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, through regular exchange of information, sharing of reports and the preparation of joint documents and joint statements of the three Chairs to the Council. The CTC and CTED will also cooperate closely with the Office of Counter-Terrorism, and will continue to promote the best international codes and standards, best practices and recommendations for countering terrorism and the violent extremism that can lead to terrorism. We hope that the Office of Counter-Terrorism and our other implementing partners will make full use of our assessments, analysis, recommendations and expertise in their work, including where the facilitation of technical assistance is concerned.

I thank Ambassador Aboulatta for his briefing. I now give the floor to the members of the Security Council.

We would first like to thank you, Mr. President, and the Ethiopian delegation for including today’s meeting in the Council’s September programme of work and for your efforts in preparing for it. Exactly 16 years ago, on 28 September 2001, the Security Council adopted a core counter-terrorism resolution, resolution 1373 (2001). Today’s meeting is aimed at conducting a long-overdue analysis of the current situation with regard to the implementation of that resolution and the other Council resolutions that define States’ counter-terrorism obligations. In our view, today’s discussion is particularly essential in the light of December’s forthcoming review and extension of the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and the opinions expressed today will constitute an significant basis for drafting the relevant Council resolution before the end of the year. The Russian delegation would like to thank Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, for his briefing, and to congratulate him on his first appearance in the Council. We are glad to see him here. We are also grateful to Ambassador Aboulatta, Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism, and to Mr. Scharia for their briefings and for presenting their approaches to the subject of today’s meeting. As terrorist threats evolve, it is increasingly clear, among other things, that international as well as regional efforts to combat terrorism can hinge on how conscientiously individual States view their obligations. Breaches in counter-terrorism systems do not go unnoticed. Terrorists skilfully exploit such loopholes, and as they flee justice in one country they will inevitably pose threats to other States, especially neighbouring States. Unfortunately, national counter- terrorism legislation is often still at a rudimentary stage even now. For example, the global survey of the implementation by Member States of resolution 1373 (2001) (S/2016/49, annex), prepared by CTED in 2016, points out that the legislation of numerous countries lacks the standards needed for the criminal prosecution of foreign terrorist fighters. A number of countries have not established proper mechanisms for information exchange and interdepartmental coordination or adequate immigration and visa controls. Many are not connected to the relevant INTERPOL databases. There are also shortcomings where the suppression of terrorism financing is concerned. And unfortunately the list does not end there. We have to take into consideration the fact that the type of terror taking centre stage at the moment does not require significant financial support. It is based on the threat posed by suicide bombers who are subject to potent propaganda. For example, all that is needed to stage an attack is a truck, and of course it is impossible to control such murder weapons. That is why we have to emphasize preventive measures and the fight against radicalization. Against that backdrop, it is easy to see glaring inadequacies in the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005), on combating incitement to terrorism, including instances of public justification and even glorification. The global survey on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1624 (2005) by Member States (S/2016/50), for example, notes a number of factors that present obstacles to the prosecution of instigators of incitement and other terrorist accomplices, including the fact that in some States such acts are not criminalized or that there is inadequate enforcement of the “extradite or prosecute” principle. We firmly believe that coordinated measures are urgently needed to identify and remove the terrorist content on the Internet through which propaganda flows and terrorists are actively recruited. We welcome the fact that last week, at the initiative of the United Kingdom, France and Italy, a special high-level event on this subject was organized on the sidelines of the general debate of the General Assembly at its seventy- second session. At the same time, it is paradoxical certain countries were previously been unwilling to cooperate on Russia’s draft resolution on combating terrorist ideology, which was focused on resolving these very issues. We are convinced that in general we have to extract better results from the Council’s counter-terrorism resolutions, create a climate that demands more from States on the enforcement front and establish the conditions necessary for strengthening the capabilities of national counter-terrorism systems. We must always remember that Member States have agreed to comply with Security Council resolutions and implement them strictly, and that obligations based on the Charter of the United Nations prevail over all others. During the previous renewal of the CTED mandate, in 2013, the Security Council underscored the key role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and its Executive Directorate in ensuring the full implementation of Security Council resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005). We are grateful to the Executive Directorate and to Mr. Laborde, its able leader for the past four years, for the effective work they have done since 2013. We hope that this goal will be a top priority for CTED’s new Executive Director, Ms. Michèle Coninsx. We welcome her appointment and are confident that her experience as prosecutor and head of the European Union’s Judicial Cooperation Unit, Eurojust, will be what is needed in her new position. Overall, in our view, against the background of the reform of the architecture of the United Nations counter-terrorism bodies, a new chapter is beginning for international efforts in the fight against terrorism. We look forward to close cooperation between the CTC and its Executive Directorate and the Office for Counter- Terrorism. We believe that the information that has emerged from CTED’s analytical work is an important indicator for States’ needs in the area of technical assistance. Ensuring its effectiveness therefore depends largely on the proper exchange of information, without excessive bureaucratization, between CTED and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Office. We believe that the upcoming review of the CTED mandate will be the right moment to consider how the Council can strengthen the effectiveness of the Executive Directorate, particularly given the significant amount of useful work that it has done during and after country visits. It seems clear to us, for example, that we should get better returns on the recommendations made based on their results. At the moment, it appears that CTED’s efforts are sometimes unfairly overlooked by States. That should be rectified. In our view, there are reserves that the Counter-Terrorism Committee could harness to streamline its procedures in the preparation stages for country visits. We trust that the Executive Directorate will summarize the opinions expressed today by States and use the time remaining until the review of its mandate to take stock of the experience of previous years and come up with its own ideas in this regard. We look forward to constructive collective work in the Security Council during the forthcoming review of the CTED mandate. Our common goal is to achieve the full and honest fulfilment of Security Council resolutions, which the Committee has the unique potential to promote.

I thank Under-Secretary-General Voronkov, Mr. Scharia and Mr. Aboulatta for their briefings. All over the world, we are confronting new and dangerous terrorist threats. We see terrorists using trucks to mow down innocent civilians in city centres, home-brewed improvised explosive devices left on trains, aeroplanes brought down by bombs smuggled on board. More than 17 years after the 9/11 attacks, terrorists continue to adapt their tactics and launch barbaric attacks to try to disrupt our modern way of life. The United States is leading the fight against terrorism in all its forms. We head a coalition of States that is successfully liberating territory from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS). ISIS is on the run. It is only a matter of time before it loses what is left of the territory it controls. The United States is also committed to holding State sponsors of terror accountable, especially the number-one such country, Iran. But even as we and our partners step up our efforts to defeat terror, the United Nations has remained mostly on the sidelines. However, it does not have to be that way. The United Nations has a strong foundation to enable it to be an effective counter-terrorism partner, and that is the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. It is imperative, however, that we ensure a balanced implementation of the Strategy across all four of its pillars, including by integrating the prevention of violent extremism into pillars one and four. The Security Council itself has adopted important resolutions that oblige all Member States to criminalize acts of terror, stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and end flows of foreign terrorist fighters. Yet those resolutions will be only words on paper if Member States do not step up and implement them. That is where the United Nations can do much more. It can help Member States strengthen their defences and follow through on the tough demands that the Council has made. That is especially true for Member States that may not have the resources or expertise to address all of their vulnerabilities. And when States have not shown the political will to follow through, we must all work together to press them to do so. Where the Organization’s own counter-terrorism architecture is concerned, the United States wants to see an active, strengthened and updated Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). We want to see a strong CTED that will help Member States understand the gaps in their counter-terrorism efforts and analyse the ways in which terrorist threats are changing. The United States will lead the effort to update the CTED mandate later this year to make the Organization more relevant to today’s threats. We also fully support the Secretary-General’s effort to reform the way the United Nations addresses counter-terrorism. But to succeed, those reforms must do more than change the boxes on an organizational chart. For example, as the campaign against ISIS continues, some ISIS fighters will try to slip back into their home countries to plan new attacks. The United Nations should help Member States at risk to stop the flow of foreign terrorist fighters and assess future threats. It should also help Member States to keep their citizens from becoming radicalized in the first place. The United Nations has a lot of tools available for Governments to draw on. There are experts in governance, development, communications, security and, of course, counter-terrorism. The United Nations should bring all of those components together when Governments need help fighting the spread of terrorist ideologies and preventing violent extremism from taking hold. We call on the entire United Nations system to support innovative, on-the-ground efforts to prevent violent extremists and their supporters from inspiring, radicalizing, financing or recruiting individuals to commit acts of violence. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and CTED must take the lead in making sure that everyone at the United Nations works together in this fight. If it is to expand its impact, the United Nations cannot work alone. It must get out of New York and engage the various players in the field. It can gain from their expertise. As the United Nations strengthens its counter- terrorism efforts, respect for human rights is vital. Counter-terrorism should never be an excuse for ignoring human rights. The fact is that when Governments abuse human rights in the name of counter-terrorism, the tactics backfire. Abusing human rights actually increases local support for terrorism. Promoting respect for human rights and the rule of law must be a fundamental part of the United Nations work with Member States around the world. Counter-terrorism is a major test of the relevance of the United Nations to the threats we face today. The United States will continue to take action against terrorism, but the United Nations can and must do more to help. We look to it to respond to global threats. Fighting terror is at the top of the list, so we urge the United Nations to step up and help Member States strengthen their efforts against this shared threat.

I would like to thank Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office, Mr. Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism, and Mr. David Scharia, Officer-in-Charge of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), for their informative briefings.
I would like to take this opportunity to speak as Chair of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), focusing my remarks in the framework of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. The international community is facing a multitude of challenges from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and from Al-Qaida and their respective networks. Terrorist groups continue to adapt in response to global counter-terrorism efforts, and the Taliban remains a serious threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan. The Committee continues to administer measures that include assets freezes, travel bans and arms embargoes targeting designated individuals and groups associated with ISIL, Al-Qaida or the Taliban. If the sanctions regimes are to operate effectively, it is crucial to ensure that the Committee’s work goes in lockstep with the evolving global threat posed by these groups. In that regard, the Committee’s work is supported by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to resolutions 1526 (2004) and 2368 (2017) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, which continues to provide updated threat assessments and monitors the measures’ implementation. The Monitoring Team closely coordinates its work with CTED and the Expert Group of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), and participates actively in all relevant activities under the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. It also regularly contributes to the Secretary-General’s reports on the threat posed by ISIL and the range of United Nations efforts supporting Member States in countering that threat. The Committee and the Monitoring Team stand ready to work closely with the new United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in executing its overarching mandate. To fulfil the Committee’s mandates, it is also important to coordinate effectively with key specialized agencies such as the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the World Customs Organization, INTERPOL and the Financial Action Task Force, as well as with regional organizations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The Monitoring Team also plays a key role in this matter. In order to see how the sanctions regime can be implemented more effectively and to understand the national and regional challenges to implementing the Council’s measures, I organize regional visits aimed at raising awareness of the Committee’s mandate. Such visits serve to share the best practices employed by national authorities in combating terrorism, as it relates to the mandate of the Committee. In that regard, the Chair plans several visits in the near future to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and the Russian Federation. I would like to take this opportunity to call on Member States to continue their engagement with the work of the Committee and the Monitoring Team, as it is essential to the maintenance of an up-to-date and dynamic sanctions list. The Monitoring Team updates list entries based on information provided by Member States. I therefore encourage Member States to keep the monitoring team informed. I also urge those Member States that have not done so to submit their implementation reports mandated under the relevant resolutions. It is also imperative that the Committee continues to promote due process in its work, in particular through the work of the Office of the Ombudsperson. As Chair, I would like to thank all Member States for their continued willingness to cooperate constructively with the Committee, its monitoring team and the Office of the Ombudsperson.

I would also like to thank all the briefers here this morning and take this opportunity to welcome Under-Secretary-General Voronkov to his new post, wish him every success and tell him how much we are looking forward to working with him during his time. As all of us in this Chamber know only too well, international terrorist groups like Da’esh and Al-Qaida seek to divide us. They seek to divide our communities and tear apart our countries, attacking our values and our institutions. But in the face of their attempts to divide us, one of our greatest weapons is our ability to come together and work together, and the Security Council is united in our desire to protect people across the world and defeat terrorism. Our shared multilateral counter-terrorism system has never been so needed. Each constituent part is crucial. The Global Counter-Terrorism Forum and the Coalition against Da’esh helped to forge our strategies and technical capabilities. The United Nations Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the newly created United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office marshall the resources of the United Nations to tackle both terrorism and violence extremism. The Council has a vital role to play, producing ever most sophisticated measures and guidance for States. I would like briefly to highlight two opportunities to improve and recalibrate the United Nations counter- terrorism approach. First, we must maximize the impact and effectiveness of CTED. I would like to congratulate CTED for its work to date. It is a well-functioning United Nations entity with real expertise and knowledge. CTED’s proactive approach to new counter-terrorism issues has been welcome. Its guidelines on foreign terrorist fighters and counter-narratives, for example, are excellent benchmarks. Further, CTED’s work on public- private partnerships on the Internet has been vital, for example, working with the ICT4Peace Foundation and the world’s largest tech firms in addressing terrorism and violence extremism content online. Governments have also built new relationships with the private sector as demonstrated last week when my Prime Minister along with partners from Italy and France for the first time hosted the world’s largest information technology companies at the United Nations to address terrorist use of the Internet. The CTED mandate renewal at the end of this year is a chance to enhance its impact. This should include learning lessons on how to address emerging security issues, improving country assessments and making sure they are acted upon, ensuring that technical expertise is fully used, and providing guidance on prioritization. We look forward to welcoming Michèle Coninsx as the new Executive Director and hearing her ideas for how to further improve this important office. The second opportunity we see is to give priority to prevention, addressing the root causes and the violent extremism that spawns terrorism. For every person who is radicalized into terrorism, there is first an environment in which ideology, economic factors and grievances are bent to a violent end by opportunistic leaders. This can happen. I am afraid, in schools, places of worship and prisons. States can address a terrorist case with all of the intelligence, police, judicial and even military means at their disposal. But as Under- Secretary-General Voronkov says, until we break the life cycle of radicalization and terrorism and address the environments in which calls to terrorism are espoused and take hold, there will always be another would-be terrorist waiting to emerge. That is why preventing violent extremism is a vital investment for peace and security and why I think Secretary-General Guterres highlighted it when he established the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office. I therefore believe that the strategic leadership and coordinating function of the Counter-Terrorism Office is vital in this context. The Office should use its central coordination role to look outside traditional peace and security analysis and draw on United Nations expertise in human rights, development, gender issues and education, to name just a few. Only then can the United Nations help countries address a violent extremist threat before it explodes into a threat to international peace and security. The United Nations potential to help States prevent violent extremism is unique and rightly lies at the heart of the mandate of the Counter- Terrorism Office. I would like to pose a question if I may to Under- Secretary-General Voronkov. I found his description of his strategy extremely helpful when he set it out in his briefing, and I wonder if he might take the opportunity, either now or later, to say more about how he sees the Counter-Terrorism Office delivering the vital mandate from the General Assembly for the preventive pillar of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and how he might use his chairmanship of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Preventing Violent Extremism Action Group to coordinate this. It would be really good to hear some more about that. Multilateral cooperation must continue to effectively counter terrorism and violent extremism. A smoothly functioning CTED, a newly-established Counter-Terrorism Office and a truly strategic United Nations approach to prevention coordinated by the Counter-Terrorism Office are two concrete ways to assist in this endeavour.

I would like to begin by welcoming Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov to his post as head of the newly created United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office. I would also like to thank him, Ambassador Aboulatta, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Mr. Scharia of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), for their briefings on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). It has been 16 years since the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). Despite the international community’s numerous counter-terrorism efforts since then, we continue to witness terrorist attacks all over the world with alarming frequency. In Europe this year alone, we saw serious terrorist attacks in London, Manchester and Barcelona. In Asia, a group claiming to be the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-East Asia has been fighting with the Government over the city of Marawi in the Philippines since May. The threat posed by terrorists is evolving globally, particularly with foreign terrorist fighters returning to their countries of origin or relocating to other regions. In addition, we are alarmed by terrorists’ evolving tactics, which include diversifying financial sources, disseminating propaganda through social media, exploiting encrypted applications and using broken travel. We have heard reports of the use of bitcoin and drones. In response to terrorists’ evolving tactics, we must enhance our capacities and vigorously implement counter-terrorism resolutions. In addition to resolution 1373 (2001), the Council has recently adopted resolutions 2309 (2016), on aviation security; 2322 (2016), on international judicial cooperation; 2341 (2017), on protection of critical infrastructure; 2354 (2017) on counter-narratives; and 2370 (2017), on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons. The adoption of these resolutions is important, but their full implementation is vital. Japan has implemented these resolutions and developed new measures in response to terrorists’ evolving tactics. For example, we recently enacted laws to prevent terrorists from using bitcoin and virtual currencies and to prohibit drones from flying over critical facilities, embassies, and nuclear plants. To strengthen international judicial cooperation against transnational organized crimes, including terrorism, Japan, as a State party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and two of its supplementing protocols, will cooperate more effectively with each State party in investigation assistance and extradition. The terrorist threat is global and we must extend assistance to those in need as part of our collective response. Japan, for example, provided $35 million in March, mainly in South-East Asia, in the light of the increasing threat in that region. That will be used to facilitate the implementation of relevant resolutions through concrete projects, including the Advance Passenger Information system, international judicial cooperation, INTERPOL databases and counter- propaganda. Japan will continue to work closely with CTC and CTED towards the full implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions. The new Office of Counter-Terrorism is expected to greatly enhance coordination of counter-terrorism measures in all Member States. We should build on that momentum. Japan looks forward to close collaboration with the Office of Counter-Terrorism and Under-Secretary-General Voronkov. The Council must be united in fighting terrorism by implementing our resolutions, including resolution 1373 (2001), and further developing our counter-terrorism measures.

I should like to thank you, Sir, for convening this briefing on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), which provides us with an international framework for combatting terrorism. I would also like to congratulate Mr. Vladimir Voronkov on his appointment as Under- Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, and to thank him for his briefing. I extend my thanks to the Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Ambassador Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta, for his work at the helm of the Committee and for his briefing today, as well as to Mr. David Scharia of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. Regrettably, the global terrorism threat has become a pervasive issue and terrorist acts are occurring at an intolerable rate. The international community must take united action because it cannot allow terrorism to continue to take innocent lives and destabilize States, and because it must protect the rights and values that terrorists seek to destroy. In his statement before the General Assembly at its seventy-second general debate (see A/72/PV.3), Secretary-General António Guterres referred to the global threat of terrorism with precision and clarity. We endorse his words, which describe the complexity of the problem we face. We value and support the work of the United Nations through its various organs and entities. We trust that under the leadership of the recently established Office of Counter-Terrorism, the fight against the scourge of terrorism will benefit from renewed impetus. Among the functions of that new Office, we would underscore the improved assistance offered to Member States in developing their counter-terrorism capacity. That assistance is crucial, especially to those countries that are most affected by the actions of terrorist groups, in enabling them to confront terrorist acts with adequate means and resources, in allowing them to benefit from cooperation and in exercising their sovereignty. We consider the role of Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate to be critical in assessing the status of States’ implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and in promoting the adoption of measures that support its implementation. We also emphasize the importance of their role in facilitating technical assistance. We are grateful for the Counter- Terrorism Committee’s visit to Uruguay in March. We attach great importance to the recommendations that were made and are taking them into consideration. We are working to advance the implementation of various aspects set out in various Security Council resolutions. Examples include the draft comprehensive counter-terrorism law and the draft comprehensive anti-asset laundering law. Both draft laws are currently before our National Parliament for review and both include recommendations made by the Counter- Terrorism Committee. We are aware of the importance of acting collectively in this fight and of the need to cooperate at the bilateral, regional and international levels. We acknowledge cooperation as a part of our responsibility, as a member of the international community, to act and to protect. Cooperation makes us stronger. We believe that the fight against terrorism must be made in respect for and accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. We reaffirm our commitment to working in solidarity and with responsibility for the success of that task.

At the outset, I should like to warmly thank our briefers, beginning with the Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Mr. Vladimir Voronkov. We have already had the opportunity to congratulate Mr. Voronkov and to offer him France’s fully support for his initiatives, but today I once again reiterate our most sincere wishes of success, as this is his first briefing before the Security Council. I would also like to thank Ambassador Amr Aboulatta for his briefing and for the leadership shown by his country at the helm of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). Finally, I wish to express France’s gratitude to Mr. David Scharia for his briefing on the outstanding action led by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and to take this opportunity to emphasize that France eagerly looks forward to the arrival in New York of the new Executive Director, Ms. Michèle Coninsx. Terrorism currently is one of the greatest threats to international peace and security. Naturally, the fight against terrorism is at the heart of the Security Council’s work. It requires an organized, firm and united response on the part of States and the international community as a whole. Today, I will focus on two main observations — first, on the essential role of the United Nations in the fight against terrorism, and secondly, on the role of the Executive Directorate and the Counter- Terrorism Committee, in particular. While it is primarily up to States to adopt the measures and mechanisms necessary to combat terrorism, the United Nations also has a major and growing role to play. Terrorism is one of those global threats that require a global response, and the United Nations therefore has as an invaluable mission in that regard. The United Nations is not working from a blank page. To date, it has fulfilled three key functions in the fight against terrorism. First, standards and obligations must be developed to allow States to establish robust counter-terrorism mechanisms. A number of important thematic Security Council resolutions have been adopted since 2001 to that end, particularly over the past three years, covering many aspects of counter-terrorism, such as financing, anti-propaganda campaigns and foreign terrorist fighters. Secondly, the adoption of sanctions aimed at depriving terrorist groups of the means to commit attacks, such as the regime pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The United Nations has developed important know-how in that field. Lastly, the strengthening of international cooperation and dialogue to encourage States to work together more effectively and to exchange good practices is obviously an essential point and a key priority for all of us. With the rise of Da’esh in 2014, the terrorist threat has significantly evolved. The phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and the wide scale use of the Internet and social networks for recruitment, funding and calls to action have given a new dimension to the threat, which is now truly global. Combating terrorism has therefore become a new frontier for the United Nations among other major global challenges, such as climate change and migration. The United Nations therefore has both the obligation and the responsibility to ensure that its response is well adapted to the threat. In that regard, the establishment of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the appointment of an Under-Secretary-General at its head, dedicated to this issue, represent a real breakthrough. France welcomes that development and hopes that it will improve the coherence of the United Nations work in this area and increase its visibility. I turn now to my second comment, which concerns the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate, as the concept note encourages us to lend closer attention to resolution 1373 (2001). At the core of the new counter-terrorism architecture, the Counter-Terrorism Committee must continue to fulfil two essential functions both of which are equally important. The first involves raising States’ awareness of developments with regard to the terrorist threat. The Committee can carry out that work only with the support of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, which has considerable expertise in that area at its disposal. I would like to commend today the excellent work that the CTED teams are carrying out. The issues on which it is working are very much in line with France’s priorities, including countering terrorist propaganda, especially on the Internet, and the financing of terrorism, among others. Through President Macron’s commitment, France is playing a major role in addressing those two issues. In that regard, France, along with the United Kingdom and Italy, organized on the sidelines of the General Assembly a high-level meeting on the use of the Internet by terrorists groups. The first of its kind, that meeting allowed us to strengthen dialogue with Internet companies. As President Macron underscored, that represented a major step, but we must go even further. He also announced that France will hold an international conference on the financing of terrorism in early 2018. We, of course, also encourage CTED to pursue its work in both of those areas. The second function of the Committee as implemented by CTED is to assess how the States implement the relevant resolutions. That type of assessment is essential. France encourages all States to accept visits by the Executive Directorate so that it can audit their counter-terrorism systems and come up with optimum recommendations. For its part, France received its last visit by CTED in 2015 and drew important lessons. Since that time, numerous administrative and legislative measures have been adopted so as to strengthen our counter-terrorism systems. Moreover, it is essential that, based on those assessments and recommendations, technical assistance programmes can subsequently be designed and implemented by the relevant United Nations entities. In that particular regard, close cooperation between CTED and the new Office of Counter-Terrorism will be crucial. Terrorism is now one of the major global challenges that States can no longer face alone. As President Macron reminded us at the General Assembly last week (see A/72/PV.4), France believes that multilateralism is not only the right way to react in terms of legitimacy, but also in terms of effectiveness, so as to respond to those challenges.

I would like to begin by joining others in welcoming Under-Secretary- General Voronkov to the Security Council for his first briefing. Let me also thank Ambassador Aboulatta and Mr David Scharia for their briefings on the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism (CTC), and of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), respectively. In his address to the General Assembly last week (see A/72/PV.3), the Secretary-General identified terrorism as one of the seven threats and challenges that are undermining our efforts to achieve peace and a better world. He also noted, however, that counter- terrorism efforts have disrupted networks, reclaimed territory, prevented attacks and saved lives. Nonetheless, it is clear that if we are to overcome the threat to our societies from terrorism, our work must be intensified, not least in the area of international cooperation. The transnational nature of many terrorist operations make the prevention of terrorist attacks by any one country alone more difficult. We therefore welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to establish the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) as the first of his reform initiatives. We look forward to working with Under-Secretary-General Voronkov going forward. Sweden greatly appreciates the work of the UNOCT, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. CTED’s expert assessments and work to facilitate Member States’ implementation of the Council’s counter- terrorism resolutions is essential. UNOCT’s ongoing work to ensure implementation across all four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as its bolstered capability to deliver capacity- building assistance to Member States, also represents invaluable support for national efforts. Special attention is needed with regard to the multiple roles played by women with regard to terrorism, including those of perpetrator, supporter, facilitator, victim and preventer. Each of those roles requires different approaches and strategies as part of our fight against terrorism. It is important that CTED continue its work on promoting the role of women in countering terrorism and violent extremism. We recognize CTED’s important work on developing thematic work streams on issues, such as gender and its inclusion in assessments, dialogues and analytical products. Such thinking must also be mainstreamed into UNOCT’s work. Sweden will continue to propose that references to women, peace and security, as well as women’s role in relation to terrorism and violent extremism, are included in relevant Council work, including in the new CTED mandate. As we said yesterday during our debate on aviation security (see S/PV.8057), there is no room for complacency in the fight against terrorism. The terrorist threat is always evolving, and attacks over the past year, including in Stockholm, have shown that we need to be constantly vigilant. We must continue working to improve our counter-terrorism efforts. Sweden is committed to that work, as well as to working together with our European Union partners to that end. In a broader context, we also need to ensure continued efforts to prevent the emergence of radicalization and violent extremism. That work should be aligned with our common United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as well as the Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. The newly established United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism will be instrumental in seeing that work through. Among other actions, Sweden has supported work by the United Nations Development Programme in connection with the prevention of extremism, including the recently released report, Journey to extremism in Africa: Drivers, incentives and the tipping point for recruitment. That report clearly shows that supporting the social sectors in a participatory way at the local level leads to hope and a sense of belonging that counters violence and disruption. Inclusive societies, education, growth and globalization are central to those prevention efforts. Fully implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can deliver that inclusivity, which is required to help prevent violent extremism and should be seen as integral to our efforts. Let me conclude by also stressing that, of course, the measures that we take against terrorism must always comply with international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law.

Today’s debate, which follows logically on from yesterday’s debate on civil aviation security, once again illustrates the special importance that the Security Council attaches to the fight against the scourge of terrorism. Indeed, the multiplication and sophistication of terrorist attacks throughout the world continually remind us of the severity of that pernicious threat to international peace and security. I therefore thank the Ethiopian presidency and the Russian delegation for facilitating this particularly timely meeting. My thanks and welcome also go to Under-Secretary- General Vladimir Voronkov, head of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; Ambassador Amr Aboulatta, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee; and Mr. David Scharia of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. The quality of their briefings on the multifaceted action of the United Nations in its fight against terrorism helped to enrich our discussions. When the Council adopted resolution 1373 (2001), establishing the Counter-Terrorism Committee, we could not have imagined that, 16 years later, international terrorism would have reached its current appalling proportions. Rather than giving in to discouragement at its apparent failure in finding adequate responses, in the light of the scourge the international community must adopt a coercive, inclusive and united long-term approach. To that end, the revision and streamlining of the legal and institutional framework for the fight against terrorism are imperative. That is why the Senegalese delegation welcomed the establishment of the new Office of Counter-Terrorism and the position of Under- Secretary-General at its head, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/291 of 15 June 2017. We encourage the Office to strive for better coordination among the various bodies, programmes and agencies involved in counter-terrorism. Terrorist movements increasingly use the Internet and social media in their vile business of inciting violence, recruiting foreign terrorist fighters, and funding and planning terrorists acts. Those movements take advantage of the flaws in financial systems and national and international legal frameworks to raise funds, including by trafficking in and selling oil, kidnapping for ransoms, trafficking in persons, arms, drugs and cultural goods, and other forms of extortion. To prevent terrorists from pursuing their criminal actions, States must now energetically implement the relevant provisions of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005), 2133 (2014), 2178 (2014), 2195 (2014) and 2253 (2015) by strengthening their cooperation in the field of intelligence-sharing and better collaborating with private providers to improve regulatory systems. I pay tribute here to the outstanding work accomplished by the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate in monitoring Member States’ implementation of the aforementioned resolutions. Indeed, given the evolving and multifaceted nature of terrorism, the ongoing increase in the number of resolutions adopted by the Security Council considerably broadens the scope of ​intervention of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate, whereas human and financial resources do not always keep up with such developments, which could ultimately affect the effectiveness of that body. By way of illustration, the country visits of the Executive Directorate to assess the progress of, challenges to and technical assistance required by Member States could be better monitored and evaluated on a regular basis, in consultation with the countries concerned. Similarly, national, subregional and regional specificities and constraints must be taken into account in the context of building the capacities of States to fulfil their obligations under Security Council resolutions. In that context, it is important for Member States, while maintaining their sovereignty, to adopt national strategies and action plans that are based on local realities and better adapted to socioeconomic and security contexts. In its efforts to implement measures to eliminate international terrorism and violent extremism, Senegal has adopted an approach that is based on prevention, cooperation and rapid response. My country also actively cooperates in the fields of international counter-terrorism criminal justice; surveillance of land, maritime and airport borders; and mutual legal assistance in combating money-laundering and terrorist financing. In addition, two laws were passed in 2007 that apply harsher penalties to terrorist perpetrators, while a draft national strategy against terrorism and violent extremism is under development. Moreover, the promotion of dialogue and conflict prevention, the involvement of populations through the mobilization of young people, the empowerment of women, education, capacity-building, the use of religious leaders to deconstruct rhetoric and the ideology of terrorist groups, and the facilitation of access to employment are all essential components for the prevention of violent extremism and can prevent the radicalization of young people and their recruitment by extremist organizations. In conclusion, I solemnly reiterate my country’s support for the Counter-Terrorism Committee, its Executive Directorate and the Office of Counter- Terrorism, while advocating for the strengthening of their human and financial resources.

We thank the Ethiopian presidency and the Russian Mission for organizing this important informative meeting. We are grateful for the briefing by the Under- Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter- Terrorism Office, Vladimir Voronkov, to whom we wish the greatest success in the sensitive work assigned to him. We are also grateful for the briefings by Ambassador Aboulatta, in his capacity as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Mr. David Scharia, Officer-in-Charge of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. The scenarios in which terrorism operates at the local, regional and global levels are today one of the greatest challenges facing the international community. We therefore urgently call on the Security Council and the general membership to redouble their efforts against this scourge by improving coordination and international cooperation, using all the means provided for by the Charter of the United Nations and their commitments under international law. Within the framework of the joint international counter-terrorism effort, it is necessary to reiterate that terrorism cannot and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, and that those characteristics should in no circumstances be used to justify measures aimed at fighting or preventing it. Bolivia, as a State that promotes the culture of peace and, first and foremost, protects and guarantees human rights and respect for international law, is fulfilling its international obligations in the fight against terrorism. We have implemented the provisions set out in resolution 1373 (2001). We have codified terrorism and terrorist financing as serious crimes. And we have in place a domestic agency to prevent, detect, investigate and implement monitoring measures to avert the carrying out of terrorist acts. Likewise, Bolivia is always collaborating and coordinating with other countries in exchanging financial intelligence to conduct investigations into suspect economic flows that could be linked to money laundering or terrorist financing. We have a normative framework in place that enables us to adopt measures such as preventive freezing of funds and other assets of individual or legal entities — identified in lists published by the United Nations — who could be linked to terrorism or the financing of terrorism. In addition, through its 2013 law on the control of fire arms, munitions, explosives and other related materials, Bolivia has at its disposal a concrete legal framework to regulate the use and bearing of firearms, explosives and other related materials. We have thereby set up the relevant legal mechanisms for preventing, combating and punishing crimes related to illegal trafficking in weapons, firearms and explosives. Against that backdrop, we call on the international community to promote the active role of States in combating terrorism. As we heard yesterday in the meeting on aviation security (see S/PV.8057), technical and financial cooperation are crucial to ensure that all States can work on technical mechanisms that will help us to build capacity to improve on making our fight against terrorism much more effective. Given the threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism to international peace and security, we believe that we must look into what are the root causes and its enabling forces around the world so as to make the fight against the scourge more effective and avoid us making the same mistakes again. Let us be clear that the policies of regime change, interventionism and interference in the internal affairs of other States have been some of the key reasons that have led to the vacuums in Governments, weaker law and order and the absence of control of their borders. These factors have facilitated the work of terrorist groups and extremists who find space to impose their violent ideology and commit acts of destabilization, including carrying out human rights violations that could be tantamount to crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, the victims of the acts committed by terrorist organizations are civilians, including the most vulnerable among them. This is reflected in the high rate of violence against women we have witnessed, as well as through the countless reports that the Council has received, which point to the fact that sexual violence perpetrated by grouops such as Da’esh, Boko Haram and Al Shabaab is not only persistent, but an organic part of their ideology. Based on the Secretary General’s report (S/2017/249) on sexual violence in conflict situations issued in April, the increase in the number of women and female children subjected to sexual slavery, as well as used as human shields and suicide bombers, highlights their situation as expendable resources in the terrorist system. There is no denying that terrorism and armed violence and instrinsically linked to the crime of human trafficking and associated crimes. International criminal groups and terrorist groups, which the Council and all the countries of this Organization are fighting against, earn money through human trafficking and exploitation and they use the proceeds to finance their terrorist activities. As a result, those resources are part of the global financial system through money laundering and tax havens. These resources tend to diminish or eliminate checks, especially in terms of investment in the tertiary sector, and they are used by the criminial networks to legitimize their gains. Therefore, we believe the international community must pool its efforts to determine whether terrorist groups have access to the international financial system via tax havens, including taking steps to prevent it. We believe that all the efforts of the Security Council and the United Nations to eliminate terrorism must be backed by all its Members, who must seek out and bring the perpetrators to justice: they must be investigated, prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent. Finally, we express our strong support for a transparent and balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and we call on all States to commit to fighting this scourge.

May I begin by thanking Ethiopia and the Russian Federation for their iniative in convening today’s open meeting. We welcome Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov. We stand ready to strengthen cooperation with the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office under his leadership. We also wish to thank Ambassador Aboulatta, Chair of Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Mr. Scharia, Officer-in-Charge of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, for the briefings. Terrorism is the common enemy of all humankind. The international community must use uniform standards. We must resolutely fight terrorists no matter where they are, what flag they fly, which country they attack or whatever means they employ. In countering terrorism, the sovereignty of the countries concerned must be respected, the leadership role of the United Nations and the Security Council must be given full play and the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations must be observed. Terrorism must not be associated with any particular ethnicity or religion. The international community should promote the use of political means and dialogue to address regional conflicts and eradicate the root causes that give rise to terrorism. Countries should enhance border control and law-enforcement cooperation and disrupt the network by which terrorists operate. More robust efforts should be made to combat terrorism financing. The international community should undertake pragmatic and results-oriented cooperation by joining hands to combat the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes such as terrorist propaganda, financing, recruitment, incitement and planning. In recent years, the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), as an important platform of the Security Council in dealing with counter-terrorism issues, has closely monitored the new terrorist threats and trends and facilitated the comprehensive implementation of the relevant Council resolutions by Member States. The CTC works in close coordination with other United Nations entities to advance the international counter- terrorism agenda, which has produced positive and effective results. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) is the executive arm of the CTC. Through country visits and assessments, it assists Member States in identifying deficiencies and challenges they face, while facilitating the exchange of counter-terrorism experience and providing technical assistance to Member States. In that way, it plays an important role in strengthening the capacity of Member States to combat terrorism. China supports the enhanced cooperation among the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the CTC, CTED and the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1540 (2001). On the basis of the functions and responsibilities relating to counter- terrorism as mandated by the General Assembly and the Security Council, the Office assists Member States in the implementation of the relevant counter-terrorism resolutions of the Security Council and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Along with the broader membership of the international community, China will continue to strictly implement the relevant Council resolutions and proactively promote international counter-terrorism cooperation so as to maintain international peace and security.

I would like to thank the Ethiopian presidency of the Security Council for convening this important meeting with the view to bringing greater coherence and focus to the issue. I wish to take this opportunity to commend Ambassador Aboulatta, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, to welcome Under-Secretary-General Voronkov, Head of the newly established Office of Counter-Terrorism, and to thank Mr. Scharia for his briefing. As others have reminded us, on this very day 16 years ago, in the aftermath of the attacks against the United States, the Security Council took an important step in addressing the scourge of terrorism by adopting resolution 1373 (2001), a text that still represents a milestone in the international community’s efforts in tackling the terrorist threat. Since then, Member States have been confronted with new challenges, including the increasing flows of foreign terrorist fighters travelling to, or returning from, conflict zones the misuse of the Internet and social media by terrorists and entities, as well as the exploitation of trafficking by criminals and terrorist networks. In the years since the adoption of this important resolution, its call on Member States to refrain from providing any form of support to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, as well as its call on Member States to strengthen their legal and institutional capabilities to counter terrorism, could not be more timely or valid. In that framework, we are strongly committed to contributing to international efforts. In particular, with respect to the anti-Da’esh coalition, Italy co-chairs the working group on countering the financing of terrorism. We are providing the second contingent of the anti-Da’esh coalition, which provides daily support to Iraqi authorities by training security personnel in various fields, such as intelligence, law enforcement, border patrol and street policing. Italy recognizes the relevance of the ongoing work of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) — concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities — and of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). We particularly appreciate efforts of CTED to assist Member States in achieving the full implementation of the relevant resolutions. We attribute great value to the assessment visits of CTED to Member States. They are vital tools for the identification of, inter alia, gaps, challenges, good practices and general trends. All of that knowledge should be made available to the relevant United Nations bodies and should be instrumental in prioritizing technical assistance interventions. We also welcome the initiative undertaken by CTED to update the 2009 Technical Guide in order to reflect the requirements set by relevant resolutions of the Council and provide Member States with a practical reference tool that helps ensure the consistent analysis of their implementation efforts. While acknowledging the key role played by CTED in the counter-terrorism framework of the United Nations, and in view of the renewal of its mandate, it is our hope that the Directorate will be provided with the necessary resources to continue its important work. A comprehensive approach to violent extremism and terrorism is critical. The recent event mentioned by other colleagues on preventing the use of the Internet by terrorists, which was hosted by France, Italy and the United Kingdom on the sidelines of the General Assembly on 20 Septmber, can provide important input for the strengthening of cooperation between Governments and private companies. Italy is playing a leading role in the fight against terrorism by focusing on training and countering all forms of financial support to terrorist groups, as well as through a strong response to human trafficking, trafficking in cultural property and illegal financial flows and money-laundering. That is because terrorism and violent extremism cannot be defeated through solely military means. We must also consider and address the underlying forces that facilitate violent extremism and the spread of messages of hate. Therefore, we are committed to support any intiatives that address the root causes of extremism, focusing on, inter alia, countering radicalization in jails and supporting youth programmes through the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. In that wider framework, Italy has fully supported the process undertaken by the General Assembly to further enhance the existing counter-terrorism architecture and ensure the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy through the establishment of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, which is headed by Under-Secretary-General Voronkov. We think that the new body will provide a very important added value, both in the prevention of, and in the fight against, violent extremism. It is our hope that the Counter-Terrorism Office will play a key role in coordinating the several entities involved in the field of counter-terrorism by contributing to the identification of priority areas of intervention, as well as by taking a proactive approach. At the same time, it should aim to avoid task duplication and anything that might significantly impact the mandate of other bodies. Mr. Yelchenko (Ukraine) I thank Under-Secretary- General Vladimir Voronkov and other briefers for their inputs to today’s discussion. We welcome the Under- Secretary-General and wish him the best in his highly responsible work. The past decades have been marked by the spread of violent extremist ideologies and the emergence of terrorist groups that are fuelled by them. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaida, the Taliban, Boko Haram, Al-Shabaab and other groups have grown from being regional menaces to global threats to international peace and security. Over the past years, Ukraine has also accrued bitter experiences of countering terrorist threats that have been fuelled by external support for terrorist groups and organizations in the east of my country. The fight against terrorism has now firmly become a key priority of the United Nations, leading to the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001) and subsequent fundamental resolutions, as well as the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in 2006. That also resulted in the establishment of key Security Council and General Assembly bodies, such the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), as well as the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. Although initially they had different mandates, later development of the counter-terrorism norms of the United Nations led to an overlap in the activities of those bodies, as well as competition for resources, influence and project ownership. Therefore, ensuring mutually re-enforcing cooperation and avoiding duplication of effort among United Nations bodies that work on counter-terrorism-related issues remains an ongoing challenge for the United Nations. Ukraine has consistently supported the need to enhance coherence and leadership of the United Nations system in dealing with terrorist threats, including by conducting a reform of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. Therefore, the creation of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism is a welcome step in that direction. We expect that it will mainstream counter-terrorism efforts within the United Nations system and contribute to the proper implementation of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy, as well as to the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. In order to ensure that the stance of the United Nations regarding countering terrorism remains strong, we expect the new office to deliver the following: first, show strategic leadership and commitment to action, while addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism on the basis of an all-Organization approach; secondly, ensure appropriate resources and expertise to provide policy advice on counter-terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism; thirdly, strengthen its strategic policy and programme guidance to Member States through close cooperation with the relevant international, regional and subregional organizations and forums; and, fourthly, enhance collaboration among all United Nations entities operating in the field and conduct outreach to civil society actors. We recognize the central role of the Counter- Terrorism Committee in overseeing the implementation of specific counter-terrorism measures established by the Security Council, monitoring the compliance of States with their respective obligations and promoting international cooperation in the field. We would like to commend the work of CTED, which conducts country visits on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee in order to assess the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2178). It also detects possible gaps in the existing regulations using a detailed survey tool, identifies the assistance needs of States and facilitates the delivery of respective aid by engaging in dialogue with prospective multilateral and bilateral donors. In particular, we take positive note of the recent update of the Technical Guide to assist countries in their implementation efforts. That work is vital for fostering the development of national legislation and practices in criminal justice matters, international cooperation, financial intelligence, border security and law enforcement. We have a very good experience of cooperation with the Executive Directorate, which visited Ukraine in 2013. I would like to take this opportunity to underline that we expect CTED to conduct a follow-up mission to Ukraine in November, based on the CTC-approved plan of visits for the period of 2014-2017. On our side, we are keen to provide any necessary assistance in its preparation. Let me also touch upon the issue of the upcoming revision of CTED’s mandate. We are pleased that the CTEC programme of work of duly reflects all of the new topics identified by the Council in its recent resolutions. Yesterday, on aviation security (see S/PV.8057), we discussed international judicial cooperation, protection of critical infrastructure and cultural property, countering terrorist narratives and curbing the weapons supply to terrorists, all of which are of particular importance to our common efforts. New challenges may also arise that will require the Council’s close attention. However, given the drastic expansion of the mandate of CTED, there is a need to ensure that its planned activities are performed timely and that Member States can fully benefit from its expertise. CTED should therefore be provided with adequate capacities and resources. In that regard, Ukraine is ready to provide its own contribution to the improvement of the functioning of CTED, in particular through the nomination of qualified experts for professional posts to the enlarged entity. My delegation stands ready to engage constructively in the process of the renewal of the mandate of the Directorate at the end of the year.

I shall now make a statement in my national capacity as the representative of Ethiopia. We are pleased to have taken the initiative to convene this briefing meeting, together with our Russian colleagues. We join other Security Council members in congratulating Under-Secretary-General Voronkov on his appointment as the head of the new Office of Counter-Terrorism, as well as for his maiden briefing to the Council, in which he outlined his vision and priorities. I would also like once again to express appreciation to Ambassador Aboulatta for his briefing today, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning Counter-Terrorism (CTC). We are also thankful to David Scharia for sharing the perspective of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). The scourge of terrorism has been a major threat to us all for decades now, and the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001)provided the international community with a framework to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The resolution established the Security Council counter-terrorism architecture, including the CTC and CTED, and laid the foundation for other resolutions. We recognize and commend the indispensable role of the CTC in monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism. We also appreciate the work of the Counter- Terrorism Executive Directorate fo inimplementing the decisions of the CTC, the expert assessments it provides, as well as its assistance to Member States in the implementation of resolutions on terrorism on behalf of CTC. We particularly note the increase in the number of country assessments and follow-ups in facilitating technical assistance when that is needed by the Member States concerned. In that regard, the CTC and CTED have rightly contributed to enhancing the capacity of Member States to prevent terrorist activities. The adoption by the General Assembly of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, on 28 September 2006, was another milestone thatprovided a global framework for enhancing national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism. The Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force has also played a very important role in implementing the Strategy in that regard. The recent creation of the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the appointment of the Under-Secretary-General are very much welcomed. We hope that will enhance greater coherence and synergy among United Nations entities working on counter-terrorism. Although significant progress has been made by Member States in implementing resolution 1373 (2001) and other resolutions, what has been done remains insufficient and terrorists continue to pose a serious threat to international peace and security. Today’s briefing will help us to reflect on the achievements made so far and the challenges that need to be addressed. The CTED global implementation survey and the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy clearly indicate that new and emerging threats, including transnational organized crimes and their linkage to terrorism financing and the use of the Internet and other communications technologies by terrorists, are posing an enormous challenge, and they require greater attention. The challenge that developing countries face in that regard is particularly enormous. We believe that efficiently and effectively addressing the issues of the compliance of Member States with their obligations, establishing more coordinated and enforcement mechanisms under the auspices of the CTC and CTED to monitor the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions, ensuring better cooperation among the relevant stakeholders and facilitating the provision of technical assistance under resolution 1373 (2001) for Member States when they need it, will go a long way in facilitating implementation and addressing the new and emerging challenges. On its part, Ethiopia is striving to implement resolution 1373 (2001) and other international and regional counter-terrorism frameworks. In that context, it is keen to work with all of the stakeholders in existing and new regional and international corporation platforms, but it is not only a matter of carrying out our obligation. We find ourselves in a volatile neighbourhood, which is facing threats of terrorism and violent extremism, and we can see that implementing resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions on counter-terrorism is a matter of absolute necessity. We have enacted an appropriate policy and legal measures and an appropriate institutional framework in that regard. In addition to what we are doing within the framework of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and African Union, we are also cooperating with the United Nations. The recent comprehensive monitoring and promotional visit by the CTC to Ethiopia is a case in point. Therefore, I would like to conclude by reaffirming Ethiopia’s readiness to continuing to work with Member States, the United Nations and other stakeholders in countering the menace of terrorism and violent extremism, which are among the biggest international peace and security threats of our time. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I give the floor to Mr. Voronkov to respond to the comments and questions raised.

I would like to thank all of the Ambassadors for their words of support. Furthermore, I would like to note that I understand and fully grasp the responsibility that has fallen to me. I will endeavour in my work to rise to such expectations, as well as those of Secretary-General António Guterres. I stand ready to work closely with the Counter- Terrorsim Committee and its Executive Directorate on matters that are of mutual interest with regard to the fight against terrorism. (spoke in English) I thank the Ambassador of the United Kingdom for his question on how to better arrange the capabilities of the United Nations to more effectively combat violent extremism. We did a preliminary analysis of the statements made in the General Assembly and all of the priorities related to counter-terrorism raised by Member States during the General Assembly session. Preventing violent extremism and addressing the drivers was the second most-important priority. There are several guidelines that help to frame the work of the United Nations on the prevention of violent extremism. First, preventing violent extremism is anchored in the first pillar one of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. Secondly, our focus is on preventing and addressing the drivers as identified in the United Nations Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. Thirdly, our work is based on full respect for State sovereignty and the principle of non-interference. Member States take the lead at the national level, and regional organizations at the regional level. Fourthly, the role of the United Nations is to support Member States and regional organizations, upon their request, in developing national and regional plans of action. Fifthly, the plans of action put national Governments and regional organizations at the forefront of efforts to prevent violent extremism, and the United Nations provides support to capacity-building initiatives. I would also like to recall that the Secretary-General has established an all-of-United Nations framework to assist Member States in preventing violent extremism. At the highest level, the Secretary-General chairs a high-level action group on preventing violent extremist, made up of 22 relevant United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and spearheads the implementation of the Plan of Action across the United Nations system. We at the Office of Counter-Terrorism will report to the Secretary-General on those issues. With regard to certain data, I would like to mention that there are already 224 United Nations projects and initiatives on preventing violent extremism, carried out by 15 United Nations entities across all seven priority areas of the United Nations Plan of Action. Eighty-two of those projects are global, 67 are regional and 75 are national. The national and regional projects are being implemented in 77 countries across all regions upon their request.

I thank Mr. Voronkov for the clarifications he has provided.