S/PV.8364 Security Council

As this is the first public meeting of the Security Council for the month of October, I should like to take this opportunity to pay sincere tribute, on behalf of the Council, to Her Excellency Mrs. Nikki Haley, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United States of America, for her service as President of the Council for the month of September. I am sure that I speak for all the members of the Council in expressing deep appreciation to Ambassador Haley and her delegation for the excellent diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Expression of sympathy for the victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Sulawesi, Indonesia

On behalf of the Council, I would like to remember all those who lost their lives on Friday in the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Sulawesi, Indonesia. The members of the Council offer our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as to the people and the Government of Indonesia. I request members to stand and observe a minute of silence in solemn memory of those who lost their lives in that natural disaster.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. At the outset, I will make a joint statement on behalf of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). Following that joint statement, the Council will hear briefings by the Chairs of those three Committees. I shall now make a joint statement on behalf of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees. On behalf of the Chairs of the Committee established 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; the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism; and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I have the honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the three Committees, including the ongoing cooperation between the three Committees and their respective Groups of Experts. The three Committees carry out their work in a strategic context in which the global security landscape has become significantly more complex, volatile and challenging. Terrorism continues to pose a grave threat to international peace and security. Terrorists, terrorist organizations and their affiliates and cells continue to adapt their tactics and methods, including by using modern means of communication to recruit followers, finance, plan and execute attacks against soft targets, and incite the commission of such acts. Returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters pose new threats and challenges to their countries of origin and nationality and third countries. Globalization, rapid advances in science and technology and the continuously evolving trading environment bring not only great benefits, but also new risks, including with respect to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The three Committees highlight the importance of bearing in mind the potentially devastating effects that nuclear, chemical or biological weapons could exert in the hands of non-State actors, including terrorists. The three Committees are aware that terrorist groups and their supporters are ready to commit extreme violence on a wide scale, which could have catastrophic humanitarian, economic, social and political consequences. The three Committees and their respective Groups of Experts strive, within the limits of their respective mandates, to promote the most updated and effective measures based on human rights, the rule of law and gender issues in the areas of non-proliferation, sanctions, countering the financing of terrorism, border management and law enforcement, international judicial cooperation, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration, countering terrorist narratives and engaging communities. In the light of that broad spectrum of measures, the three subsidiary bodies continue to attach great importance to coordination and cooperation among their respective Groups of Experts, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team establihed pursuant to paragraph 7 of resolutions 1526 (2004); the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED); and the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). The three Committees are maintaining their efforts to enhance information-sharing through joint meetings and encourage their associated Groups of Experts to further step up their cooperation. Pursuant to resolution 2368 (2017), the 1267 Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) have undertaken a series of coordinated and more targeted outreach activities. The Committees convened a joint briefing on Central Asia on 2 July. The three Committees continue to believe that those coordinated activities are very important tools for strengthening their dialogue with Member States, for helping to improve the overall understanding of their distinct yet complementary mandates, and for assisting Member States in implementing the relevant Security Council resolutions. The expert bodies associated with the three Committees continue to cooperate closely in working with Member States by exchanging information, coordinating visits in the context of their respective mandates, when appropriate, and facilitating and monitoring the technical assistance provided to Member States to implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. In that context, I would like to highlight that the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) participated in two joint visits to Armenia and to Georgia in July. The Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1526 (2004) participated in the Executive Directorate’s visit to Ethiopia and to the Niger in July and will also take part in the visit to Mali in October. This month, the Monitoring Team and the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) will participate in a joint workshop to be held in Zimbabwe to support capacity-building activities in the areas of countering the financing of terrorism and proliferation. The three Committees have maintained close cooperation with the United Nations counter-terrorism bodies. On 28 September 2017, the Chairs of the 1267 Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee addressed the Council, together with the Under- Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Officer-in-Charge of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, at a briefing on “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts” (see S/PV.8059). On 28 June, the Chairs of the 1267 Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee addressed the United Nations High-level Conference of Heads of Counter- Terrorism Agencies of Member States, convened by the Secretary-General. Furthermore, the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Monitoring Team continue to work closely in drafting the Secretary-General’s reports on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. The three expert bodies continue to work with and reach out to various international and regional organizations of common interest in order to explore ways to further enhance the implementation of their respective mandates in a coordinated and complementary way. The three expert bodies continue to participate in platforms of common interest, such as the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and its working groups and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The Executive Directorate and the Monitoring Team took part in missions on an in-depth review of the Advance Passenger Information System and will do the same with regard to passenger name records. The Executive Directorate also acts as the FATF focal point for the United Nations expert bodies based in New York and coordinates the preparation of reports on joint activities three times a year, which are presented at each FATF plenary. The Executive Directorate also plans and coordinates annual meetings between the FATF secretariat and the expert bodies in New York. The Executive Directorate is a United Nations focal point for the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering and collects relevant information from the other United Nations entities, such as the 1267 Monitoring Team and the Expert Group of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), in order to draft and to present a United Nations observer report to the Asia/ Pacific Group annually. The Executive Directorate actively facilitated the dialogue between the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Monitoring Team, which resulted in granting the Monitoring Team observer status within the Eurasian Group in May. When two or more groups participate in the same event, particularly the FATF and FATF-style regional body plenary meetings, they usually exchange information. In May 2017, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate involved the Monitoring Team in a regional workshop on counter- terrorism financing, held jointly by the Eurasian Group International Training and Methodology Centre for Financial Monitoring and the Commonwealth of Independent States Anti-Terrorism Center. The Executive Directorate and the Monitoring Team jointly contributed to the United Nations inputs into the final declaration of the conference on combating the financing of Da’esh and Al-Qaida, held in Paris in April. The three expert bodies continue to hold regular informal meetings. The Counter-Terrorism Committee also regularly invites the other two expert bodies to its thematic briefings and official meetings. The Committee invited 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 to take part in joint open briefings, such as that on challenges in countering terrorism in West Africa and that held together with the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya on challenges in countering terrorism in Libya, both of which took place in June 2017. In addition, the Counter- Terrorism Committee invited the other two Committee expert bodies to its briefings on the role of financial institutions in combating terrorism, in October 2017, and on virtual currencies and the misuse of new technologies to finance terrorism, in December 2017. In its presidential statement S/PRST/2018/9 of 8 May, the Security Council requested the Counter- Terrorism Committee, the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), and the Committee pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) to hold a special joint meeting within 12 months on addressing the issue of the nexus between international terrorism and transnational organized crime. The expert bodies also shared their up-to-date expertise and experience at a number of internal thematic professional training activities and briefings by external partners and interlocutors. The three Committees and their respective expert bodies will continue to cooperate and to coordinate their work in line with their respective mandates, with a view to ensuring an effective and efficient approach to countering terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by and to non-State actors. The three Committees reaffirm their continued engagement in supporting Member States in those global efforts. The Chairs of the three Committee are committed to meeting on a regular basis, at least twice a year, to improve coordination and to discuss the main priority areas for possible joint actions. The three Committees look forward to receiving further guidance from the Security Council on areas of common interest and to further strengthening their joint activities. I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. I now give the floor to Ambassador Kairat Umarov, 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.

Since this is the first official meeting under your presidency, Mr. President, I would like to congratulate Bolivia on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October and to wish you successful work. Likewise, we would like to commend the United States delegation for its very capable stewardship of the work of the Security Council during the month of September. On behalf 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, I would like to give a brief overview of developments in the work of the Committee, as requested in paragraph 46 of resolution 2368 (2017). Since the previous joint briefing to the Council in May 2017 (see S/PV.7936), the Committee has continued to devote special focus to the evolving threat to international peace and security posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), Al-Qaida and affiliates. The response to the threat must be comprehensive and coordinated, and employ a range of tools. The 1267 sanctions regime is an important part of the toolbox and the Committee stays engaged with Member States to ensure its effective implementation. According to the latest report (see S/2018/705) of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the threat posed by ISIL/Da’esh, Al-Qaida and affiliates has further evolved over the past year. Despite having been defeated militarily in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic in 2017, ISIL rallied in early 2018 and still controls small pockets of territory in Syria. The group was able to extract some oil and to mount attacks, including across the Iraqi border. Meanwhile, Al-Qaida remains resilient in the Syrian Arab Republic, where the Al-Nusra Front for the People of the Levant may now be the strongest terrorist group. Al-Qaida and its affiliates are stronger than ISIL in Yemen, Somalia and parts of West Africa, while its alliance with the Taliban and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan is firm, despite rivalry from the local ISIL affiliate. The sustained coalition of terrorist groups in Mali and the Sahel is a source of concern and could supply a model for future cooperation and exchange among terrorists in other regions. As of June, the strength of ISIL in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic is assessed to be between 20,000 and 30,000 members, roughly equally distributed between the two countries. Foreign terrorist fighters represent a significant component of the group. Returnees and relocating fighters pose a threat in several regions, including Iraq, the Syrian Arab Republic, Central Asia and North Africa. Therefore, enhanced information-sharing among Member States is required. At the same time, in Afghanistan ISIL is estimated to number between 3,500 and 4,000 fighters. The group is trying to expand its presence, despite pressure from the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces and the international coalition. Against that background, neighbouring countries have expressed concern over the ongoing terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan and increasing numbers of ISIL fighters relocating to Afghanistan from Syria and Iraq. The evolving threat is also reflected in the adoption of a number of new resolutions by the Council that have expanded the work of the Committee and the Monitoring Team. In July 2017, the Council adopted resolution 2368 (2017) to renew the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo affecting all individuals and entities on the ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list. In the same resolution, the Council extended the mandates of the Monitoring Team and the Office of the Ombudsperson until 17 December 2021. In resolution 2379 (2017) of September 2017, the Council requested the creation of an investigative team, headed by a special adviser, to support domestic efforts or investigations carried out by authorities in third countries, at their request, in order to hold ISIL accountable for acts that may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed by the terrorist group in Iraq. The Council further requested the Investigative Team to cooperate with the Monitoring Team and with any other relevant monitoring bodies. I met with the Special Adviser, Mr. Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, to discuss ways in which the Committee can assist the Investigative Team with its mandate. In resolution 2388 (2017), adopted in November 2017, the Council reiterated its condemnation of all acts of trafficking, particularly the sale or trade in persons undertaken by ISIL, and underscored the importance of collecting and preserving evidence relating to such acts in order to ensure that those responsible can be held accountable. The Council also requested the Monitoring Team to continue including in its discussions the issue of trafficking in persons in areas of armed conflict and the use of sexual violence in armed conflict, as it relates to ISIL and Al-Qaida, and to report to the 1267 (1999) Committee on those discussions, as appropriate. On 21 December 2017, the Security Council adopted resolution 2396 (2017), which underscored the threat posed by returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters, created new obligations for Member States to help detect terrorists’ travels and directed the Committee to devote special focus on the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters. For all of those resolutions, it is crucial that Member States engage with and provide updated information to the Committee and the Monitoring Team on the evolving nature of the threat, including foreign terrorist fighters, listed individuals and entities, and the status of the implementation of the sanctions measures. In order to enhance the full and effective implementation of the sanctions, the Committee also undertakes visits to selected countries. In that context, in my capacity as Chair of both the 1267 Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), I visited Afghanistan last year on 29 and 30 October. I was accompanied by representatives from the Committee and the Monitoring Team. The visit was facilitated by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan with the objective of obtaining first-hand accounts regarding the implementation and effectiveness of sanctions measures, and to promote enhanced dialogue and the engagement of Afghan interlocutors with the Committees. I also conducted visits to Singapore and Malaysia in August 2017 and to the Philippines in March this year to exchange information on the ISIL threat in the region, as well as to explore how the sanctions regime can support the South-East Asian countries dealing with ISIL, Al-Qaida and their affiliates. The Committee maintains its sanctions list, updated to facilitate the implementation of the sanctions measures. Since the last joint briefing in May 2017, 13 individuals and 7 entities have been listed. Five individuals have been delisted. The Committee approved amendments to the existing list entries of 16 individuals and 6 entities. As of today, there are 263 individuals and 82 entities on the ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list. Since the last joint briefing to the Council, the Committee has decided to delist three individuals and retain three individuals on the basis of reports submitted by the Ombudsperson. Currently, three requests for delisting are pending with the Office of the Ombudsperson; two cases are in the information-gathering period and one case is being discussed. The Committee welcomes the fact that Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati has recently taken up his duties as Ombudsperson of the ISIL/Da’esh and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. The Committee looks forward to cooperating with the Ombudsperson, considering the important role of his Office. In the reporting period, I held two briefings to interested Member States, on 17 October 2017 and on 2 August 2018, respectively. The last briefing was a joint event for both the 1267 and the 1988 Committees. I encourage Member States that are not members of the Security Council to share any queries and concerns with the Committee, the Monitoring Team and the Office of the Ombudsperson. I would like to take this opportunity to call upon Member States to continue their engagement with the Committee and the Monitoring Team, as this is essential to maintaining an up-to-date and dynamic sanctions list and fundamental to effective cooperation with the sanctions regime. In that regard, I would like to note that the Committee is conducting its annual review for 2017. The purpose of that exercise is to keep the sanctions list updated by reviewing the names of individuals and entities that lack identifiers, individuals who are reportedly deceased and entities that are reportedly defunct, as well as any other names that have not been reviewed in three or more years. I thank the Member States that have provided information, as it has proven challenging to obtain responses from all relevant Member States. In addition to the regular reviews, the Monitoring Team updates list entries based on information provided by Member States. We encourage Member States to keep the Team informed. I also urge those Member States that have not done so to submit the implementation reports mandated under the relevant resolutions. As Chair, I would like to thank all Member States for their cooperation with the Committee, its Monitoring Team and the Office of the Ombudsperson.

I thank Ambassador Umarov for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra of Peru, in his capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, and Bolivia on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. I also want to thank Ambassador Nikki Haley and her team for the exceptional guiding of our work for the month of September. (spoke in English) I thank you, Mr. President for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the work of the Counter- Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate (CTED). Terrorist groups, including the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Qaida and their affiliates, continue to pose a grave threat to peace and security around the world. ISIL has suffered significant losses, but has transformed itself into a global network that continues to motivate its supporters and followers around the globe to commit attacks. The growing sophistication of the methods used by terrorists requires innovation in our responses, while ensuring that those in place are both effective and sustainable. Not long ago, we were concerned with the flow of foreign terrorist fighters to the conflict zones in Iraq and Syria. Our concerns now include not only the activities of those foreign terrorist fighters who remain in the conflict zones, but also returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters and their family members and the potential risk posed by the forthcoming release of imprisoned foreign terrorist fighters and other persons convicted on terrorism-related charges. In this regard, the Committee is currently preparing a special meeting to update its 2015 Madrid guiding principles on stemming the flow of foreign terrorist fighters. Pursuant to resolution 2396 (2017), CTED is engaging with Member States, in cooperation with the relevant organizations, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, to assist with the implementation of the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record systems and the use of biometric data to identify terrorists, in compliance with domestic law and international human rights law. I would note in connection with this the recent issuance of the United Nations compendium of recommended practices for the responsible use and sharing of biometrics in counter-terrorism, developed by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. CTED is also supporting the development of comprehensive and tailored prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration strategies for former members of terrorist groups, including in the Lake Chad basin. Similarly, the Committee and CTED continue to focus on the main evidentiary and jurisdictional challenges that hinder attempts to prosecute returning foreign terrorist fighters. Since our previous briefing (see S/PV.8127), the Council has also adopted resolution 2395 (2017), which renews the mandate of CTED and reaffirms its role as a special political mission acting under the policy guidance of the Committee. Pursuant to the same resolution, CTED has reported to the Committee on ways to strengthen its assessment tools and improve the utility of its assessment to Member States, technical assistance providers, implementing partners, the Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), other relevant agencies, and international and regional organizations. Since the beginning of 2018, CTED has concluded 13 country-assessment visits on the Committee’s behalf, in cooperation with international and regional organizations. I wish to note that the Committee recently obtained consent to visit Mali and Saudi Arabia, and that Finland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America have invited assessment visits for 2019. We are concerned about the impact of terrorism on children and on the role played within terrorist groups by women. While women are often victims of terrorism, they also can be perpetrators and facilitators. In June, the Committee held a briefing on children and terrorism, with the participation of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and representatives of United Nations University. In the same vein, in September the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the UNOCT joined the Committee for a briefing on the human right aspects of counter-terrorism, including the rights of victims and survivors. Human rights and gender issues have also been streamlined throughout all Committee and CTED activities, including within the framework of assessment visits and thematic briefings. As Council members are aware, cooperation with and among international and regional organizations and among the relevant United Nations entities is essential. In March, CTED organized a subregional consultation with the Governments of Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka on promoting the adoption and implementation of national strategies to counter violent extremism. Last July, the Committee held an open briefing on Central Asia, focusing on the current counter-terrorism situation in the region, the progress achieved by the five States of the region and the remaining challenges. Just last week, CTED, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the International Association of Prosecutors jointly launched a practical guide for requesting electronic evidence across borders for investigators, prosecutors and central authorities. CTED also continues to promote and facilitate cooperation with other major actors and partners in the private sector, civil society and the research community, including through the CTED Global Counter-Terrorism Research Network. Participants in the Asia Information and Communications Technology and Counter-Terrorism Dialogue have discussed counter-terrorism, countering incitement and violent extremism leading to terrorism, the development of counter-narratives, enhancing the practice of private online communications, service providers and empowering online communities. In this regard, in May the Committee held an open meeting on countering terrorist narratives and preventing terrorist use of the Internet. Countering terrorist financing also continues to be a major focus of our attention. The CTED Executive Director notably played an active role in the No Money For Terror international conference, held in Paris in April. Pursuant to resolutions 2331 (2016) and 2388 (2017), CTED continues to investigate the possible links between transnational organized crime and terrorism, particularly human trafficking and terrorism. In cooperation with UNODC and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, the Committee will hold an open briefing on the nexus between international terrorism and transnational organized crime in October, and will also hold a joint special meeting on this topic, in accordance with the statement by the President of the Security Council of May 2018 (S/PRST/2018/9). Acting under the guidance of the Committee and in accordance with resolution 2395 (2017), CTED has also continued to strengthen its cooperation with the Office of Counter Terrorism. A joint CTED/UNOCT report on enhanced coordination and cooperation was issued as a Security Council document (S/2018/435) and as an addendum to the Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly on the biennial review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (A/72/840, annex IV). Moreover, CTED and UNOCT have conducted joint high-level consultations with Iraq, Kenya, Nigeria, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. Continued efforts have also been made to match the activities of UNOCT with a technical assistance need and recommendations set forth in the Committee visit reports. In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm the determination of the Committee and CTED to develop and implement comprehensive responses to the evolving terrorism threat, in close cooperation with other relevant United Nations entities and with our international and regional partners.

I thank Mr. Meza-Cuadra for his briefing. I shall now provide a briefing in my capacity as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). (spoke in English) On behalf of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I am pleased to report on the progress made since our last report, in April 2018. We fully endorse the joint statement delivered on behalf of the Committees established 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, as well as of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1540 Committee. The key concern for the 1540 Committee is preventing the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, their means of delivery and related materials to non-State actors, in particular for terrorist purposes. While the mandates of the three committees differ, there are important areas of complementarity. Cooperation among the three committees and their supporting experts is important to promoting the effective implementation by States of their obligations under the respective Security Council resolutions. However, the 1540 Committee continues to be concerned by the potentially devastating effects and catastrophic consequences of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons proliferation by and to non-State actors, and the use of such weapons for terrorist purposes. Given the global nature of the challenges posed by the proliferation of the capabilities and technologies that can be used by non-State actors for weapons of mass destruction programmes, no State is exempt from making every effort to prevent such proliferation from happening. The obligations under resolution 1540 (2004) are designed precisely for that purpose. The full and effective implementation of obligations under resolution 1540 (2004) involves a wide range of activities beyond the requisite adoption and enforcement of measures to prohibit non-State actors from manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, transporting, transferring or using nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery. In that sense, I am pleased to report that the overwhelming majority of States have demonstrated their commitment to resolution 1540 (2004), and through their reporting to the 1540 Committee have provided valuable information on the measures they have taken, or plan to take, to comply with their obligations under the resolution. It is worthy of note that to date 181 countries — more than 90 per cent of all United Nations Member States — have submitted initial reports. To that end, two experts will be assisting Mali in preparing its initial report on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) during an upcoming visit this month. Regular additional reporting and updating are also important so that the status of implementation can be reflected and assessed accurately. While reporting is important, what also matters is the effectiveness of the practical steps taken at the national level to implement the resolution 1540 (2004). One helpful step in that regard is for States to develop voluntary national implementation action plans as encouraged by paragraph 5 of resolution 2325 (2016). In the implementation of such action plans, and in order for the process to work, all key national stakeholders must be engaged with the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). The voluntary national implementation action plans also help to identify actions to close any gaps and vulnerabilities in legislation, regulation and national control frameworks, and to identify areas where assistance may be required Exchanges and the sharing of information by Member States are among the Committee’s core activities. The Member States are in the best position to identify effective national practices and to share them with the 1540 Committee and other partners. As one example, the Committee had an opportunity to hear about the peer review meetings between Chile and Colombia, held in each country in 2017, in relation to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). That was the third peer review to take place globally and the first in the western hemisphere. The discussions highlighted the value of the peer review process for promoting Member States’ confidence in sharing information about the challenges of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and generating ideas about effective national implementation practices. The 1540 Committee recognizes the key role of the 1540 national points of contact in support of the resolution’s implementation. The Committee has developed regional training courses for national points of contact, including the most recent ones in Addis Ababa for French-speaking African States, hosted by the African Union, and in Rostov-on-Don, with the support of the Russian Federation and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The regional national points of contact training courses, not only aim to enhance the capacity and coordination role of points of contact, but also seek to create a living network of points of contact to strengthen cooperation and coordination with the Committee and among points of contact in the respective regions. One of the priority areas the committee is focused on is improving the system of assistance to facilitate Member States’ capacity to implement their obligations under resolution 1540 (2004). In particular, the Committee seeks to match assistance requests from States with offers from States or international, regional or subregional organizations in a position to provide assistance. By doing so, an assisting State or organization can respond effectively to requests for assistance. Pending assistance requests are displayed on the home page of the 1540 Committee website and date back to 2010. As of today, 21 assistance requests are still open and further assistance is needed. The 1540 Committee website also includes lists of States and international, regional and subregional organizations that have offered assistance in general. As of 30 May, 47 States and 16 organizations had informed the Committee about general assistance programmes that could help facilitate the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Assistance providers are always welcome to update the Committee about their assistance programmes. The Committee stands ready to add to its website new programmes or information on available assistance. The Committee and its Group of Experts have maintained the momentum of outreach events in the course of fulfilling the Committee’s programme of work. A top priority is direct engagement with States through visits and national round tables, at their invitation. In the course of that process, increased use has been made of the support that can be offered by regional organizations, including the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and its regional centres. We have also intensified our engagement with international organizations whose mandates are directly related to resolution 1540 (2004), such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit, the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, the World Customs Organization, as well as those bodies that support related committees, such as the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. I would like to acknowledge the cooperation between the 1540 Committee, its Group of Experts and these international organizations. Transparency and outreach are vital to the effective implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). With that in mind, the Committee is seeking ways to make better use of its website. For example, we have continued to publish a quarterly message from the Chair that goes out to the wider 1540 network, including civil society. A special effort is being made to engage parliamentarians through, for example, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). In that regard, I will have the honour to deliver a video message to an upcoming meeting of the IPU. I should stress that the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) is the responsibility of States. However, effective implementation is more than simply ensuring that legislation or regulations are in place. Among other things, it also requires active engagement between the State and relevant sectors of society, including industry, academia and professional associations. An effective partnership between States and industry is also vital to successful non-proliferation efforts. The Wiesbaden process conferences foster such a dialogue between States and industry. In conclusion, I would like to highlight that the spirit of cooperation and dialogue with the Member States continues to inform the 1540 Committee’s activities. (spoken in Spanish) I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements.

Let us first congratulate Bolivia on assuming the presidency of the Security Council. We wish you every success in the month ahead, Mr. President. Let me also thank the Chairs of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida, and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities; the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004); and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) for the strong cooperation of their committees and Groups of Experts. We have come a long way at the United Nations in helping to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. But ISIS is evolving, moving away from being an overt organization to being a networked covert organization cultivating growing numbers of affiliates around the world. This year the 1267 Committee designated ISIS facilitators in South-East Asia and an ISIS leader in the Sahel, among others. Such affiliates can bring the scourge of ISIS to new hotspots. It is important that the 1267 Committee expeditiously designate ISIS affiliates to prevent them from taking up the mantle of a diminished ISIS core. We welcome the appointment of Daniel Kipfer Fasciati as the new Ombudsperson for the 1267 Committee and look forward to working with him. The threat of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) is increasingly relevant today. This year has seen the devastating consequences of chemical-weapons use by State and non-State actors in Syria and the United Kingdom, and last year we witnessed a horrific murder in Malaysia by VX. We collectively cannot allow the international norm against the use of such dangerous weapons to break down, especially when non-State actors are becoming increasingly violent and desirous of obtaining WMDs. The three Committees and other relevant parts of the United Nations system, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT), must work together more closely to better synchronize their activities and cut down on duplication. Last year we updated the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to strengthen coordination between the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the General Assembly counter-terrorism bodies on counter-terrorism issues. In response, CTED and the OCT released a joint report (S/2018/435, annex) setting out practical steps to ensure the incorporation of CTED’s recommendations and analysis into the work of the OCT. The report is a model to improve cooperation and ensure that expert country assessments define United Nations counter-terrorism technical assistance. Given the diverse threats we face around the world, ongoing collaboration and information-sharing between the Committee’s expert bodies remain integral to minimizing overlap and ensuring accurate threat assessments that lead to action. The Secretariat and many Member States often do not have the localized knowledge necessary for adequately addressing the terrorist threat in all parts of the world. That is why we continue to advocate for a whole-of-society approach, meaning stronger engagement with civil society and non-governmental organizations. Working with both United Nations and non-United Nations actors, including non-governmental organizations and civil society actors, helps the United Nations and Member States leverage the full array of expertise and perspectives needed to better identify and address fast-changing and diverse terrorist threats. Our counter-terrorism Committees must ensure that our counter-terrorism analysis and efforts are not counterproductive to our international commitments to human rights and to the rule of law. Enhancing Committee engagement with human rights bodies is a step in the right direction.

Let me to congratulate you, Sir, on your country’s presidency of the Security Council. We wish you and your team good luck. You can count on our full support for your work in the weeks ahead. Let me also thank Ambassador Nikki Haley and Ambassador Jonathan Cohen and their teams for their excellent and transparent stewardship of the Council over the past — and may I say, rather hectic — month. We last met in August to discuss counter-terrorism (see S/PV.8330). It was then that I stressed that the terrorist threat had changed but had not diminished. That was proved once again last week in my country, when authorities foiled a major terrorist attack. Seven men were arrested. They had planned to carry out a terrorist attack that would claim the lives of as many victims as possible at a large event in the Netherlands. In our view, that incident underlines that we cannot be complacent. We cannot let our guard down. In that light, we welcome our discussion today. I would like to thank Ambassador Llorentty Solíz, Ambassador Umarov and Ambassador Meza- Cuadra for their briefings and excellent work as the Chairs of the Committees. I believe that all of us in the Council acknowledge the special responsibilities and the additional workload of the Chairs involved. We appreciate their important work to counter terrorism and commend the efforts of their teams. I would like to focus on three issues in my intervention: implementation, transparency and accountability. First, with regard to implementation, resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) are the foundation of the Council’s work on countering terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. The Council has built on that foundation by adopting various subsequent resolutions, most recently resolution 2396 (2017), on returning and relocating foreign terrorist fighters. One could look at those resolutions and compare them to the structure of a house with several rooms. Together with the foundation and structure, the rooms are part of a sturdy, solid house. But for the house to weather heavy storms, maintenance is crucial. Therefore, implementing the resolutions is key. The work of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) 1540 (2004) and their expert bodies is indispensable in that regard. However, the success of their work depends on us — all the States Members of the United Nations. We must take responsibility in fulfilling the Commitments prescribed by the resolutions. It is for that reason that last week my Prime Minister handed over a full operational Passenger Name Record (PNR) system to Secretary-General Guterres. The system was developed in the Netherlands and can now be used by the United Nations to support Member States in meeting their PNR obligations, as stipulated in resolution 2396 (2017). To that end, we call upon Member States to join us and others in financing the United Nations PNR outreach project. Secondly, on the issue of transparency — if the Council will allow, I will continue with my metaphor — there is no use building a house with rooms if the doors in those rooms stay closed. The three Committees and their expert bodies, which we are discussing today, have to be transparent. The doors must be open. We therefore encourage the Chairs of the Committees and the experts to continue their joint briefings, travel and workshops. We encourage them to share more information with other parts of the United Nations, such as the Office of Counter-Terrorism, the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for Syria and the United Nations Investigative Team for the Accountability of Da’esh. We also encourage them to open the front door and intensify their outreach to non-Council members and non-United Nations organizations. In that context, let me mention the Global Counterterrorism Forum, which met here in New York last week. The Forum has two co-Chairs, Morocco and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is our joint ambition, as co-Chairs, to work as closely as possible with the United Nations. Lastly, with regard to accountability, as in any house, some rooms are used more frequently, and therefore require more maintenance than others. In the complex fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, we have to establish priorities. Accountability should be the overarching driver of our efforts. Terrorists should be held accountable for the atrocities they commit, in particular war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In particular, we need accountability for the mass atrocities committed by the fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham. The security of our societies and the dignity of the victims depend on it. That also applies in particular to sexual violence in conflict, and we welcome the statement just made by our Kazakh colleague on that important aspect. In conclusion, the counter-terrorism house we have built over the years is strong. But we cannot sit back and relax. We have to maintain our common house. And we have to be willing to renovate and expand, where necessary, to address new threats. The Kingdom of the Netherlands will continue to roll up our sleeves, together with our landlords — the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees, their Chairs and expert bodies.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your presidency of the Security Council and wish your country’s delegation all the best. I also thank the delegation of the United States for its presidency of the Council last month. I want as well to thank our colleagues the Chairs of the three Committees — the Permanent Representatives of Kazakhstan, Peru and Bolivia — for their detailed briefings on the activities of those Committees concerning counter-terrorism and non-proliferation. We also thank the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Committee concerning Da’esh and Al-Qaida, the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and the Office of the Ombudsperson for carrying out their activities in accordance with their respective mandates. We commend the role played by the three Committees, including their cooperation with other relevant United Nations entities, such as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, INTERPOL, the International Civil Aviation Organization and other relevant United Nations entities, together with regional organizations, to combat terrorism and the proliferation of terrorist groups, as they pose a threat to international peace and security. The State of Kuwait commends the efforts of the three Chairs, including their visits to Member States, joint briefings, comprehensive assessments and analytical work concerning emerging issues, trends and developments in supporting Member States and United Nations entities so that they can take the necessary measures under international law. All those activities are helpful to Member States and other subsidiary bodies. We reaffirm what the Chair of the Counter- Terrorism Committee said earlier with regard to the need to focus on women and children as victims of terrorist groups. In that regard, we note resolution 2396 (2017), which stressed the need to pay attention to women and children in those specific situations. Pertaining to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), we commend the role played by the Committee and its Panel of Experts in helping countries to implement the provisions of that important resolution. We have witnessed the recent use of chemical weapons by States and non-State actors throughout the world. We therefore must recognize the urgent need to address that disaster through the implementation of the relevant international resolutions, especially resolution 1540 (2004). That would allow the international community to continue its strenuous efforts in order to prevent non-State actors, in particular terrorist groups, from developing, possessing, manufacturing, acquiring, transferring or using weapons of mass destruction in all their forms, whether nuclear, chemical or biological. In conclusion, we would like to underscore that the State of Kuwait condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations regardless of its motives. Terrorism is a criminal act that cannot be justified and must not be associated with any religion, nationality, culture or ethnicity. In order to combat the criminal scourge of terrorism, we must combine international efforts and adopt the necessary measures to ensure respect for human rights, the rule of law, good governance and peaceful coexistence among religions, while respecting their symbols and holy places. In addition, conditions conducive to terrorism must be addressed along with rejecting hatred and all forms of extremism and violence. The State of Kuwait is firmly committed to working actively to effectively implement the relevant Security Council resolutions on counter-terrorism and non-proliferation.

I join all those who thanked the United States for its able leadership of the Security Council during September, which is always an exceptional month, and I congratulate Bolivia for its accession to the presidency of the Council for October and its very compact and relevant programme of work. I would like to begin by thanking Ambassadors Meza-Cuadra, Umarov and Llorentty Solíz for their detailed briefings and committed leadership, respectively, of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001), 1267 (1999) and 1540. Terrorism and nuclear proliferation are today among the greatest threats to international peace and security. Let me touch briefly the activities of each Committee. First, with regard to the 1267 Committee, which is responsible for sanctions against Da’esh and Al-Qaida, as its Chair pointed out, although Da’esh has suffered major military defeats, the group continues to pose a complex threat and inspire radicalized individuals to act. The end of its territorial control does not signify the end of the terrorist threat posed by Da’esh, but has only made it more diffuse, as has been pointed out more than once today. Its own autonomous capacities for producing and using chemical weapons have not vanished. Al-Qaida also remains very active in certain areas, such as the Sahel and the Arabian peninsula. In that regard, the 1267 Committee is carrying out two critical missions. First of all, it is analysing the terrorist threat through the reports of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which serve as valuable tools for Member States. France encourages all States to cooperate with the Team in strengthening its analyses. Secondly, concerning the implementation and rigorous monitoring of the sanctions list, which is the largest of all United Nations sanctions regimes, we encourage every State to continue to submit listing requests. For that regime to remain credible and effective, it is also essential that its procedures respect the basic freedoms of those on the list. France welcomes Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati, who assumed his functions as Ombudsperson to the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee this summer, and encourages all States to continue to cooperate with the Office of the Ombudsperson, whose work is critical for the sanctions regime. My second point concerns the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which also carries out two major functions in complementarity. The first is to raise States’ awareness of new trends characterizing the constantly evolving terrorist threat. The Committee’s special meetings — for example, our meeting next week on the links between terrorism and organized crime — provide an excellent means for sharing information and reflecting on specific issues. The second function of the Counter-Terrorism Committee is to consider how States are implementing the relevant Security Council resolutions in the many areas that fall under its purview, namely, monitoring foreign terrorist fighters, countering the financing of terrorism and combating propaganda and incitement to commit terrorist acts. It is essential that States allow visits by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate so that it can audit their counter-terrorism systems and provide appropriate recommendations, particularly with regard to technical assistance. France also encourages pursuing joint meetings between the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267 Committee so as to address analysis on the terrorist threat and assess the implementation of Security Council resolutions. Lastly, I would like to say a few words about the important work being done by the 1540 Committee under the chairmanship of Bolivia. The risk that radiological, biological, chemical and nuclear materials and vectors fall into the hands of terrorists is, as I have said, a proven danger. We have seen it in Syria and Iraq, and it has been clearly established by the Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons that Da’esh has used yperite on at least two occasions in Syria. Added to that are the uncertainties that weigh on the comprehensiveness of the Syrian declaration on its chemical programme made to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, while the potential existence of residual capabilities on Syrian territory only increases those risks. It is therefore more important than ever to adapt our efforts to the evolution of the threat. We are particularly concerned about transfers to the Middle East of goods and technologies related to vectors designed to be able to carry weapons of mass destruction. Progress in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and subsequent resolutions is tangible at the national and regional levels. The vast majority of United Nation States Members have now adopted measures incorporating the provisions of the resolution into their national legislation. Whether it concerns securing sensitive materials and goods, strengthening border controls or even, where necessary, establishing export- control mechanisms, the international community aims to ensure that such sensitive materials and assets cannot possibly fall into the hands of terrorists. The adoption of resolution 2325 (2016) at the end of 2016 has made it possible to adapt and bolster our framework for action in countering the threat. By strengthening the approach to cooperation, assistance and interaction we will be able to better prevent the risk of weapons of mass destruction being acquired by non-State actors. France will remain fully involved in that effort, starting this month by submitting to the First Committee a draft resolution on preventing the acquisition of radioactive sources by terrorists and by supporting the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction at the European Union and in the course of its forthcoming chairmanship of the Group of Seven.

My country would like to congratulate Bolivia on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October and wish it every success in the conduct of our work. My delegation would also like to express its deepest appreciation to the United States of America for the relevance of the issues discussed during its presidency in September. Côte d’Ivoire welcomes this meeting to consider the joint report of the three subsidiary bodies that make up the Council’s counter-terrorism framework. We thank Ambassador Kairat Umarov, Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999); Ambassador Gustavo Meza- Cuadra, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001); and you yourself, Ambassador Sacha Llorentty Solíz, Chair of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), for the quality of the respective briefings. The reports of the subsidiary bodies provide us with scope and extent of the evolving threat of terrorism, the security risks associated with the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the work done by the various subsidiary bodies themselves. That analysis compels my delegation to comment on the evolution of the terrorism threat, the mandates of the Committees and the challenges to overcome. With regard to the evolution of the threat of terrorism, my country remains concerned about new forms of terrorist threats enhanced by globalization; the resilience of Da’esh and its affiliated groups; and the significant capabilities of the latter to adapt their tactics and the ways in which their activities are financed. In addition, the return and relocation of terrorist fighters, attempts by non-State actors to gain access to weapons of mass destruction and the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes also remain areas of concern for the Council. With regard to the mandates of the various Committees, my delegation welcomes the close cooperation between them. That makes it possible to face current challenges, which include the constant evolution of types of terrorist threats and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We also commend the progress made by the Committees and their expert groups in their assessment of the threat of terrorism and their assistance in enabling Member States to fulfil their obligations under United Nations resolutions and international legal instruments in the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In that regard, my delegation welcomes the cooperation and coordination between the various Committees in the planning and implementation of their various activities, in accordance with their respective mandates and Council resolutions. Regular exchanges between the Committees and Member States to raise their awareness of the threat of terrorism; working visits to Afghanistan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines; and joint briefings in Africa and Central Asia, are excellent examples of that coordinated approach between the various Committees, which should be strengthened. My country also welcomes the efforts made by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate to rehabilitate and reintegrate former foreign terrorist fighters, particularly those in the Lake Chad basin. Given that information sharing is essential to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), my country appreciates the regional training sessions organized for national focal points. Those sessions have enabled the creation of an active network aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination, both with the 1540 Committee and between the respective regions. Information-sharing further encourages the strengthening of cooperation between the 1540 Committee and international organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the Implementation Support Unit of the Chemical Weapons Convention, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL. My delegation also welcomes the actions initiated by the Committees and their expert groups to update the sanctions lists in order to facilitate the implementation of sanctions regimes against individuals, groups and entities associated with terrorist groups. With regard to the challenges ahead, Côte d’Ivoire stresses the need for the United Nations to favour an integrated approach in its response strategy in order to better adapt to current challenges. We also believe that more attention should be paid to measures to ban biological, chemical and bacteriological weapons; the financing networks that enable proliferation; and national controls on the export and transport of such weapons. My country urges the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate to continue its awareness-raising activities in order to combat extremist discourse and all other actions leading to violent extremism and terrorism. We also call for the updating of the Madrid principles on foreign terrorist fighters. My delegation believes that the root causes of radicalization must be addressed and that particular attention must be paid to risk factors, including psycho-pathological factors that can lead to terrorism. In that regard, we commend the work of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Sanctions Committee and we recommend that non-proliferation and terrorism sanctions procedures respect fundamental freedoms. Finally, given that assistance to Member States is useful for the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), my delegation urges the 1540 Committee to do everything in its power to settle pending requests for assistance.

My delegation would like to begin by commending the United States on its successful presidency in September. We also congratulate Bolivia on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of October and wish it luck and success. My delegation thanks the Permanent Representatives of Bolivia, Kazakhstan and Peru for their respective comprehensive briefings on the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We recognize their leadership and that of their teams in heading up the three Committees, which are doing vital and extremely complex work that shapes the credibility and effectiveness of the Council. Terrorism is one of the greatest threats to peace and security in the world. Through the briefings that we have just heard, we are aware of the progressive ability of terrorist groups to join and assimilate into anti-terrorist cooperation initiatives, adapt technological innovations and collaborate with international criminal networks and armed groups, among others. In that regard, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea commends the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), on counter-terrorism, especially its indispensable work as an informative and strategic forum for Member States. We also highlight the role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate in monitoring and supporting the implementation by Member States of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and other relevant resolutions. We urge that the role of the Committee be strengthened through greater collaboration with regional organizations by placing a sharper focus on building the counter-terrorism capacity of Member States and regions in need; as well as with a more inclusive approach towards Member States, communities and subregions that are affected by terrorism and run the risk of becoming sanctuaries for those who practice it. In that way, we can strengthen preventive efforts and avoid blind spots in the global fight against terrorism. For that reason, we also want to recognize the growing work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate in the Central African region, among other initiatives. We likewise recognize the growing work of the Committees pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015), concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups and entities, and the important analytical and follow-up work of its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team. Ambassador Kairat Umarov’s briefing and the Secretary-General’s seventh report (S/2018/770) on the D’aesh threat to international peace and security, which we are analysing at this meeting, confirm the disruptive potential of that group for international peace and security, in particular through its global network of regional affiliates, its 20,000 to 30,000 foreign terrorist fighters, including women and children, and its increasingly deplorable suicide attack methods. In that regard, we commend the work of the Committee as a cautious supervisor of the sanctions list its increasing collaboration with other sanctions committees. We also welcome the appointment of Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati as Ombudsperson of the Committee. We trust —indeed, encourage — that the Monitoring Team and the Ombudsperson will step up their collaboration with Member States and regional initiatives through sustainable strategies. With respect to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, I would like to thank the Committee for the opportunity they offer by briefing us on their contributions to the implementation of the resolution. Since its establishment, the 1540 Committee has endeavoured to raise awareness of the need to eliminate nuclear, chemical, biological weapons, their delivery systems and related materials. The Committee assists States with legislation, training and equipment and facilitates cooperation between the various regional organizations and Member States with a view to improving their practices and general preparedness to prevent the risks of non-State actors, specifically terrorists, illegally acquiring material or dual-use technologies, or trafficking in them. Despite all those efforts, the terrorist threat remains real, and the mere idea of non-State actors having access to weapons of mass destruction is a matter of great concern. Scientific and technological progress, together with the globalization of world trade, poses new challenges for monitoring, including the financing, acquisition, possession, development, transport, transfer or use of nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their delivery systems, particularly for terrorism purposes. In that context, the 1540 Committee is an ideal platform for international cooperation to establish strong international barriers that prevent proliferation and, in particular, that prevent non-State actors from accessing weapons of mass destruction. To avoid proliferation, it is imperative that the institutions in charge of enforcing local cross-border controls have officials trained in the technical and legal tools that govern the matter. In that context, we highlight the work done by the Expert Group of the 1540 Committee, which, through workshops and seminars, has promoted the sharing of experiences and practices according to the needs of each State with respect to handling non-proliferation activities. In the same vein, Malabo will host its first workshop in December organized by the 1540 Committee, in collaboration with the Government of Equatorial Guinea and the Office for Disarmament Affairs, to support improving the capabilities of our country’s national institutions in the area of customs services and border control on non-proliferation activities. We reiterate the need for States with greater capabilities in the area of customs and border control to share their experiences, technologies and best practices with the States that are the least advanced in those areas. The detonation of a nuclear, chemical or biological weapon would have a global impact. Furthermore, terrorists can take advantage of the deficiencies in the surveillance capabilities of developing States to bring in such weapons and attack the interests of developed States. So far, 181 countries have submitted their national implementation reports on resolution 1540 (2004). We congratulate the Committee for its hard work and encourage it to continue spreading the Committee’s objectives so that the remaining States also comply with the commitments and purposes of resolution 1540 (2004). The fight against terrorism and for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are the responsibility of all States, because no one can face those scourges alone. The Republic of Equatorial Guinea notes with concern the growth and evolution of terrorist groups in the world, and especially in Africa, where many countries are committed to sustainable development and peace. For that reason, we encourage States to continue investing in the implementation of the resolutions of these three Security Council Sanctions Committees. We also encourage States to commit to sustainable development, which is the best prevention. Lastely, Equatorial Guinea upholds its commitment to continue fighting terrorism and working for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, as weall to collaborate on those goals insofar as possible.

China wishes to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month and will actively support your work. China also expresses its appreciation to the United States for the work it did as President during the month of September. I wish to thank Ambassadors Llorentty Solíz, Umarov and Meza-Cuadra for their briefings. China expresses its appreciation to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism (CTC), and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for the work they have done and the progress they have achieved under the able leadership of the three Ambassadors. Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery pose a grave threat to international peace and security. The international community should therefore strengthen cooperation and adopt an integrated approach to effectively respond to the threat. In connection with the work of the three Committees, China wishes to make the following points. First, the 1267 Committee plays an important role in evaluating terror threats and strengthening sanctions. Recently, on the basis of the Council’s mandate, the Committee updated its rules of procedure and conducted periodic review of the sanctions list. The Committee has done something positive in selecting a new Ombudsperson. It has also strengthened cooperation with the Monitoring Team and the Ombudsperson and has continued to improve its working methods. China hopes that the Committee will strengthen its communication with the countries concerned and abide by the principles of objectivity, neutrality and professionalism when it comes to listing, exemptions and delisting. China also hopes that it will make decisions on the basis of solid evidence and broad consensus so as to preserve jointly the authority and the effectiveness of the sanctions regime. Secondly, the CTC plays an important role in facilitating the full implementation of the Council’s counter-terrorism resolutions by tracking new terror threats and trends and by providing technical assistance to the countries concerned. China is happy to see that the CTC has strengthened its information-sharing and coordination and cooperation with other United Nations agencies through joint meetings and visits. China hopes that the Committee will continue its dialogue with Member States and engage in cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, as well as assist Member States with capacity-building on counter-terrorism so as to jointly respond to new challenges posed by terrorist organizations that incite, plan and execute terrorist activities using the Internet and new technologies. Thirdly, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery is a real threat to international peace and security. It is also a challenge to be taken up jointly by the international community. In order to effectively respond to the threat of proliferation by non-State actors, the 1540 Committee should continue to work in a spirit of cooperation and dialogue and carry out its activities under the purview of the relevant Council resolutions and the Committee’s programme of work. It is necessary to stress the primary responsibility of Member States in non-proliferation and to support them in designing their non-proliferation policies on their own terms. It is necessary also to adopt a balanced approach in the implementation of the provisions of Council resolutions and to build the capacity of Member States to implement those resolutions. We must also ensure that the assistance provided by the Committee to Member States is more targeted and effective and that special attention is given to the needs of developing countries. Fourthly, the Committees’ Groups of Experts should work within the framework of their respective mandates and the Committees’ rules of procedure. It is essential that they strengthen coordination, leverage their respective advantages, improve their work and enhance their professionalism. At the same time, they should be more open to the views of Member States. China opposes terrorism of all kinds and is firmly against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. China has adopted effective measures to implement Council resolutions and supports the work of the Council’s subsidiary organs. China, together with the rest of the international community, will continue its efforts to promote international counter-terrorism cooperation, strengthen the international non-proliferation regime and work jointly to maintain world peace and stability.

I want to join others in congratulating Bolivia on assuming the presidency of the Council and assure it of our fullest support. Let me also express our appreciation to United States Ambassador Nikki Haley and her entire staff for their successful presidency last month. We thank you, Mr. President, for having convened this joint briefing, which we found very relevant and useful in the light of the common objectives that the three Committees share as important subsidiary organs of the Security Council in countering terrorism. I commend the Chairs of the three Committees and their respective teams for their briefings, as well as for their dedicated efforts. On the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), we recognize the indispensable role that it plays in monitoring the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and other relevant resolutions on counter- terrorism. Ethiopia also appreciates the work of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) in the implementation of the CTC’s decisions and the expert assessments it provides, as well as its assistance to Member States in the implementation of Security Council resolutions on terrorism. We believe that the promotion of regional cooperation should be strengthened and should also focus on those countries and regions that are most affected. We continue to stress that assessment visits to Member States should be followed by the facilitation of capacity-building and technical assistance where there is a need to fill existing gaps. In this regard, we would like to commend the role of the Office of Counter-Terrorism and other bilateral partners and their continued engagement with the CTC and CTED. The work of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities is critical in overseeing the sanctions measures imposed by the Security Council on ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities in accordance with the relevant resolutions. We recognize the important work of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee in assisting the Committee’s work and commend its expertise and professionalism. We always welcome the continued engagement of the Committee and the Monitoring Team. We note with great concern the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials and the possibility of such weapons falling into the hands of non-State actors, particularly terrorists. The threat of the proliferation risk of such weapons is alarming in the light of recent incidents related to the use of chemical weapons by non-State actors in different parts of the world. The objectives of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) could best be achieved through gradual control and the reduction of nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, leading towards the total elimination of and a ban on weapons of mass destruction. In this regard, it is imperative for all of us to support the Secretary- General’s Agenda for Disarmament. Equally important is the need to ensure the ratification of, accession to and full implementation of multilateral agreements on the prevention and elimination of weapons of mass destruction. The threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters and returnees, terrorism financing risks and the exploitation by terrorists of information and communication technologies — coupled with the risk of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of non-State actors, including terrorists — remains an enormous challenge. As you underscored, Mr. President, in your remarks as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), cooperation among the three Committees is of the utmost importance. Strengthening collaboration between the 1540 Committee Group of Experts and members of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the CTC, without prejudice to their respective mandates, requires attention from the Council. We recognize that resolution 2368 (2017) provides a framework for the cooperation between the CTED and the 1540 Committee and their respective Groups of Experts aimed at providing support to Member States as well as avoiding duplication, creating synergies and facilitating coordination. In this regard, while welcoming the recent joint outreach activities and visits by the three Committees, I would like to highlight three areas that could be considered in efforts to further strengthen cooperation among the three Committees within the framework of resolution 2368 (2017). First, as a follow-up to today’s joint briefing, the Chairs of the Committees could envisage the convening of a joint meeting among the three Committees at the expert level to identify concrete measures or mechanisms that could further enhance existing cooperation, with a view to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their falling into the hands of terrorists. Secondly, the three Committees could, in the context of their outreach activities and technical assistance and capacity-building provided to Member States, consider the possibility of the joint planning and implementation of their activities, as appropriate and where feasible. Thirdly, while welcoming the existing cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, including the African Union, the possibility of organizing joint meetings and other activities in support of regional efforts should be further explored. Such measures will further strengthen regional efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors, as well as counter-terrorism measures.

Allow me to join others in welcoming you, Sir, to the presidency and assuring you of my delegation’s full support and cooperation throughout the month of October. I would also like to congratulate the delegation of the United States for its excellent stewardship of the Council during the month of September. I thank you very much, Mr. President, for your briefing today, as well as for your important work as Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). Let me also thank the Permanent Representatives of Kazakhstan and of Peru for their presentations and for their leadership in chairing their respective Committees. Since we met in this format in May last year (see S/PV.7936), there have been numerous encouraging developments in global efforts to counter terrorism, both inside and outside the Council. We have seen that, through concerted efforts, our ability to fight this scourge has improved. However, we are far from done; acts of terrorism remain a serious threat to international peace and security, and we must continue to develop our tools to counter and prevent further terrorist acts. One of the most notable developments within the United Nations during the last year is of course the establishment of the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT). We recognize and appreciate that the Council Committees and the UNOCT are now working together to strengthen their coordination on a number of important aspects. The adoption of several resolutions related to counter-terrorism, such as resolution 2396 (2017), on returning foreign terrorist fighters, is another significant development. The effective implementation of those resolutions must now be ensured. The continued cooperation and unity of the Council is a prerequisite for the further development of our ability to combat terrorism. Sweden welcomes the well-functioning cooperation and information-sharing among the three Committees as well as their respective Groups of Experts. The sanctions regime of the Security Council 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 remains a vital tool in our counter-terrorism efforts. It is true that Da’esh has lost territory over the past year. However, as many colleagues have observed today, that network clearly remains a serious threat, and there is also a surge in the threat from A1-Qaida. Continued efforts to improve the functioning of the regime is therefore key. We welcome the appointment of the Ombudsperson, Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati. The Office of the Ombudsperson is of crucial importance for due process and therefore for the efficiency of and compliance with the sanctions regime. In future, we should look at some kind of procedure to ensure that longer vacancies in that key post are avoided. Currently only individuals and entities listed under the 1267 sanctions regime have access to the Ombudsperson, while there are also concerns over due process in other sanctions regimes. We should consider the possibility of gradually extending the mandate of the Ombudsperson to other sanctions regimes, as appropriate. The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism is a vital venue for dialogue on counter-terrorism-related challenges within the framework of the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC). Continued engagement remains essential among the Committee, the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and other relevant actors such as civil society, the CTED Global Counter-Terrorism Research Network and the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. We recall the important discussion held last week in the CTC on the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights, and we welcome the efforts made to streamline human rights and gender issues throughout all the activities of the Committee and CTED, including during assessment visits and thematic briefings, as outlined by Ambassador Meza-Cuadra in his earlier briefing. Both of those perspectives are key, not least from the point of view of preventing terrorism. Sweden welcomes the increased attention to issues relating to the impact on children of terrorism and counter-terrorism, which was made possible through last year’s adoption of resolution 2395 (2017). We thank the CTC Chair for highlighting the role of the United Nations University (UNU) in that important discussion. The UNU’s research briefs on children and extreme violence fill an important void, and Sweden is considering ways of deepening its cooperation with the UNU, in particular on how to improve reintegration interventions for individuals associated with groups deemed as terrorists or violent extremists. Resolution 1540 (2004) and the 1540 Committee remain an important complement to the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation regime. The threat from non-State actors is real. The fact that 181 States have submitted their initial reports on national implementation is testimony to an increasing commitment to address that urgent threat. This urgency has become even more evident as the international norm prohibiting the use of chemical weapons has been repeatedly violated over the past few years. The evolving nature of threats from non-State actors requires us to stay one step ahead. We must take into account the rapid advances in science and technology in order to foresee potential risks. Sweden, together with Bolivia and the 1540 Group of Experts, will co-host an event later this month on emerging technologies in order to share experiences on that topic among Member States and national and international scientific societies. The Council has repeatedly underscored in its various resolutions that all counter-terrorism measures undertaken by Member States must comply with their obligations under international law and has made it clear that failure to comply with international obligations is one of the factors contributing to radicalization and violence. There is no doubt that terrorists must be held to account and that there cannot be impunity for the atrocities they commit. Meanwhile, we must remember that counter-terrorism efforts cannot come at the expense of human rights. If we are to succeed in eliminating terrorism, we must also uphold respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, both online and offline, as that is the basis for an open society, critical thinking and fostering resilience to terrorist propaganda. Let me therefore conclude by reiterating the importance of ensuring that all counter-terrorism measures are carried out in accordance with international law, including human rights law, humanitarian law and refugee law.

Allow me to join others in congratulating you, Sir, on having assumed the presidency of the Council for October. I wish you all the best and assure you that you can count on our support. At the same time, I would like to express our appreciation for the excellent work of the United States presidency in September, and we thank Ambassador Nikki Haley for her leadership and the United States delegation for their professionalism. Allow me to thank you once again, Mr. President, as well as your colleagues Ambassadors Kairat Umarov and Gustavo Meza-Cuadra, for their informative briefings, tireless work and active leadership of the three Committees. The results of the work of the subsidiary bodies determine the effectiveness of the Security Council, as the organ entrusted with maintaining international peace and security. I would also like to commend the ongoing cooperation among the respective expert bodies of the three Committees — the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Group of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). First, I would like to stress that rapid technological advances in the dual-use domain continue to outpace national and international regulations. Non-State actors have become more creative in weaponizing new technologies. The use by terrorists of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery and related materials is a dreadful reality. For more than a decade, Poland has had a record of fruitful and substantial cooperation with the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts. With the support of those bodies, we undertook a number of initiatives at the national, regional and global levels. We call on all States to fully implement resolution 1540 (2004) by taking national and international measures to strengthen their capacities in countering the threats posed by terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction, including through the development of national action plans under that resolution. Secondly, Poland welcomes the achievements of the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities. Despite having been defeated in Iraq and confined to small pockets of territory in the Syrian Arab Republic, ISIL still poses a significant challenge to international peace and security. Al-Qaida is relatively strong in many parts of the world, posing a long-term threat to stability and sustainable development. In that regard, it is of crucial importance to keep the sanctions list updated and stay focused on the current threat. The issue of weapons reaching ISIL, Al-Qaida and their affiliates should be dealt with through a holistic approach, including better border control. Global challenges such as the threat posed by terrorists should be addressed by the international community as a whole. The tenth meeting of the Counter-ISIL Finance Group, hosted by Poland in September and co-chaired by the United States, Italy and Saudi Arabia, was a good example of that attitude. By sharing specific information on funding mechanisms, 52 Member States explored how to mitigate the risks posed by terrorist organizations and the potential exploitation of stabilization and reconstruction funding into Iraq and other affected countries. We appreciate the efforts made by the Secretariat to address the needs of the end users of the sanction list through the development of a more accessible search engine and a mobile application. We call on States to cooperate in the annual review of the 1267 sanctions list. Poland welcomes Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati as the new Ombudsperson to the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee. We look forward to a productive cooperation given his important role in the delisting process. Lastly, I would like to express our appreciation for the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Thanks to its efforts, we know better how to combat illicit trafficking, abuse of the Internet and the financing of terrorism. The Committee’s special meetings, whether thematic or regional, such as the recent ones on countering terrorist narratives, on human rights and on Central Asia, are an excellent tool for keeping States informed and a platform for galvanizing discussion. In conclusion, I want to stress that beyond States’ efforts to counter terrorism, we should not underestimate the effectiveness of the engagement of international, religious and civil-society organizations, as well as academia and the private sector. Only by working together, and with respect for the rule of law and human rights, can we fight this scourge.

I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your assumption of your duties, and the United States on its presidency of the Council last month. I would like to begin by thanking all of the Committees for their work, and their Chairs for updating us on the implementation of these important resolutions. I particularly want to welcome the collaboration and joint work being done between the Committees, as is evidenced here today. I would first like to address the work of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, and of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. No country is immune to the threat of terrorism and no region is exempt from the threat that flows from the poisonous ideology that underpins it. Only through collaboration between countries, within and between regions, can we defeat it. We need a network of willing and capable countries to tackle the terrorist threat. While much is being done bilaterally, the United Nations has a major role. A willingness to tackle this threat should of course be a matter of self-interest, but it also flows from binding Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. And while capability flows from the Committees, including the Counter-Terrorism Committee, it also flows from the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the United Nations Counter- Terrorism Centre. I very much welcome the joint work that we are seeing under the leadership of Under- Secretary-General Voronkov and Assistant Secretary- General Coninsx. The United Kingdom agrees with the assessment in the Secretary-General’s report (S/2018/770) that Da’esh has evolved from a territorial entity into a diffuse, covert network that operates in a number of countries. Al-Qaida and its affiliates remain a persistent threat and challenge, and we are also facing threats to international peace and security from terrorist groups that have been inspired by Da’esh and Al-Qaida, in addition to others, such as extreme right-wing groups. Terrorist groups constantly change their methods and approaches, and we must be flexible and adaptable in response. As the Ambassador of Peru has said, a feature of the threat in recent times has been the outflow of foreign terrorist fighters from many countries represented around this table. But as well as focusing on that, we must now focus on returnees to our countries and relocators to other theatres. Nor must we forget the foreign terrorist fighters currently in prison, and others convicted of terrorism-related offences who may pose a threat both at home and abroad. The United Kingdom wants to stress the important role that the private sector, academic researchers and civil society can play in supporting Member States and United Nations bodies in countering terrorism and violent extremism. During the United Kingdom’s August presidency of the Security Council (see S/PV.8330), we were pleased to invite a civil-society briefer, Ms. Joana Cook of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence, in London, to share with the Council findings from her recent report on Da’esh women and minors, which enriched our understanding and discussion. I would like to stress that sanctions remain a key tool in combating terrorism. We welcome the continued engagement and cooperation of all Council members in our international efforts to counter this threat, and I also welcome the appointment of Mr. Daniel Kipfer Fasciati as Ombudsperson. The United Kingdom welcomes the ongoing efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee’s Executive Directorate to address a broad spectrum of issues raised by recent resolutions, in particular resolution 2396 (2017). As others have said, a global passenger name record standard is needed, and we welcome the International Civil Aviation Organization project of the Office of Counter-Terrorism to promote its responsible use, and recognize the generous support of the Government of the Netherlands in that regard. Furthermore, we continue to encourage States to move towards the implementation of the Global Aviation Security Plan. In line with resolution 2395 (2017), it is important that CTED assessment and analytical tools are updated and made fit for purpose, and that they inform the capacity-building activities of the United Nations, including the Office of Counter-Terrorism and its partners. We are pleased to invite CTED to conduct a visit to the United Kingdom in 2019, and look forward to working with the Committee in order to share good practices and technical-assistance needs. I also encourage other States to work with CTED to facilitate similar visits to their own countries. We can all learn. Moving on to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I would like to acknowledge the Committee’s achievements, particularly regarding the completion of initial reports and the engagement of the Committee’s Working Groups. We support the Chair and Committee’s focus on practical steps to support the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), such as voluntary national action plans. We welcome the example set by Chile and Colombia in conducting a peer review of the resolution’s implementation, and suggest that the Committee encourage other countries to do likewise. We acknowledge that the Committee has played a crucial role in enabling the meaningful exchange of information between States, improving the matchmaking processes that better meet assistance needs and help to build long-term capacity. It is now time for the Committee to become more active and to strategically consider new and emerging threats. In particular, we encourage the Committee to consider responses to topical counter-proliferation issues affecting the implementation of resolutions 1540 (2004) and 2325 (2016), such as emerging technologies and proliferation financing, and to consider the role of international organizations and multilateral forums in raising awareness of those issues. We hope the Committee will meet more often going forward. We encourage the ongoing work aimed at raising awareness and the profile of resolution 1540 (2004). The effective implementation of these resolutions is vital to protecting hard-fought global norms and the rules-based international system. Let us step up our efforts.

We would like to congratulate the delegation of Bolivia on the start of its presidency of the Security Council and to note the timeliness of today’s joint briefing on three of its important subsidiary bodies. We thank the briefers, all of whom clearly identified the tasks facing the Council and the entire international community in combating the threat of terrorism. We are grateful to the Permanent Representative of Peru for his detailed report on the activities of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and its Executive Directorate (CTED). The core of the CTC’s mandate should continue to be the professional and impartial assessment of States’ anti-terrorism efforts. We recognize that the number of monitoring missions, including those carried out jointly with other Security Council bodies and the Office of Counter-Terrorism, has increased significantly, and we have taken positive note of the efforts of Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov and Executive Director Michèle Coninsx. We would like to remind the Council that paragraph 12 of resolution 2395 (2017) directs the leadership of the Committee to report to the Council on problems in obtaining the consent of States to country visits and concluding reports, as well as on how the CTC’s recommendations are being implemented. We hope to see a detailed analysis of the situation in this area. We agree that providing information on current threats and best practices in the fight against terrorism is an extremely important aspect of the CTC’s activities. However, it is very clear that the Executive Directorate’s attention has frequently been concerned with topics such as rehabilitating and reintegrating terrorists, strengthening the role of women, protecting human rights and collaborating with civil society at the expense of its counter-terrorism tasks. Those are all important issues, of course, but they are not directly related to the Committee’s basic mandate, and it is important to ensure that it continues to focus on the area of counter- terrorism or run the risk of losing key reference points. We believe that it is counterproductive to attempt to transform the CTC and its Executive Directorate, with their unique tools, into a quasi-human rights protection mechanism. Introducing individual ways of working with some violent extremists and violent extremist groups into the Committee’s agenda is even less acceptable, and in our view is a targeted approach to undermining the international legal base of counter- terrorism with the aim of exempting tame terrorists from responsibility. Instead, we propose that the Committee and Executive Directorate confine their focus to genuinely topical issues of countering incitement to terrorism and terrorist propaganda, in accordance with resolutions 1624 (2005) and 2354 (2017), as well as suppressing the supply of arms to terrorists, in line with resolution 2370 (2017). There is still much to be done in those areas. Speaking of the unique nature of the CTC and CTED mandate, we would like to draw attention to the depoliticization and professionalism that have distinguished both bodies since their establishment. We believe that the attempts of some Committee members to pressure the Executive Directorate into limiting its collaboration with international organizations working on counter-terror issues are unacceptable. We hope that CTED itself will strictly follow its own procedures and practices developed over the years and will continue to be a unifying platform. We note the 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 consider it one of the Council’s most effective mechanisms on the counter- terrorism front. We are pleased to note that this is Kazakhstan is in large part responsible for this, as is Ambassador Umarov personally as the Committee’s current Chair. We believe it is crucial to ensure the effective implementation of Council resolutions on the counter- terrorism sanctions regime with regard to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Qaida. Given the growing presence of ISIL in Afghanistan and the threat of the further expansion of jihadists into the countries of Central Asia, we believe that one of our priorities should be expanding the Security Council’s counter-terrorism sanctions regime to individuals and organizations that are part of or directly connected to the Afghan wing of the Islamic State’s extremist organization. It makes sense to continue to concentrate on the problem of foreign terrorist fighters on the counter-terrorism sanctions lists who are actively moving to States of origin or to third countries from Syria and Iraq, in order to prevent and suppress their criminal activities. We support the effective work of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team pursuant to resolutions 1526 (2004) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, whose reports are an important tool for our joint work, and we urge Member States to work closely with their experts. We expect the Monitoring Team’s reports to be as objective as possible and rely only on verified sources of information. The Monitoring Team’s country visits are a significant factor in its work, and we hope that it will focus on trips to countries that are in armed confrontations with international terrorism and States that are dealing directly with terrorist efforts. That is critical to obtaining first-hand information. Resolution 1540 (2004) is a key, universal, legally binding instrument in the area of the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), requiring all countries to adopt effective measures to prevent weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials from falling into the hands of non-State actors. On the whole, we are satisfied with the implementation of the resolution. We commend the efforts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) under the chairmanship of Bolivia, and of its Group of Experts, for organizing courses for national focal points, conducting country visits to develop voluntary national action plans, providing assistance to countries that need it and maintaining contacts with relevant specialized international, regional and subregional organizations. However, much remains to be done to achieve the main goal, the full implementation of the resolution by all countries. Russia is working actively not only to implement the resolution but also to provide appropriate assistance to other States. With the support of the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), we have held courses on resolution 1540 (2004) issues for OSCE member States in Rostov-on-Don. In a few days’ time, Russia’s Federal Service for Technical and Export Control is organizing a seminar in Moscow on export control issues for member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Security Council must respond robustly to any violations of resolution 1540 (2004) and actions to help non-State actors to gain access to weapons of mass destruction, particularly chemical weapons. The challenges in that area demand that we unite international efforts and reject double standards. In that regard, we would like to remind the Council of the initiative by the Russian Federation to develop and adopt a convention for the suppression of acts of chemical and biological terrorism. Today’s discussion confirms that eradicating terrorism is possible only with broad international cooperation. We urge that practical steps be taken to establish an international counter-terrorism coalition.