S/PV.8569 Security Council

I should like to take this opportunity to pay tribute, on behalf of the Security Council, to His Excellency Mr. Mansour Alotaibi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait, and his entire team, for their service in the presidency of the Council for the month of June. I am sure I speak for all the members of the Council in expressing our deep appreciation to Ambassador Alotaibi and the whole Kuwaiti team for the great diplomatic skill with which they conducted the Council’s business last month. Expression of welcome to the new Permanent Representative of France

I would also like to extend, on behalf of the Council, a warm welcome to the new Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, His Excellency Mr. Nicolas de Rivière. We very much look forward to working closely with him in the coming months. Adoption of the agenda Threats to international peace and security Linkages between international terrorism and organized crime Letter dated 27 June 2019 from the Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General (S/2019/537)

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Afghanistan, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Guatemala, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Norway, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Panama, the Philippines, Slovenia, Spain, the Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Viet Nam to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko, International Consultant, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute. Mr. Fedotov is joining today’s meeting via video- teleconference from Vienna. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I also invite the following to participate in this meeting: His Excellency Mr. João Pedro Vale de Almeida, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, and Mr. Robert Mardini, Permanent Observer of the International Committee of the Red Cross to the United Nations. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2019/537, which contains the text of a letter dated 27 June 2019 from the Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept note on the item under consideration. I now give the floor to Mr. Fedotov. Mr. Fedotov: Allow me to begin by thanking the Security Council for its continued attention to the threats to international peace and security posed by terrorism and organized crime. While their objectives may differ, criminals and terrorists share the need to operate in the shadows, exploiting gaps in criminal-justice response in and between countries and regions. Terrorist tactics can be employed by organized criminal groups while terrorists raise funds through criminal activities. Human trafficking for sexual exploitation, child soldiers and forced labour can be used not only to generate revenue but to strike fear and recruit new fighters. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has profited a great deal from the illegal trade in oil, trafficking in cultural property and kidnapping for ransom. In the Sahel and the Sahara, smugglers and traffickers are paying dues to gain the right of passage to areas controlled by terrorists. We have also seen piracy and organized crime flourish on the high seas, including outside the jurisdiction of any single State and beyond the capacities of many countries to patrol. Abu Sayyaf kidnaps seafarers in the waters around the Philippines, the Taliban benefits from the drug trade across the Indian Ocean, Al-Shabaab supports piracy and finances its operations with the trade in Somalia of charcoal through the Gulf of Oman, and Al-Qaida supplies its forces around the Arabian peninsula by sea. Furthermore, expanding terrorist and criminal activities online represent a clear transnational challenge to all Member States. To strengthen responses going forward, I should like to highlight the following priorities. First is the effective implementation of international commitments, including the conventions on transnational organized crime, corruption and drugs, as well as the global instruments against terrorism and the United Nations standards and norms on crime prevention and criminal justice. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, in particular, and specifically its three protocols, address the issues of illicit firearms, human trafficking and migrant smuggling. These agreements enjoy near universal acceptance and should be better used to promote coherence between domestic anti-crime and anti-terrorism legislation and relevant national and international instruments. Secondly, much more resources must be channelled into providing technical assistance in order to build up specialized expertise and capacities. Those include training for law enforcement agents, coastguard personnel, border and airport officials, prosecutors, judges, prison officers and other relevant officials. Thirdly, we need to reinforce investment in mechanisms for inter-agency, regional and international cooperation, including information- and intelligence-sharing. The United Nations clearly has a role to play in encouraging and enabling such networked responses. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) global Networking the Networks initiative is enhancing the efforts of law enforcement bodies to cooperate at the local, regional and global levels. In West Africa alone, we promote the Sahel Judicial Platform, the West African Network of Central Authorities and Prosecutors, and the Asset Recovery Interagency Network. Similar networks are operational in Central Asia, West and Central Asia and other regions. UNODC also works with universities and other institutions to advance knowledge about the linkages between organized crime and terrorism under the Education for Justice initiative. We are supporting national law enforcement agencies in collaborating on cross-border investigations and in identifying and intercepting illicit movements of goods through our Container Control Programme and Airport Communication Programme. UNODC is also helping to protect the world’s busiest shipping routes from exploitation by criminals and terrorists through our Global Maritime Crime Programme. Fourthly and finally, the international community can do more to mainstream integrated action against terrorism and crime across the pillars of the United Nations work. United Nations-wide coordination is key, and UNODC is working closely with such partners as the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN-WOMEN. In response to the Security Council’s resolutions, UNODC has stepped up its efforts to address trafficking in persons in conflict situations. Among other work, UNODC is helping to identify and protect child-trafficking victims recruited by armed extremist groups in the Niger, and supporting United Nations police in strengthening detection and reporting on human trafficking. Prisons also present another potential link between crime and terrorism. UNODC promotes good prison management, in line with the Nelson Mandela Rules, which can help in dealing with high-risk prisoners and in preventing radicalization and recruitment. More broadly, combating corruption and illicit financial roles is crucial to strengthening responses to these transnational threats. Furthermore, as criminals and terrorists exploit new technologies, UNODC is providing specialized law enforcement mentoring and helping to bring offenders to justice through our Global Programme on Cybercrime. Illicit firearms can be used as a source of funding for terrorists and organized criminal groups and to carry out terrorist acts. UNODC is supporting Member States in tackling firearms trafficking and we are looking to develop a joint project with UNOCT and CTED to address the terrorism-armed crime nexus. The connections between terrorism and organized crime are complex and shifting. More research is needed. As the Security Council has repeatedly recognized, addressing the linkages between transnational organized crime and terrorism requires the international community to work together to close gaps in criminal justice responses and to deny criminals and terrorists any safe haven. UNODC stands ready, as always, to support the Council’s efforts.

I thank Mr. Fedotov for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Coninsx. Ms. Coninsx: Allow me to begin by commending Peru for its efforts over the past year to enhance the Council’s consideration of the challenges involved in addressing the linkages between terrorism and organized crime and to assist Member States in identifying solutions. Those efforts have included an Arria Formula meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations, a thematic open briefing and a special meeting highlighting regional specificities. They have also been reflected in the renewed impetus given to this issue on the Council’s agenda. The Council has continued to build upon the terrorism financing-related provisions of its resolution 1373 (2001), notably through its adoption of resolutions 2195 (2014) and, recently, 2462 (2019). The territorial losses sustained by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant have certainly contributed to the group’s efforts to access funds through a wide range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking, weapons sales, kidnapping and extorsion. Other groups, including Al-Qaida and its affiliates, have sought similar financing avenues. I wish to reiterate the determination of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to strengthen our understanding of Member States’ approaches and responses to the links between terrorism and organized crime. Over the past year, CTED has actively contributed to a number of international conferences, workshops and expert meetings focusing on those links, including at the Council of Europe, the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Eurasian Group on Combating Money- laundering and Financing of Terrorism and the Asia/ Pacific Group on Money-laundering. I also welcome the close partnership developed in this area between CTED, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, which has proven extremely fruitful in terms of the delivery of capacity-building assistance, the issuance of dedicated reports and policy guidance tools. In its work on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), including within the framework of the aforementioned events, CTED has also become aware of a number of academic and research initiatives on this issue. I commend the contribution of the research and academic community, and I am particularly pleased to be here today with Ms. Tamara Makarenko, who is one of the pioneers of research in this area. Within the framework of the country assessment visits conducted on behalf of the CTC, CTED continues to engage with national authorities on their perception of the links between terrorism and organized crime, as well as on identified cases in which such links have been detected. We have identified a number of relevant State practices, including the creation of joint investigative units and prosecution authorities to handle both organized crime and terrorism. However, we continue to note a significant disconnect between the level of concern expressed by policymakers, the implementation of legal frameworks addressing both terrorism and transnational organized crime, and the actual level of investigation and prosecution of cases involving criminal and terrorist groups alike. While I recognize that the links can take different forms, depending on the geographic, political and economic contexts, there are some specific areas that we could explore in greater depth, both to better understand the link and to address them in a more effective way. First, in its recently adopted addendum to the Guiding Principles on foreign terrorist fighters, the Committee recalls the need to intensify and accelerate the timely exchange of financial intelligence, including with a view to effectively identifying potential linkages between terrorism and organized crime. Secondly, the role of financial intelligence units should be strengthened. Financial intelligence units play a central role in States’ anti-money-laundering and counter-financing of terrorism efforts, but remain generally under-used in the context of counter-terrorism. Thirdly, the understanding of criminal and terrorist activities achieved by intelligence services is not always reflected at the investigative and prosecutorial levels, where agencies responsible for countering terrorism and those responsible for countering organized crime too often tend to operate in silos. Inter-institutional barriers to information-sharing, including between and among local and national authorities, should be overcome. Fourthly, Member States should also conduct terrorism-financing national risk assessments, which provide an opportunity to detect, and respond to, active or passive interactions between terrorist and criminal groups. The participation of the private sector and civil society in such exercises can greatly facilitate the development of policy responses. Lastly, links between terrorism and organized crime may develop in prison settings, thereby increasing the possibility of radicalization or the development of connections that will enable terrorists to gain access to criminal networks. It is therefore essential that States increase the capacity of the relevant practitioners to detect and deter such links. I look forward to hearing more about Member States’ approaches and experiences in all those areas. Events such as today’s open debate enable us to reaffirm our joint commitment to combating all forms of support for terrorist groups and individuals, as well as to promoting regional and international cooperation through the dissemination of relevant tools and practices. Rest assured that CTED will continue to contribute actively to those efforts.

I thank Ms. Coninsx for her briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Makarenko. Ms. Makarenko: I would like to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for providing me this opportunity to speak to the Security Council today. My intention is to summarize my 25 years of interest and academic research on the crime-terrorism nexus, while drawing particular attention to the dimension of logistical support, along with the question of financing, which often comes up with great frequency. Although my initial model on the crime-terror nexus was first published in 2003, based on the findings of an in-depth assessment of hundreds of groups worldwide, over the years the model has been refined to encapsulate new developments in both terrorism and organized crime. In seeking to understand the complexities of the relationship between terrorism and organized crime, I would like to begin by saying that this is not a new phenomenon; it has a solid historical academic foundation dating back at least to the 1980s, from which it has evolved into a multifaceted and dynamic concern to, and for, the international community. The linkages that exist between terrorism and organized crime are not independent security threats per say; rather, the ties that develop between terrorism and organized crime exacerbate the security environment. That is most obviously done through changes in financial operations, as we already heard, and logistics. As such, or effort to develop an accurate understanding of how, why and when linkages between terrorism and crime develop should be viewed as an essential component of our counter-terrorism and anti-crime strategies. In other words, the nexus is but one tool in our international security toolkit, but a tool that has become central to helping us focus where our limited national, regional and international security and development resources should be directed. Where linkages between terrorism and organized crime exist, a range of peripheral and facilitating crimes are also present. They manifest themselves in various ways and, through an increasing number of cases, reveal that links between terrorism and organized crime have global salience, regional nuances and local proclivities. A holistic approach to the nexus between terrorism and organized crime helps uncover how different types of linkages facilitate access to specialized skill sets and tactics needed for both terrorism and organized crime groups to reach their objectives. How that plays out, however, depends upon the specific nature of that interaction. At its most basic level, the nexus is either transactional or organizational. A transactional nexus generally refers to the coming together of a terrorist and criminal group to fulfil specific operational requirements. That coming together takes place either through an alliance or the appropriation of tactics learned over time, or acquired through the integration of criminals into terrorist groups. The organizational nexus, on the other hand, occurs when both terrorists and criminal activities occupy the same space and time. In that manifestation we see the emergence of something called the hybrid group and, in extreme cases, the rise of a de facto black hole — an ungoverned and ungovernable territory where terrorism and organized crime collide, collude and conspire. Each of those five nexus points has specific implications for the logistics capabilities of a terrorist group or cell. Alliances, for example, are often the focus of basic debates on the linkages between terrorism and crime. That relationship between two independent bodies fulfils a number of immediate requirements, such as access to specialized knowledge — money -laundering, for instance — access to specialized services, such as counterfeiting; operational support; access to smuggling networks; and financial support, as we have heard. Although there are numerous historical cases of alliances, in particular in the provision of counterfeit documents and access to arms and weapons, the crux of the alliance has itself evolved, in particular in parts of the world where counter-terrorism efforts are relatively efficient. Perhaps more common in the alliance today are cases where terrorist groups or cells have effectively appropriated or integrated criminal capacity and know-how into their organizations. For larger, more structured groups, such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, there is considerable evidence that their logistics departments — if I can use that name — learn the value and necessity of being able to engage in illicit activities to support their operations. That includes everything from establishing smuggling operations to selling illicit goods to having in-house counterfeiting expertise. For smaller, more independent terrorist cells, that has taken the form of recruiting criminals. Over the past several years, for example, we know that prisons have acted as incubators for integration. Direct networking between terrorists and criminals has enabled the transfer of criminal skills through recruitment, ostensibly providing cells with access to criminal networks that provide weapons, forge documentation and provide other logistical support infrastructure, such as safe houses, and knowledge of local and national police weaknesses. Alliances’ appropriation of tactics and integration are types of linkages between terrorism and organized crime that are relatively straightforward to identify, because they do not require analytical judgements to be made on intangible characteristics, such as group motivation and strategic priorities. It is more difficult to draw decisive conclusions about hybrid entities; however, as they exist today, hybrid entities are themselves very important to look at. Although the emergence of a hybrid entity depends upon several factors, what I would like to highlight today is that that type of group — one that equally displays the characteristics of organized crime and terrorism — has developed a sophisticated operational structure that is upheld by its ability to navigate the licit/illicit divide as a means of securing a robust logistic framework. Hybrid groups truly have the organizational infrastructure of organized crime, with the retained tactical expertise of terrorism. From years of conducting ongoing analysis of the crime-terror nexus, there is no doubt that linkages between organized crime and terrorism exist. That is regardless of the fact that that relationship may reveal itself in different ways. Today one of our greatest concerns should be that expanded linkages could increase our vulnerability to terrorism by groups with enhanced criminal capabilities. If we take the flip side of that, expanded links could also increase our vulnerability to criminal groups with a heightened propensity towards the use of indiscriminate violence. We are undoubtedly challenged by security threats that arise in ungoverned territories, but it is the less predictable threats emanating from the rising profile of small-time criminals turned terrorists, or local criminal enterprises fuelling terrorist cells, that we need to focus more attention on. That is inherently more difficult to counter, and implies that even low-level criminality can no longer be the sole domain of local law enforcement. We are navigating a complex security environment where terrorism and organized crime are no longer mutually exclusive, but can be interdependent and sophisticated enough to learn from the successes and failures of groups and cells that came before them. Understanding the evolving proclivities of the linkages is a tool that will inevitably help our national authorities and associated international organizations adjust how they engage in counter-terrorism and anti-crime initiatives.

I thank Ms. Makarenko for her briefing. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Peru. I would like to express my appreciation for the informative briefings on the linkages between international terrorism and organized crime provided by Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko, international consultant. Since 2001, the Security Council has observed with concern the close linkages between international terrorism and organized crime and stressed the need to promote coordination of initiatives at all levels in order to strengthen the international response to this serious problem, which is a threat to international peace and security. Throughout its participation as a non-permanent member of the Council and at the helm of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Peru has led through an inclusive process actions aimed at deepening the understanding of the linkages between the two phenomena with a view to identifying, preventing and dismantling them. In addition to the Arria Formula meeting we had in 2018, we also supported the adoption of presidential statement S/PRST/2018/9 in May 2018, which encouraged States, among other things, to continue to investigate to better understand the nature and scope of those linkages. We also held an open meeting on counter-terrorism in October 2018 (see S/PV.8364) and a special joint meeting between the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities , which considered this problem from various perspectives. In that context, Peru proposed a thematic discussion in the context of Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, which the Council is currently negotiating with a view to strengthening States’ capacities and promoting more effective cooperation at the national and international levels in response to the linkages between organized crime and terrorism. We believe that this effort, like all action aimed at combating terrorism, must be coherent with international law, international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law. Specifically, it is crucial to address the relationship between organized crime and terrorism beyond the idea of financing to identify and dismantle the dynamics of logistical support, including through such crimes as the trafficking of drugs, weapons, persons and natural resources. In that regard, the future draft resolution will seek to address those issues and urge States to strengthen border controls and contribute more information both at the national and the international levels. However, we recognize that the two phenomena correspond to different motivations and have separate legal frameworks so they cannot be automatically linked. We recall that my country has suffered from the manifestations of the linkages between national terrorism and organized crime, in particular drug trafficking. We trust that today’s meeting will provide an opportunity for the Security Council and the membership as a whole to share their assessments and experiences with regard to this topic and contribute to the negotiations under way. In particular, it is important to understand the manifestations of the linkages in their respective different regions, ways of identifying and dismantling them, and ways of improving the international community’s efforts in that regard, especially with the support of the United Nations and regional and subregional organizations. We hope that we can count on the support of all Member States to join efforts with a view to preventing and combating the linkages between international terrorism and organized crime. I resume my functions as President of the Council. I shall now give the floor to the other members of the Security Council.

My delegation welcomes the convening of this open debate on the linkages between international terrorism and organized crime. By placing this issue at the heart of its priorities in the Security Council, Peru is demonstrating once again its ongoing commitment to promoting activities aimed at countering those two scourges. The briefings by Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko, international consultant — whom I commend for her relevant comments — provide our Council with insight into the scope and complexity of the phenomena. I also welcome the presence of the new Permanent Representative of France, Mr. Nicolas de Rivière. I assure him of my delegation’s resolve to work closely with him. I think I also reflect the mindset of other members of the Security Council. In adopting resolution 2195 (2014), the Security Council made its first call for the strengthening international cooperation by securing borders and the prosecution of illegal networks in order to prevent terrorist organizations from benefiting from transnational organized crime. Since then, the convergence of views among Council members with regard to the concerns raised by counter-terrorism has been evident, in particular in the adoption of presidential statement S/PRST/2018/9 and resolution 2462 (2019). The exacerbation of these two phenomena, which has been particularly acute in West Africa, shows that, despite their different natures and modes of operation, they feed on each other when the conditions are right and are a serious threat to international peace and security. The resources derived in particular from drug and human trafficking, the illegal arms trade, fraudulent medicines and the illegal exploitation of natural resources greatly fuel the cross-border criminal networks and increase their ranks. Cross-border criminal networks and terrorist groups take advantage of the permissive security environment created by the difficulties faced by some States in performing their sovereign functions throughout their territories in order to develop various forms of interaction. Understanding the underlying causes and the complex dynamics of those interactions seems to be a necessary prerequisite, as reaffirmed by the presidential statement adopted in 2018. It invites us to promote research in order to better understand the nature and the scope of the linkages between terrorist groups and criminal organizations. My country therefore thinks that States and regional organizations must take all the necessary measures to reverse the trend towards the expansion and gradual hybridization of their criminal activities. That approach naturally falls under the primary responsibility of States, which are responsible for investing in security tools in order to generate national human and logistical capacities to control land, sea and air borders, whose porous nature is exploited by criminal networks and terrorist groups. It is therefore necessary to ensure that there is coordination and complementarity among national institutions that deal with security, intelligence, justice and financing to optimize their activities. Furthermore, in order to track and dismantle criminal networks States must bring national legislation in line with international legal standards and instruments to combat terrorism and its sources of funding. States must strengthen the capacity of their judicial institutions to enable them to effectively carry out the necessary investigations and prosecutions. However, national border control strategies can be effective only if they are well integrated into the legal and security mechanisms put in place within the framework of subregional and regional cooperation. While the links between transnational criminal networks and terrorist groups are undeniably a collective concern, the repercussions of these phenomena are more pronounced in the regions of the world that do not have sufficient human, financial and logistical resources to cope with criminal gangs, which very often employ asymmetrical methods. That is the case in West Africa. Côte d’Ivoire therefore urges the United Nations to maintain its support for the States and organizations of the region with a view to helping them build their capacity to combat these phenomena, particularly with respect to the gathering of information on legal and security matters. In that regard, the Economic Community of West African States Counter-Terrorism Strategy and Implementation Plan to fight terrorism and related criminal acts in West Africa deserves support, as does the Nouakchott Process on the enhancement of security cooperation and the operationalization of the African Peace and Security Architecture in the region, which advocate a holistic approach to dealing with transnational threats. In conclusion, Côte d’Ivoire remains more convinced than ever that the links between cross- border criminal networks and terrorist groups pose serious threats to international peace and security. That is why our joint efforts should integrate the need to resolutely achieve the Sustainable Development Goals so as to enable our populations to finally live decent lives and stop our regions from being the fertile ground in which transnational criminal networks and terrorist groups take root.

First of all, I would like to thank the delegation of Kuwait for its excellent leadership of the Council for the month of June. I would also like to congratulate Peru on its assumption of the presidency for this month and wish it every success. I also welcome the new Permanent Representative of France, Mr. Nicolas de Rivière, and to wish him every success. He has our support and cooperation. We are grateful to you, Mr. President, for the idea of holding an open debate on combating terrorism and organized crime. We thank Mr. Fedotov, Ms. Coninsx and Ms. Makarenko for their useful contributions to our discussion. The Security Council has already highlighted the close link between terrorism and transnational organized crime, illegal trafficking in drugs, arms and persons, and money-laundering in resolution 1373 (2001). Our delegation has always supported and continues to support the resolve to raise this issue in the Security Council and to maintain its expert assessment of the matter. Terrorists and organized criminals increase their potential by pooling resources and knowledge, making it more difficult for law enforcement and intelligence bodies to combat them. Furthermore, terrorism and organized criminals are constantly shifting and looking at new ways of working. They adjust to new circumstances and change their motivations and tactics. We are particularly concerned by the radicalization of members of organized criminal groups and their transition to terrorism. We need to pay special attention to that when we organize our work on how to combat terrorism ideology. At the same time, the international community has developed a number of mechanisms and instruments for international cooperation in the area of criminal proceedings, such as extradition, mutual legal assistance or transfer of criminal proceedings, the transfer of the convicted, the freezing and confiscation of assets and law enforcement cooperation. Anyone who is involved in terrorist activities, including their funding, must be brought to account. In that regard, we call on all States to fulfil their international obligations, including on the basis of the principle of extradite or prosecute, as contained in the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. We support the strengthening of interaction and coordination among the specialized entities of the Secretariat and regional organizations in countering the nexus between terrorism and organized crime. The specialized technical cooperation programmes of the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Office on Drugs and Crime are very good examples of such work. We see potential in the development by regional organizations of security policies and strategies and in the creation of more effective cooperation and assistance mechanisms to fight terrorism and organized crime. The examples of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida show that the intensity of terrorist activity is directly dependent on the level of its funding. A sufficient material basis enables terrorists to prepare and conduct terrorist acts, recruit new members and actively counteract the work of law enforcement agencies. The terrorist presence in Syria and Iraq would be suppressed much faster if terrorists did not receive large-scale and sustained supplies of weapons and ammunition. We underscore that illegal trafficking in small arms and light weapons is a serious crime. We believe that it is important to scale up our efforts in countering drug trafficking. In a number of States where the situation is already difficult, circumstances are aggravated by the continued merging of drug trafficking and the terrorist underground, inter alia, to launder criminal proceeds. Human trafficking also remains a serious challenge in various parts of the world, and its proceeds frequently end up in the hands of terrorists. We consider it necessary to continue to study the interaction between terrorist organizations and international crime. The potential of criminal groups makes it much easier for terrorists to conduct subversive activities globally. We therefore think that it is a very good idea and appropriate that Peru prepare a relevant draft resolution on this issue.

As this is my first statement at an open meeting of the Security Council since Peru assumed the presidency for this month, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President. I also congratulate Kuwait on its successful presidency of the Council in June. I also welcome the new Permanent Representative of France to the Council. This is likely to be my last speech in the Security Council as Permanent Representative of China. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to extend my respect to all my colleagues. It has been an honour to have worked so long with the Council, which has yielded a profound friendship with all of its members. I thank Council members for their support and assistance to me. I would also like to express my hope that in future the Security Council can build on its current momentum to better maintain international peace and security. China welcomes this open debate convened by Peru. We thank Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for their briefings. We also listened attentively to the remarks of Ms. Makarenko. At present, there is mutual collusion and infiltration between terrorism and organized crime. Terrorist organizations using organized crime for financing and organized criminal groups resorting to extreme measures or committing terrorist activities, all of which poses a serious threat to international peace and security. The international community must strengthen its results-based cooperation in that area, exchange intelligence and information, share success stories and take concerted action so as to effectively fight terrorism and organized crime and jointly maintain international peace and security. I would like to stress the following points. First, it is important to adhere to a unified counter- terrorism standard while respecting the primary responsibilities of Member States and the essential coordinating role of the United Nations. Terrorism is the public enemy of humankind. Counter-terrorism must not be subject to double standards, much less selective approaches. Instead, counter-terrorism must follow the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries concerned. Countries must strictly implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the resolutions of the Council and the General Assembly, abiding by and implementing international law on combating organized crime. Tangible measures must be taken to counter collusion and infiltration between terrorist organizations and organized crime in terms of personnel, financing, equipment and incitement to hatred. A comprehensive approach must be taken to eradicate the root causes of terrorism and organized crime and prevent their proliferation. Secondly, it is imperative to strengthen international and regional cooperation to create synergy, so as to effectively fight terrorism and organized crime. As international terrorism, transnational organized crime and other global security issues become ever more interlinked and diversified, any weakness on the part of a single country could trigger a large number of external threats, give rise to a series of risks and create a safe haven for terrorists and organized crime. The international community must actively support regional and subregional organizations in their important roles and in conducting effective regional cooperation. China supports closer coordination between United Nations agencies on the one hand, including the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT), the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and regional organizations on the other hand so as to make the most of their respective strengths and expertise. We also applaud the series of regional counter-terrorism meetings hosted by UNOCT and countries of the region. Thirdly, it is important to strengthen Member States’ capacity-building in a targeted manner so as to address the most prominent challenges. In both counter- terrorism and the fight against organized crime, the international community must effectively assist Member States, especially developing countries, in areas such as border control, customs, drug enforcement and the judiciary. We must also proceed on the basis of the specific security situations and distinctive cultures and history of various areas in order to effectively combat the financing of terrorism by means of cross- border arms and drug trafficking and the illicit trade in natural resources, combat Internet-based terrorist and illegal activities by terrorist forces and organized criminal gangs, and sever the links between terrorism and organized crime. It is also important to abide by international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions to take measures aimed at deradicalization in order to strengthen prevention and to prevent the perpetrators of organized crime from resorting to extremist or terrorist measures. Like many other countries, China has also been a victim of terrorism and faces the ongoing threats of terrorism and extremism. China has taken decisive measures to carry out counter-terrorism and deradicalization efforts by legal means and has effectively contained the high incidence of terrorist activities at various locations and guaranteed the basic right to development and life of peoples of all ethnicities. China’s counterterrorism and deradicalization campaign is part and parcel of the global fight against terrorism. It is fully consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations in fighting terrorism and protecting basic human rights. China has been rigorously implementing all United Nations counter- terrorism resolutions and actively participating in global and regional counter-terrorism cooperation. As a State party to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, China has been taking a range of measures, including legislation, law-enforcement and judicial measures, actively implementing its obligations under the Convention and advancing international cooperation in relevant areas. We support the counter-terrorism efforts of developing countries and will continue to conduct bilateral and multilateral exchanges in cooperation with all Member States, especially developing countries, on counter-terrorism and the combat against transnational organized crime. We will do our utmost to provide material assistance and assistance in capacity-building to the countries concerned in a joint endeavour aimed at maintaining regional and global peace and stability.

We had thought that we would still be able to count on the presence of the representative of China for the next meeting of the Council, but since he has announced that this will probably be his last, I should like to take this opportunity to express to Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu our special appreciation and deep recognition for his extraordinary efforts and the work that he has done in the Council during his tenure here. I should like to add that it has been a privilege to work with him on the many important issues on the international agenda. I believe that I speak also for the other members of the Council in wishing every success to the Ambassador in his new responsibilities and, once again, I extend my gratitude to him.

We appreciate the convening by the presidency of this interesting debate, organized by the Permanent Mission of Peru on an issue that clearly requires the attention of the Council. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Kuwait on its presidency and to welcome the new Ambassador of France, Nicolas de Rivière. We wish also to express our appreciation to today’s briefers for the arduous efforts they are making in countering terrorism and for having enriched this meeting by their contributions, based on their practical experience. The link between terrorist groups and transnational and national organized crime has been recognized and proved by the Council as a threat to international peace and security. The interconnection of these two great evils takes a high toll in human lives, brings political destabilization and undermines social and economic progress. It is therefore undeniable that the outcomes of the clear relationship between such criminal groups must be combated and prevented. Prevention plays a very important rule in this struggle, since by relying on measures to that end States can strengthen their response systems in order to improve their effectiveness. We must therefore strengthen public-private partnerships, international cooperation and relationships with both subregional and regional agencies, whose technical and logistical support are of considerable value. Terrorist groups resort to crimes such as abduction, trafficking in arms and drugs and trafficking in persons, among the others mentioned today, in order to finance their illicit activities. States must therefore strengthen the prosecution and criminalization of money-laundering and corruption, with the support of the judiciary, national financial analysis units and regional financial intelligence groups. The Dominican Republic attaches priority to prevention along with the dismantling of the ties between terrorists and drug traffickers. Drug trafficking, from production all the way through the illicit consumption of illegal substances, is a heinous cancer that is eating away at the well-being and progress of our peoples. On 7 June last, the Permanent Missions of the Dominican Republic, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Peru, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and the Kingdom of the Netherlands, along with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, organized an Arria Formula meeting on the issue of transnational organized crime and drug trafficking in the Caribbean region as a threat to international stability. This made it possible for Council members to debate the complex dimensions of these problems, including current trends and modalities, as well as the efforts of parties to combat these phenomena. We would highlight here the importance of closely cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and INTERPOL in analysing and exchanging the relevant information in order to help identify the criminal ties between terrorists and other criminal groups. Finally, putting an end to terrorism and organized crime is a fight we must all undertake. It is for that reason that we commend the time and effort put in by the Permanent Mission of Peru to bring to light the ties between terrorism and organized crime. As Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism, it held educational meetings on this important issue and is leading the current negotiations on a draft resolution on the same topic. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu on his last day in the Council for his wise opinions. It has been an honour to be his colleague. He is a very intelligent and interesting person and I wish him every success in his future endeavours.

We thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this debate, and we thank all the briefers for their informative presentations. I also welcome our new French colleague, Mr. Nicolas de Rivière. In addition, I congratulate Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu on his new functions and thank him for his exemplary cooperation over the several months we have spent together on the Council. Although several Security Council resolutions have already expressed the Council’s concern about the links between terrorism and organized crime, those links need to be further identified and addressed. They may include financial assistance to terrorist movements, logistical assistance or even the formation of an ad hoc coalition. We also note that the dividing line between terrorism and organized crime, both transnational and domestic, can be very blurry. While terrorist movements often finance their operations through criminal activities, criminal organizations sometimes adopt methods similar to terrorist movements to achieve their ends. The links between terrorism and organized crime varies greatly by region. Multilateral actions to combat terrorism and organized crime must take those different realities into account and our measures must be adapted to different regional contexts. Unfortunately, Europe has also seen many violent terrorist attacks on its territory in recent years. Belgium has not been spared, having been attacked in March 2016. Most of the terrorists who participated in these recent attacks had a criminal history, often involving petty crime. These individuals were radicalized and joined terrorist groups with a speed that greatly outpaced us and through a process that differed from the radicalization processes we have known until now. They were deliberately targeted by Da’esh through a rhetoric of redemption for their past crimes. This process of radicalization occurred mainly within our prisons, which has led us to reconsider our analysis of both the radicalization processes, but also of our prison systems. In addition, it is also important to understand the close links among several types of organized crime and how terrorist movements benefit from them. We note that there is an important link between trafficking in human beings and terrorism. That link exists not only in the financing of terrorist movements, but also through sexual exploitation as a terrorist tactic. Those practices have been used by Da’esh, Boko Haram and other terrorist movements. In addition, terrorist movements continue to exploit arms trafficking both to finance their operations and to supply themselves with weapons. They focus on small arms and light weapons, which allow them to pursue their dangerous and violent objectives, leaving many innocent victims in their wake. We strongly condemn the illicit transfer of weapons to terrorist movements. We welcome the draft resolution initiated by the Peruvian mission, which not only seeks to understand the complexity of the links between criminal organizations and terrorist movements but also proposes concrete measures. We reiterate the importance we attach to the fact that no measure taken in the context of the fight against terrorism and organized crime should hinder the work of humanitarian organizations, whose activities are neutral and impartial. Respect for international humanitarian law and the fundamental principles enshrined in the Geneva Conventions remains paramount everywhere and in all circumstances. We also note the importance of strengthening the capacities of States in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, and welcome the important role played in that connection by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Office of Counter-Terrorism. We once again thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this debate. You can count on our cooperation in the drafting of this new resolution.

Let me take this opportunity to join others in bidding farewell to our colleague, Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu and thanking him for his work on the Security Council. We wish him all the best and every success in his future endeavours. (spoke in French) I would also like, on behalf of the entire Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, to warmly welcome our new colleague, French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière, as our neighbour on the Security Council. We are truly gratified to be able to continue our very close collaboration with him and the entire French team here in New York. (spoke in English) We commend the Peruvian presidency for keeping this important topic on the agenda of the Council and its subsidiary bodies. We thank all the briefers for sharing their insights with us today, with special thanks to Ms. Tamara Makarenko for her eye-opening contribution. We share the notion that the linkages between terrorism and organized crime need to be studied and monitored by the competent authorities — first, at the level of Member States; secondly, at the level of regional organizations; and thirdly, here at the United Nations. On all three levels, it is critical that our political decisions be based on facts. The global phenomenon of terrorism threatens the livelihoods and well-being of civilians worldwide. However, terrorists do this in very different ways and modi operandi. The threat is very different among different countries and regions. Looking, for example, at Europe in past decades, we saw very different forms of terrorism. Separatists in Northern Ireland or the Basque country had little in common with radical pseudo-communist armed groups like the Red Army Faction in Germany, Action directe in France, the Brigate Rosse in Italy or, if we look at more recent examples, right-wing terrorism. When we look at Europe today, terrorist activities are not characterized by strong organized crime involvement. With the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, we saw a State-like terrorist group use methods usually employed by organized crime syndicates, including trafficking in persons. Some members of the Taliban in Afghanistan are connected to cross-border drug smuggling. But those examples might be too particular to call it a trend. They could very well be a singular phenomenon when we look at the specific organization and the vast territory controlled by these groups. But we need to be careful not to lose sight of the specificities of each case. This topic does not lend itself to generalizations. Against this background, the role of the United Nations should be that of a facilitator of information and an amplifier of scientific findings developed foremost by Member States, regional organizations and civil society actors. In the fight against terrorism and organized crime, the work of INTERPOL, EUROPOL and State law enforcement are key. Some member States may cooperate; sometimes only one member State will take the lead. Again, generalizations are not helpful. We are committed to relentlessly pursuing terrorists, just as we are committed to preventing radicalization and violent extremism. That requires comprehensive efforts following a whole-of-society approach. And it requires strong international cooperation. Within the United Nations, three principles are of particular importance to us. First, I would like to recall the special attention that women and children need and deserve as victims of trafficking in persons. Regardless of who the perpetrators are, the victims should be our focus. They need our protection and our efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Secondly, I would like to recall that Germany has been at the forefront of fostering a discussion on the unintended effects of counter-terrorism measures on impartial and neutral — in short, principled — humanitarian action. That is a very important topic for us. We strongly advocate the use of the language in recently adopted resolution 2462 (2019) as a benchmark in that regard. We have been advocating the use only of targeted sanctions for a long time. We will continue to do so during the ongoing negotiations on a Security Council draft resolution regarding today’s topic. Thirdly, Germany is active within the group of friends on targeted sanctions. We are convinced that we need to respect international standards of due process and human rights when countering terrorism. It is only with fairness and transparency that we will we be able to prevent people from falling into the trap of extremists and their terrorist propaganda. For Governments, behaving within the law is paramount. It is not only our moral duty, it is the most effective way to counter the lies of terrorists. They try to depict democratic Governments as the enemy and as illegitimate and inhumane. We need to show that we are the contrary — fair and just — but also determined to stop terrorists and to hunt down those who have committed acts of terrorism. Let me conclude by thanking you again, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate Kuwait, Ambassador Alotaibi and his team for a very successful presidency. I would also like to wish you all the best, Mr. President, in your endeavours this month. Allow me also to warmly welcome Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière and thank Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu for the very fruitful cooperation and wish them good luck in their new assignments. I would now like to thank our briefers their informative briefings and their work aimed at addressing the nexus between organized crime and terrorism. I would also like to express my gratitude to you, Mr. President, and for Peru’s efforts in bringing this issue into the spotlight. The briefings highlight the significance of further study of the nature, scope and dynamics of the linkages between terrorism and organized crime. It is clear that, without a comprehensive approach and enhanced cooperation by stakeholders at every level, we will not be able to effectively prevent and counter the threats they pose. Let me focus on a few measures that could be taken in that regard, while ensuring that the ones already being taken by States comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law. First, with regard to collecting, analysing and exchanging information, we believe that further development and standardization of research and analytical capabilities by the relevant bodies is needed, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and its Global Research Network. Greater information-sharing is also needed, both between local communities and non-governmental actors, including non-governmental organizations and the private sector, and the Government, within regional frameworks, such as Eurojust and EUROPOL, and global ones, such as INTERPOL. Of particular importance is developing appropriate frameworks to prevent the financing of terrorism. The European Union’s recent legislation and the combining of the Financial Intelligence Unit Network with EUROPOL’s products and services are examples of good practices in that regard. Such practices could be followed, as should the standards of the Financial Action Task Force. We call on all Member States to strengthen information- and intelligence-sharing at both the national and international levels. Secondly, with respect to capacity-building and cooperation, developing inter-institutional cooperation and providing the training and tools to build capabilities to identify, prevent and disrupt the linkages between terrorism and organized crime are of crucial importance. We should also pay special attention to law enforcement, intelligence, financial intelligence units, border customs and, in some cases, military personnel. Cooperation by States with relevant bodies focused on countering terrorism and organized crime, including CTED, the Office of Counter-Terrorism and UNODC, could also be beneficial in that regard. Therefore, we encourage States to continue dialogue, host- country visits and follow-up on the recommendations they receive. Finally, with regard to addressing the root causes, we consider developing cooperation and empowerment to be vital — in particular for local communities — in building awareness of the impact of illegal activities, including through media, while ensuring the inclusion of the perspectives of different members of society and launching initiatives to offer rehabilitation, reintegration and employment to build resilience. In that endeavour it is crucial to ensure coordination among stakeholders, including donors, to maximize outcomes and avoid the duplication of activities. We must not only implement relevant international instruments and Security Council resolutions, but also constantly consider ways of adapting and refining our responses to terrorism and organized crime and their linkages. That is why we welcome the development by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and the Global Counterterrorism Forum of a policy toolkit on that topic. We also commend Peru’s initiatives concerning the nexus between terrorism and organized crime, including the Council’s draft resolution that is being negotiated. We would like to reiterate Poland’s support for, and cooperation on, those efforts. We express our hope for the swift adoption and implementation of the draft resolution.

First, I would like to congratulate Kuwait and its delegation for their presidency of the Security Council in June. I wish you every success, Mr. President, during your country’s presidency in July. I would also like to thank the Ambassador of China for his outstanding contribution to the Council’s work in recent months and years. Lastly, I would like to thank you, Mr. President, and colleagues for welcoming me to the Council. I should like to thank Peru for convening today’s open debate. I also thank our briefers — Yury Fedotov, Michèle Coninsx and Tamara Makarenko — for their briefings. France aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. Since last year’s Arria Formula meeting, we have had several opportunities to hear various regional perspectives and to share experiences and good practices in this area, which France welcomes. I will therefore limit myself to making two observations today. The first is the undeniable overlap between criminal and terrorist groups, the nature and scope of which vary from one region of the world to another. In Europe, very few cases of verified cooperation between transnational criminal networks and terrorist groups have been reported in recent years. However, the attacks in Paris in November 2015 and Brussels in March 2016 demonstrated the existence of links between terrorism and, in particular, petty crime, as the Permanent Representative of Belgium just said. Elsewhere in the world, especially in the Sahel and Afghanistan — that is to say in regions in which the State’s authority is challenged by terrorist and criminal groups responsible for sustaining high levels of violence — links can be stronger and lead to more active cooperation and, at times, even to hybrid phenomena whereby terrorism and organized crime are merged into a single security threat. In that regard, groups such as Al-Qaida and Da’esh often recruit from the same populations and encourage their supporters to commit crimes to finance their own activities. Criminal and terrorist groups frequently use similar means of communication to carry out their activities, in particular by using the Internet to access the Dark Web. We must therefore remain focused on the evolution of the threat in order to adapt our response as effectively as possible. Recent reports, including the World Atlas of Illicit Flows, published in September 2018, have shown accordingly that environmental crime, in the broad sense of the term, has become the primary source of funding for certain non-State armed groups and terrorist organizations. We must take that development into account, as has been done by the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. That brings me to my second observation, which concerns the response to be provided at the national, regional and international levels. In that regard, France is fully committed to combating terrorism in all its forms, as well as the fight against organized crime. As an example, France is leading and supporting several initiatives, including, in particular, its effort together with Germany to combat trafficking in small arms and light weapons in the Western Balkans, given that such illicit trafficking is responsible for sustaining high levels of violence and corruption and can facilitate the commission of terrorist acts by individuals in Europe and elsewhere. As President of the Group of Seven, France has also launched a multipartite initiative to combat trafficking in drugs, small arms and light weapons, human trafficking and the illegal trafficking of migrants in the Sahel, which fuel instability and corruption, endanger the rule of law and peace efforts, provide fertile ground for terrorist organizations and contribute to the deterioration of the humanitarian situation. The initiative is aimed at providing the technical assistance to the countries of the Sahel region that they require. Moreover, the multidimensional nature of the fight against terrorism and the types of trafficking potentially capable of fuelling it also demands an integrated regional response, linking development and security and taking intraregional dynamics into account. The support of subregional and regional organizations, such as the Group of Five for the Sahel and the European Union — to name but two — is crucial to developing an effective regional response to such phenomena, which know no borders. In conclusion, the United Nations has a unique role to play in improving our understanding of the links between terrorism and organized crime so as to encourage international cooperation and build the capacity of States that request it. Resolution 2462 (2019), adopted in March, clearly identifies the risks posed by the links between terrorist financing and organized crime in various regions of the world and calls on States, in close cooperation with relevant regional organizations and the United Nations, to redouble their efforts to address them. We must ensure that it is fully implemented. France will continue to support all initiatives enabling us to move forward in this area, in particular with regard to the draft resolution proposed by the Peruvian presidency.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your accession to the presidency of the Security Council. You may rest assured of the support of the State of Kuwait for you and your team. I also want to congratulate Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière of France on his appointment as Permanent Representative of his country. I wish him every success in his new tasks. I further wish every success to our colleague Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu of China and thank him for his valuable contributions to the work of the Security Council. I commend him for representing his country in the way he has. I thank you, Mr. President, for today’s open debate and the concept note (S/2019/537, annex). I also thank Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC); Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko for their valuable briefings. I would like to focus in my statement on the following points. First of all, with respect to the links between international terrorism and organized crime, despite the international community’s success in combating terrorism and terrorist groups throughout the world this phenomenon remains a threat to international peace and security. The working methods of the terrorist groups are evolving and their area of operations is expanding and becoming more diversified. Terrorist groups are financing their operations through transnational organized crime in certain regions, including by trafficking in drugs, arms, humans and migrants, illegal trafficking in natural resources and kidnapping for ransom. They use the proceeds of such activities to fund their terrorist activities. The phenomenon of terrorism is linked to transnational organized crime regardless of the differences in methodologies and goals. They both constitute a threat to international peace and security and represent a major challenge to affected States, which might lead to conflict aggravation in affected regions. Terrorist groups which benefit from organized crime might contribute to complicating efforts of preventing and settling conflicts. In its resolutions 1373 (2001), 2195 (2014), 2322 (2016), 2368 (2017) and 2462 (2019), the Security Council has emphasized the link between terrorism and organized crime. Consequently, it is impossible to counter the linkage between international terrorism and organized crime or to disrupt the activities of those terrorist groups without international cooperation and concerted efforts at the regional and international levels, while combating corruption, money-laundering and illegal financial flows and establishing regional and international strategies.. In that regard, Member States must join the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the protocols thereto, the 2003 United Nations Convention against Corruption, the relevant international conventions and protocols on combating terrorism and all other relevant international instruments. We call on Member States to do the following. First, they must strengthen national, subregional, regional and international efforts to counter the links between international terrorism and transnational organized crime at the global level. Secondly, they must promote cooperation and strategies to prevent terrorists from reaping the benefits of organized crime. It is necessary to strengthen the capacities of States to ensure border security against terrorists and their collaborators, while also making them accountable. Thirdly, we must strengthen national and regional legislation so as to be able to collect, analyse and exchange information, in particular on the implementation of laws and intelligence-gathering. Fourthly, it is also important to foster the role played by the private sector as well as to enhance cooperation between the private and public sectors to prevent terrorists from benefiting from organized crime. On the efforts of the United Nations, the Security Council has recognized that there is a close link between terrorism and transnational organized crime, as has been expressed in many of its resolutions underscoring the importance of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, as well as strengthening international cooperation, securing borders, exchanging information and continuous cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and other relevant United Nations bodies, as well as the INTERPOL, especially in terms of providing technical support and capacity-building of Member States to address the link between terrorism and transnational organized crime. In that regard, we stress the importance of implementing the relevant Council resolutions. We also welcome Peru’s initiative on presenting a draft resolution pertaining to the link between terrorism and organized crime. Kuwait has recognized the serious dangers to international peace and security flowing from the link between international terrorism and organized crime. We have adopted a law on combating money- laundering and the financing of terrorism that includes a number of preventive measures. Kuwait has also acceded to a number of international conventions on combating organized crime and on anti-terrorism. During 2017, the State of Kuwait presided over the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force. We aim to adopt and implement the Task Force’s 40 recommendations and promote joint efforts to identify the issues of money-laundering and terrorism financing at the regional level, as well exchanging experiences and promoting solutions in that regard. In conclusion, we emphasize that organized crime can be eradicated only if we follow a persistent and inclusive approach based on the effective participation of all States and regional and international organizations. We also commend the role played by UNODC in capacity-building on behalf of Member States.

We would like to begin by congratulating Peru on its presidency of the Security Council for this month. We also thank the briefers for their insightful views on the subject. We welcome the opportunity afforded by this open debate to further deliberate on the linkages between terrorism and organized crime, including transnational organized crime. We are pleased by the continued evolution of attention to the subject, including its consideration in various Security Council resolutions, such as resolutions 2195 (2014) and 2462 (2019). Based on my country’s experience, South Africa has always held the view that the link between transnational organized crime and international terrorism is context specific. However, we support Peru’s call in its draft resolution on the topic, which is currently under negotiation, for a comprehensive, up-to-date study of the interlinkages of those threats to be conducted by the United Nations. As Peru has proposed, the study should take place with the contributions of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the other entities mentioned in the draft resolution. We are of the view that a study of that nature and its concluding report would provide Member States with a solid basis for further refining our responses to those complex challenges, based on a common understanding of their global threat profile. We firmly believe that the study would also provide a comprehensive picture of the deficiencies that exist in dealing with those threats. While we feel it is important to expand our understanding of those challenges, we are nevertheless acutely aware of their severity and the adverse impact they have on States’ resources intended to maintain peace, security and stability and pursue socioeconomic development. Those involved in transnational organized crime and acts of terrorism appear to be resilient, strategic and adept in executing their operations globally, including targeting areas with weak law enforcement, endemic corruption and a lack of resources to detect their activities. The ubiquity of the threats of terrorism and organized crime, including transnational organized crime, therefore necessarily demands a collaborative, multilateral response from us. In that regard, we applaud the One United Nations approach to address those common challenges. As I conclude my remarks, allow me to offer some general observations on how we might jointly be able to improve our common efforts to address international terrorism and organized crime and their complex interlinkages. First, we believe that it is greatly important that our efforts to understand those complex challenges be rooted in engaging with the local communities and individuals in the affected areas, whose first-hand perspectives and understanding of the conditions that perpetuate crime and terrorism are absolutely invaluable in ultimately understanding and addressing the threats. Secondly, it is equally important that counter- terrorism and deradicalization programmes be community-led and -driven and representative of the population that is affected by those challenges. Ideally, they should also incorporate religious and community leadership in challenging the poisonous ideologies and narratives and in offering alternatives. Those views are guided, of course, by certain fundamental principles that underpin South Africa’s approach to counter-terrorism. First, we firmly believe in the importance of addressing the socioeconomic conditions that breed terrorism and organized crime. Secondly, we are convinced of the importance of ensuring that international counter-terrorism efforts be coordinated by the United Nations, as the most appropriate and representative structure for coordinating our actions in that regard. Thirdly, we believe in the critical importance of ensuring that counter-terror efforts be conducted in accordance with international human rights law and humanitarian law and do not result in unnecessary casualties, which can further deepen resentment and hatred and, ultimately, perpetuate a cycle of terrorism. Allow me to conclude by reaffirming South Africa’s steadfast commitment to fighting the scourge of terrorism and organized crime and its interlinkages, where they exist, in all their various forms and manifestations.

Given that this is the first formal meeting being convened in the Chamber since Peru assumed the presidency of the Security Council, our delegation congratulates His Excellency Ambassador Meza- Cuadra and his entire team. We similarly commend Kuwait for the outstanding work it carried out during its presidency in June. We also warmly welcome Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière among us. We furthermore pay tribute to Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu for the constructive contributions he has always made at the Council and the very strong ties of friendship and cooperation that our two delegations have always enjoyed. We wish him every success in his new functions. Allow me to commend the Peruvian delegation for including this most relevant open debate in the agenda of its presidency, as it is a highly important topic within the Security Council’s efforts to maintain international peace and security. We are also grateful for the three illustrative briefings made by Mr. Fedotov, Ms. Coninsx and Ms. Makarenko, which help us to contextualize the existing threats, risks and collective efforts in order to understand and address the links between international terrorism and organized crime, especially since the Council adopted resolution 1373 (2001) and, more recently, resolution 2195 (2014). I take this opportunity to reiterate once again, as we have been doing, that the Republic of Equatorial Guinea categorically and unequivocally condemns organized crime and terrorism and their consequences. In that regard, we extend our condolences to, and express our solidarity with, those in communities throughout the world who have been the victims of terrorism, either directly or indirectly. For the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, the increasing links between international terrorism and organized crime — whether by land, sea or air — and their impact on the sustainable development of countries are extremely worrisome. Recent reports confirm that terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Al-Nusra Front, Da’esh and the Taliban, to name but a few, use international crime and its methods to finance a greater number of their terrorist activities, benefiting especially from environmental crime, trafficking in drugs, weapons and persons, and piracy. From that perspective, we recognize the need to sharpen the focus on preventing and combating the financing of terrorism through resolution 2462 (2019), a French initiative co-sponsored by Equatorial Guinea, in order to ensure that the response to terrorist threats by the United Nations, regional and subregional organizations and States is more effective and efficient. During a recently held Arria Formula meeting on this issue, which focused on the Caribbean and was led by the representative of the Dominican Republic, we were able to demonstrate that all countries have a role to play in the prevention and elimination of the links between organized crime and terrorist groups, especially in terms of drugs and weapons trafficking, and the risks posed by such activities to the maintenance and advancement of sustainable development. In that regard, in order to identify and obstruct those links more effectively, we believe it is essential that the international community focus on three areas while supporting the initiatives of States. First, we require more in-depth investigation in collaboration with regional organizations to help us identify blind spots, safe havens, the main risks and routes used; strengthen the fight against financial terrorism; focus our efforts and support on training in the countries and regions that need it; and ensure that collective efforts do not result in the strengthening of one country or region at the expense of others. Secondly, the levels and volume of weapons possessed by terrorist and criminal groups, as well as lone wolves, are a source of great concern to us. For that reason, with regard to environmental smuggling and arms trafficking, we believe it is important that States demonstrate their commitment to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and small arms and light weapons, as well as to promote and enforce arms embargoes by ensuring that non-State groups cannot access them by any other means. Unfortunately, it is usually only State actors that are monitored and sanctioned for violating embargoes. In that regard, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea believes that African countries should firmly commit to the principles of the Treaty of Pelindaba, with the total prohibition of direct and indirect supply or commercialization of mineral resources from African soil — specifically uranium and plutonium — for purposes that entail the production, employment, manufacture or research of weapons of mass destruction, including military activities. With regard to small arms and light weapons, we believe it is essential to eliminate the illegal trafficking of military equipment, armed unmanned aerial vehicles and improvised explosive devices to terrorist groups, armed groups and mercenaries. States must also commit to interrupting supply lines. Thirdly, in order to effectively combat terrorism and transnational crime and the links that unite them, which are multidimensional issues, developing States must be able to focus on achieving sustainable and inclusive development. To do so, they must receive fair and necessary support, including an opportunity to participate in the international economy and global trade, thereby allowing developing States to better focus their attention on preventing efforts to radicalize and recruit young people and other vulnerable and susceptible groups. Two days ago in Niamey, His Excellency the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Mr. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, an instrument to strengthen development and sustainable growth in Africa. Of course, the success of the treaty is closely linked to an improvement in our ability to control our own borders so as to prevent the initiative from effectively failing into the hands of terrorists, criminals, mercenaries and other non-State actors. Therefore, we call on the international community to support African States and the African Union in implementing that leap forward for Africa, as well as supporting African efforts and institutions in the fight against terrorism and organized crime and maintaining peace and security. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the role played by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism, and its Executive Directorate; 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; and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011), pertaining to Afghanistan and the Taliban; as well as their analytical support and monitoring teams and panels of experts. We also acknowledge their increasing cooperation and collaboration with other United Nations entities in support of States, such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Office of Counter-Terrorism and the Office of Disarmament Affairs, among others, as well as with regional and subregional organizations. We encourage the further strengthening of that cooperation. Equatorial Guinea can be relied upon to support this important work as far as possible. In that context, we commend and support the Peruvian initiative to submit a draft resolution on this issue.

Can I start by thanking you, Mr. President, for organizing this debate. I also congratulate you on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council this month. I would also like to join colleagues in welcoming Ambassador De Rivière to the Security Council and bidding a fond farewell to Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu. Like others, we had not realized that today was to be his last appearance at the Council. I know my Ambassador would want me to express, on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government, our appreciation for his partnership and his contribution to the work of the Council. The United Kingdom believes that the most important element of the link between organized crime and terrorism lies not in the groups themselves, but in the response from Governments. We see that the links between terrorist groups and criminal activity vary by region and cover a broad range of relationships, from the tactical to the strategic, thereby requiring individual responses in each situation. The United Kingdom views terrorism primarily as a criminal enterprise, thereby necessitating a civilian policing response. It therefore follows that the response must closely resemble the same means we use to tackle organized crime. That is why this debate is so important and the further research that we are calling for is very much needed. States and the international community must tackle terrorism and organized crime by focusing on strengthening policing and investigative responses, upholding the rule of law and international human rights law and tackling the conditions that allow terrorism and organized crime to flourish. We agree with the representative of South Africa on the link between organized crime and terrorism being context-specific. But we know that criminality can create an enabling environment for terrorist groups to secure the recruits and resources they need for their operations, as many speakers have mentioned today, including the very worrying example of terrorist recruitment in our prisons. Moreover, when criminal organizations seek to undermine Governments and governance, they can affect the resources available to address terrorism and violent extremism. At the same time, criminal groups can profit from the instability and insecurity generated by terrorism and conflict, creating strong vested interests in fuelling those dynamics and perpetuating the suffering in such contexts. With regard to prevention, we believe that we must adopt a broad approach that can stop the problem at its source by identifying and supporting those at risk of engaging in criminality, building the highest levels of defence and resilience among vulnerable people, communities, businesses and systems. Addressing the socioeconomic and governance-related drivers of criminality are just as vital as relentlessly tackling the organized criminal networks. In relation to terrorism, we have also stressed many times in the Council the importance of a broad preventive approach that strengthens the capacities to ensure that legal and criminal justice responses are in full compliance with international law and human rights obligations. One way to do that has been to support the preventing and countering violent extremism national action plans, which foster a coordinated response to terrorist crimes and in whose development the Office of Counter-Terrorism and many others have been closely involved in supporting Member States. In the United Kingdom our approach is guided by annual strategic assessments of the threat that serious organized crime poses to our security and prosperity. Last year, the United Kingdom also published a serious organized crime strategy that emphasized the importance of enhancing our approach across a number of pillars — not only law enforcement but also in the upstream prevention space that many representatives have talked about today. Governments alone cannot tackle such challenges. Public-private partnerships, bringing together the private sector, civil society and Government actors, are critical to ensuring that all relevant parties are aware of the threats and can access the necessary resources in order to counter them. As the Russian and Chinese Ambassadors both said very strongly, the international community must pool efforts at an international level in order to maximize its advantage. Just as criminals can learn from each other, so too we must learn from the criminal networks and share our understanding. The United Nations can play a vital role in that endeavour, bringing together the expertise and those of us in the international community who are like-minded in order to adopt such an approach. We must do so in full respect for all the international agreements and Security Council resolutions that have been adopted by this body, including those that fully implement the relevant human rights standards. However, we encourage greater coordination in responding to transnational threats. We recall that this is a central mandate of the Office of Counter-Terrorism, and the United Kingdom was very pleased to play a strong role in supporting its creation. We continue to wish that Office well as it strengthens its ability to provide concrete and meaningful capacity-building initiatives and further research and support to the Council in tackling this problem.

I would like to congratulate Peru on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July. I also congratulate Kuwait on a superb job during its presidency in June. Let me add my warm welcome back to New York to Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière. It is truly excellent to have him with us in the Council and we wish him every success during his time in New York. Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu’s distinguished service at the United Nations, his partnership and constructive approach on so many issues and his important voice on the Council will all be missed. We wish him every success in his future endeavours. Let me thank today’s briefers and move on to my remarks. Terrorists and organized criminal groups interact and cooperate in various ways. They sometimes coexist in the same territory. They develop ad hoc alliances based on common interests or even cooperate and merge as entities. But most interactions between terrorists and organized criminal groups are ad hoc and opportunistic. Criminal relationships of convenience define those ties much more frequently than shared ideologies. As we have heard, conditions in some parts of the world, including ungoverned and undergoverned territories and areas near porous borders, combined with weak law enforcement, provide opportunities for terrorists and transnational criminal groups to work together. As Ms. Makarenko said, it is there that they collude, collide and conspire. Collectively, we have a number of tools to strengthen border security and counter such activity. Strong border security can prevent such groups from taking advantage of trafficking routes, human flows and networks in regions with underpoliced or porous borders. Cooperation, coordination and intelligence-sharing among border security agencies is essential. That is one reason that it is important to collect and analyse advance passenger information (API) and passenger name records (PNRs). API and PNR data can help investigators to identify connections between individuals associated with terrorists and organized criminal groups. Our existing treaties, including the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and international counter-terrorism instruments and protocols, provide a useful framework to facilitate law enforcement cooperation. In the United States we have used the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime as a legal basis more than 650 times since 2005 to provide or request mutual legal assistance, extradition and other forms of international legal cooperation with 99 countries, including for crimes that could directly or indirectly support terrorism, such as migrant smuggling and money-laundering. Linkages between terrorists and organized criminal groups vary by region, as we heard from a number of other speakers. Revenues generated through various forms of illicit trafficking, including of arms, have been used for terrorism. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS), for example, has benefited from the illicit and unregulated purchase of arms. Groups such as Al-Qaida also engage in a variety of crimes to finance their activities, ranging from narcotics trafficking to credit card theft. Kidnapping for ransom and extortion are also profitable sources of funds for terrorist groups, including ISIS. In Afghanistan the Taliban profit from narcotics trafficking and extortion — illicit activities that support the Taliban insurgency and prolong the suffering of the Afghan people. In addition to law enforcement efforts to counter criminal and terrorist linkages, it is equally important to engage local communities and non-government actors, including youth, cultural and educational leaders, to concurrently address the underlying conditions conducive to the spread of violent extremism or transnational organized crime. We should also develop comprehensive and integrated strategies to counter potential linkages between terrorism and organized crime. The United Nations can strengthen its role in addressing evolving challenges by enhancing its cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, as well as international forums such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). The GCTF is leading several efforts to address the linkages between transnational organized crime and terrorism and to bridge the gap between traditional criminal investigators and those who handle terrorism cases. That is especially important, as many home-grown terrorists tend to have prior criminal backgrounds. The United States looks forward to continuing to work with the United Nations, organizations such as the Financial Action Task Force, the Group of Seven and the GCTF, and the European Union and partner countries around the world to address both transnational organized crime and terrorism.

I would first like to thank Kuwait for its excellent presidency of the Security Council in June and I look forward to Peru’s presidency. I would also like to welcome our dear colleague Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière to this family of the Security Council. I also thank the briefers for their insightful and informative briefings. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for putting this very important issue forward. Like you, we are Chair of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) and Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), which all deal with the issue of terrorists, and the linkage is significant. I am quite sure that no State Member of the United Nations is immune to criminality or terrorist activities. Discussing this important issue is therefore timely. As we have heard from many members of the Council today, the security challenges posed by the linkages between transnational organized crime and terrorism have continued to evolve and can affect peace, security and stability whenever and wherever such activities occur. While transnational organized crime and terrorism often have a different motivation and are subject to different legal regimes, they should not be approached in isolation from each other. It is also crucial to note that transnational organized crime has unique characteristics in each region of the world. Therefore, the discussion and measures to address the issue should be tailored to the specificity of the region and in accordance with the applicable rules of international law. In our region, for instance, linkages often lie in the financing part — recruitment, cross- border activities, smuggling, inter alia. Against this backdrop, I wish to make three pertinent points. First, strengthening legal measures should be one of the priorities. Strong national legislation to criminalize terrorism and transnational organized crime is an effective tool for closing possible legal gaps that may be misused by both terrorist and organized-crime groups. It is important to close possible gaps by harmonizing existing national legal frameworks with such relevant international legal instruments as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and relevant resolutions of the Security Council. Secondly, international cooperation is central. The reality today is that we live in a world where there is no region or country that remains untouched by the effects and negative influence of cross-border crime or terrorism, hence the need to work together. This requires increased information- and intelligence-sharing, expanding awareness of and capacity-building in law enforcement and coordinated actions among competent agencies, including monitoring and enforcement. We need to explore options to enable efficient and effective coordination among local, regional and international efforts. We need to intensify our collective efforts with all existing mechanisms, in particular those within the United Nations framework. In this regard, Indonesia is pleased to host the visit of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate on 15 to 17 July 2019. That leads to my third and last point, which concerns the importance of sharing of experience and best practices. We need to learn from each other’s experiences and best practices, identify what works and what does not work, and analyse current developments on these linkages. I would like to thank Tamara Makarenko for her briefing, which contributed to an enhanced understanding of the linkages vis-à-vis recruitment, hybrid organizations and the sophistication of linkages. I do believe that we are now looking at the new breed of what I call a terro-criminal, which I think is another issue that we need to go into more deeply. We therefore need to facilitate collaboration so as to strengthen our shared capacity to address these challenges. We need to advance regional dialogue and cooperation. An example of such cooperation from our region is the Bali Process mechanism, which with its 49 members and with Indonesia and Australia as Chairs, has discussed the consequences of people-smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crimes. In dealing with people-smuggling and trafficking in persons, we adhere to the principle of burden-sharing, where responsibilities are shared among the countries of origin, transit and destination of irregular migrants. We believe that this approach can be replicated elsewhere to counter the continuously evolving challenges. Neighbours can learn from each other. The issue of linkages between international terrorism and organized crime have been on the agenda of the Security Council for many years. Now what must be done is to accept reality and the fact that both represent scourges to humankind. We must take action in a holistic, comprehensive, multidisciplinary manner and with absolute conviction and commitment. We need to clean up our act without delay because terro- criminals work in real time. In conclusion, since I am the last speaker at the horseshoe-table to take the floor, I would be remiss if I did not thank our comrade, Ambassador Ma Zhaoxu, for his friendship, collaboration and service to the promotion of multilateralism and United Nations values in an honourable and distinguished manner. We have an old saying in Indonesia: “Old Ambassador-Permanent Representatives never die; they just fade away and are promoted to higher places”. We wish him all the best and bon voyage.

I remind all speakers to limit their statements to no more than four minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate the text in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber. I also wish to inform all concerned that we will be carrying on this open debate through the lunch hour, as we have a long list of speakers. I now give the floor to the representative of Mexico.

Mexico welcomes Peru’s assumption of the presidency of the Security Council and its invitation to review the issue at hand today. International terrorism and organized crime are two phenomena that affect the stability, development and well-being of our societies. Both are serious and need to be tackled head-on and effectively. However, while it is true that both endanger peace and security, it is necessary to differentiate between them. That is precisely why there are two different legal frameworks, each with its own institutional scaffolding. Generalizations about the scope of the link between international terrorism and organized crime are therefore neither valid nor timely, nor are generalizations about the responses required to prevent, combat and mitigate their effects. Certainly, in specific contexts, there have been links — above all of a financial nature — between transnational organized crime and terrorist organizations, which, of course, deserve the effective attention of the international community. And it is precisely in that regard, in the methods of financing terrorism, that we must redouble our efforts to rigorously analyse their implications and learn more about their scope. But for all this to happen, in strict compliance with the mandates conferred by the Member States, it is essential to strengthen international cooperation in coordination with the specialized multilateral agencies of the United Nations. In that context, we endorse the call of the General Assembly, in its sixth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, to also improve cooperation at the national and subregional levels and to generate a more timely and effective response to the links between terrorism and some forms of transnational organized crime. We believe that it is necessary for these considerations to be taken into account by the Security Council in addressing the issue. It is therefore not only a question of recognizing local and regional differences, but also of rigorously analysing whether we are adequately contextualizing the debate within the Council’s mandate.

I now give the floor to the representative of India.

I thank the President for organizing today’s important debate. We appreciate the commitment of the delegation of Peru to the cause of counter-terrorism. We are grateful to the President for consistently highlighting the linkages of terrorism and organized crime in his work in the Security Council, especially as the Chair of the Counter- Terrorism Committee. I also thank the briefers for their informative and insightful inputs. While it is axiomatic to portray the linkages between terrorism and organized crime as symbiotic, let us not forget that terrorism itself is a crime in most national jurisdictions. This situation has existed at least since the Security Council adopted resolution 1373 (2001), by which, for the first time, it required all Member States to domestically criminalize terrorism and the financing thereof. In addition, terrorism and organized crime are both manifestly malicious organisms, drawing sustenance from the same deadly swamp. At times, they coexist. At other times, they cooperate. And in some instances, they converge. As the world becomes more interconnected, these menacing networks are becoming increasingly intertwined. The nature of the relationship between terrorist and criminal groups may vary according to a variety of factors. However, both rely on strategic recourse to unsanctioned and illegitimate use of violence to undermine governance and development. Both lead to destabilizing established State structures, thereby undermining and threatening international peace and security. Terrorist organizations are increasingly involved in lucrative criminal activities, such as trading in natural resources and human trafficking, to raise funds. Similarly, criminal groups are joining hands with terrorists and providing services, such as counterfeiting, illicit financing, arms dealing, drug trafficking and smuggling terrorists across borders. The activities of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, such as extortion, human trafficking, resource extraction, trade in cultural artefacts and illicit taxation in areas they control, manifest in myriad ways the process of the blurring of lines at the intersections between crime and terror. In our own region, we have seen the mutation of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal syndicate into a terrorist network known as the D-Company. The D-Company’s illegitimate economic activities may be little known outside our region, but for us, activities such as gold smuggling, the counterfeiting of currency and arms and drug trafficking from a safe haven that declines to acknowledge even his existence are a real and present danger. The success of collective action to denude ISIL is a pointer that the Council’s focussed attention can and does yield results. A similar degree of interest in addressing the threats posed by proscribed individuals — such as Dawood Ibrahim and his D-Company, as well as proscribed entities, including the so-called Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, which are listed as affiliates of Al-Qaida under the sanctions regime 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 — will serve all of us well. Revenues generated by the illicit activities of terrorist and criminal groups are moved across borders and exchanged through open networks. That flow of resources, meant to produce violence and terror, needs to be stopped by States working together. Collective inter-State efforts are required, including at the regional and subregional levels. We also need to sensitize the private and public enterprises involved in facilitating legitimate transboundary financial flows. We should harness their support so that they do not fall prey to malevolent actors in the vein of Osama Bin Laden’s string of retail honey shops. Normative efforts at the United Nations need to be coordinated through collaboration with other forums, such as the Financial Action Task Force. We believe that the Task Force is playing a significant role in setting global standards for preventing and combating money- laundering and terrorist financing. The United Nations needs to increase cooperation with such bodies. With the emergence of new technologies and uncharted frontiers, our challenges in identifying new terrorist trends, mapping links between terrorists and criminal groups, and sharing information more effectively are growing. The Security Council has identified, over the years, various aspects of the issue of addressing terrorist financing. We hope that the draft resolution under discussion in the Council during the Peruvian presidency on the linkages between terrorism and organized crime will advance that cause further. Finally, our collective commitment to implementing what we agree upon in the Council will go a long way in acting as a catalyst in pursuit of our common good.

I now give the floor to the representative of Japan.

I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important meeting. Let me also express my gratitude to the briefers for their insightful remarks today. International terrorism and organized crime are two significant threats facing the international community. As stated in resolution 2195 (2014), it is our responsibility to enhance cooperation and strategies to prevent terrorists from benefiting from transnational organized crime. The full and strict implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions is essential to combating terrorism and organized crime. Japan will continue to synergize its efforts in countering both terrorism and organized crime so as to contribute to the peace and stability of its region and the world. The years 2019 and 2020 are important years for Japan’s counter-terrorism policy. Two weeks ago we hosted our first Group of 20 Summit, at which we adopted a leaders statement on counter-terrorism. Japan will host further important events, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. The Japanese Government has tirelessly invested its efforts in strengthening its counter-terrorism capabilities, including on border control, information-sharing and public-private partnerships to ensure the safety of everyone involved in those events. We have also thoroughly implemented relevant Security Council resolutions. Our national efforts work hand in hand with global action to combat terrorism. We have actively engaged in contributing to the strengthening of the capabilities of our fellow Member States. There have been far too many tragic incidents in recent years around the world, including Sri Lanka, and we remain ready to cooperate with States in need of assistance in their counter- terrorism measures. Our efforts to combat terrorism must also synchronize with action against organized crime. Transnational organized crime is a common threat that all countries face today. The magnitude and impact of such crime continues to grow and undermine peace and security, as well as the rule of law. Combating transnational organized crime requires not only a strong commitment and effective law enforcement domestically, but also robust international cooperation. In that regard, Japan firmly believes that the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols serve as the universal framework for such cooperation. The scope of offences covered by the Convention is broad enough to include global challenges, such as terrorism and cybercrime. Japan has started using the Convention as the basis for its international partnerships and is committed to further strengthening its cooperation with all Member States. Japan will also contribute to collective efforts to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime by hosting the fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, or Kyoto Congress, in April 2020. Under the main theme “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda”, Japan wishes to discuss and identify practical measures, including the effective use of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, with the attendance of high-level officials of Member States to strengthen international cooperation and technical assistance to prevent and address all forms of crime that hinder sustainable development.

I now give the floor to the representative of Canada.

I would like to thank the delegation of Peru for organizing today’s open debate on the linkages between international terrorism and organized crime. (spoke in English) I would also like to thank the briefers for their insightful interventions and, through them, their teams, for their continued engagement on this critical issue. As the concept note (S/2019/537, annex) from the Peruvian presidency indicates, the Security Council has repeated expressed concern over the linkages between organized crime and terrorism. That concern is entirely justified, as the linkages continue to both widen and deepen. Absent a coordinated response by the international community, we will be less effective on all fronts. But the response also needs to be inclusive and gender responsive in order to address the drivers of insecurity that perpetuate terrorism and organized crime. Canada believes that a key actor in the response is the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF). The GCTF is an informal coordinating body that supports United Nations efforts to advance the implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant resolutions. That work helps sustain the collective international commitment to our obligations to fight terrorism under international law, in particular international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law. For example, the GCTF Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism Initiative organized four regional meetings in 2017 and 2018 in Algeria, Albania, Singapore and Kenya. Those meetings included diverse representatives from the United Nations, Member States, international and regional organizations, international experts, practitioners and academia to review knowledge and share information about the regional contexts and variations of this threat. Under the leadership of the Netherlands, the GCTF developed non-binding good practices and a related practical policy toolkit to disrupt that nexus. In our future role as GCTF co-Chair alongside Morocco, Canada plans to further strengthen the GCTF’s relationship with the United Nations, its collaboration with other multilateral and regional organizations and United Nations States Members. It is that type of partnership-driven response that we would also emulate if elected to a term on the Security Council for the period 2021 to 2022. Opportunities to confront the criminal-terrorist linkage also flow from work in regional bodies. Canada currently chairs the Organization of American States Inter-American Committee against Terrorism and provides more than half of its budget. At the recent meeting of the Committee, which was focused on building resilience, the Office of Counter-Terrorism and other key United Nations counter-terrorism entities were invited to share their perspectives. We see the value of establishing standards, best practices and measures to improve border, port and document security, and are encouraging this work across the Americas. Doing so provides the dual benefit of making the hemisphere more resistant to the spread of terrorism, the core mandate of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, while also impeding transnational organized crime. (spoke in French) Another important tool for the international community is the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). The 40 recommendations of the FATF form the basis for coordinated global action to counter the abuse of the financial system by criminals and terrorists. However, the effectiveness of the FATF framework, as with other counter-terrorism and organized crime initiatives, lies in its implementation by Member States. Recognizing that, Canada provides $55 million for training, equipment procurement and technical assistance to build capacity to prevent and respond to terrorist and criminal activities. For example, Canada has funded INTERPOL projects to strengthen the ability of front- line border officers to use INTERPOL databases, such as the INTERPOL database on foreign terrorists. Moreover, the use by returning foreign terrorist fighters of the same routes used by migrants renders the latter even more vulnerable. For that reason, Canada supports projects that take those specific risks into account and attempt to address them. In summary, Canada remains strongly committed to tackling transnational organized crime and terrorism. By working together, the United Nations and Member States cannot only disrupt terrorist groups and criminal organizations, but also prevent them from joining forces.

I now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

My delegation joins the warm expressions of congratulations to you, Mr. President, and to Peru for holding the presidency of the Security Council. We also join others in thanking you for organizing this open debate to share ideas on the matter we are discussing today. We also express our appreciation for the valuable briefings that inform our discussion. Terrorism, as a threat to international peace and security, as well as transnational organized crime, which constantly threatens the security of States, were perceived in the past as differentiated criminal phenomena that were unrelated to each other. Over the years, these threats have developed close links, forming a criminal alliance that can affect any State, which is why my country considers it of the utmost importance to create international awareness about this relationship and its consequences, with a view to developing responses together to fight them effectively. Although the nature of terrorism and criminal organizations vary according to their context, both phenomena benefit from illicit profit and logistical support. That implies the generation of complex and dynamic links that require coordination at the local, national, subregional, regional and global levels in accordance with international law. Colombia promotes an integrated and multidimensional approach to combating terrorism that acts on the widest possible levels of cooperation among States, as well as within the framework of effective coordination among international organizations. We must understand that terrorism and transnational organized crime can manifest in networks and shared logistical activities that allow for the acquisition of weapons, ammunition and explosives; the hiding of assets, including through the use of cryptocurrencies; the maintenance of constant communication; guaranteed displacement of their personnel through the production and use of false documentation and, finally, the conduct of criminal and terrorist actions in certain places, hiding in others and escape from the action of the States in defiance of which they act. With the objective of containing their ability to act, special emphasis must be placed on the pursuit of their finances and the laundering of assets produced by their illicit activities, as highlighted in resolution 2462 (2019). There, control of both the international financial system and the systems for informal funds transfers will allow for a significant reduction in their financial capacity, which in turn reduces their ability to act in defiance of States. The fight against terrorism requires comprehensive actions that make it possible to strike at their finances and economic and logistical support networks. To obtain effective results against this threat, strong international cooperation is required, framed in legal structures informed by the technical capacities of States, and allowing for the development of joint operations and the constant exchange of information. We believe in the need to continue gathering information in order to better understand the nature and extent of those links, with the aim of generating more comprehensive measures. In the contemporary global context, international conflicts, migratory crises and the growing power of transnational organized crime all pave the way for terrorist organizations to diversify their methods, logistical corridors and sources of funding.

I now give the floor to the representative of Guatemala.

This open debate is of particular relevance because terrorism is a criminal scourge that continues to affect us all. The evidence of that, Mr. President, is in your organization of this open debate. Due to the geographical position of my country, the Central American region, and Guatemala in particular, has been besieged by transnational networks that generate crime in all its forms, especially drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, money-laundering and the indiscriminate and illicit use and trafficking in arms. Despite the enormous efforts that my Government is making to strengthen and modernize the justice sector, thus allocating more resources and reinforcing the prosecution of crime and the operational capacities of the Office of the Prosecutor, we are still victimized by international networks that overwhelm our capacities, because not only do they possess high- calibre firearms and other tools of violence, their financial power is inexhaustible, all of which only increases their criminal behaviour. We recognize that, when weapons fall into the hands of criminal organizations, the threat against our civilian populations looms, despite existing legislation. The abject behaviour of terrorists takes aim at what is most important to the human being: one’s integrity and one’s life. When we see how innocent civilians are attacked by radical extremists who, in an atrocious and cowardly way, snatch innocent lives through a perversity taken to the extreme, we must urgently reflect on joint actions that would prevent or counteract this scourge. For that reason, Guatemala reiterates that terrorism is a global phenomenon that, apart from causing anxiety, trauma and desolation, must be addressed at its roots. International terrorism and transnational organized crime present some similarities, despite being two different phenomena. While terrorism is a form of violent struggle that victimizes civilians indiscriminately in order to grab attention and confuse and frighten populations, all with political, ideological or sectarian ends, organized crime is a way of committing planned crimes in order to profit financially. Both benefit from the clandestine nature of illicit arms trafficking, which weakens democratic institutions, undermines the rule of law and subverts life in society. Of course, both branch out and sometimes feed off one other, taking on a symbiotic relationship that causes anxiety in our peoples. This pernicious link between the two phenomena is the issue that we must address. That is why, in our view, there has been some progress but also some setbacks to strengthening multilateral mechanisms that promote better coordination in combating terrorism and transnational organized crime. As members are well aware, one of those milestones is also a regional achievement, namely, the adoption of the Inter-American Convention against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives and other Related Materials, ratified by the vast majority of States in our hemisphere. Its objective is for the countries that produce, export or import weapons to adopt measures to eradicate its illicit production and its attendant trafficking. Although the international community has valuable legal instruments at its disposal to combat terrorism and organized crime, the general perception of our people is that such instruments are insufficient in the face of the devastating consequences of terrorism and transnational crime. Therefore, the United Nations, in general, and the Council, in particular, should combine efforts for the balanced implementation of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and contemplate shared actions to attack this scourge. I reiterate that such efforts will be insufficient if the international community does not achieve more rigorous control of the illegal trade in small arms and light weapons, as well as their ammunition, since the illicit trade and indiscriminate use of such weapons make it easier for terrorist networks and organized crime to acquire them for their own perverse purposes. The Arms Trade Treaty provides specific regulations to prevent their misuse, as does the Inter-American Convention. Let us remember that threats to international peace and security are largely the cause of the proliferation and possession of weapons of mass destruction and light weapons that jeopardize innocent populations and undermine international peace and security. Our countries must therefore ensure the correct implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and urge States to adopt and enforce effective laws that prohibit the provision of such weapons and the lending of support of any kind to non-State actors that seek to develop, acquire, manufacture, possess, transport, transfer or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and their means of delivery. Finally, we urge the international community to redouble efforts to collectively counter transnational terrorism and organized crime. We believe that the Council, in accordance with its responsibility to maintain international peace and security, must take into account the main links between the two scourges in such a way as to address the root causes in a comprehensive manner.

I now give the floor to the representative of Italy.

I would like to thank the Peruvian presidency for organizing this open debate, and all the briefers for their insightful presentations. Italy aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. We attach the greatest importance to the linkages between organized criminal groups and terrorists. Due to its position at the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, our country is exposed to the consequences of all forms of trafficking and related crimes committed by exploiting the flow of persons, drugs, weapons and financial resources between Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The actions of organized groups represent a serious threat that we are addressing in the most cooperative way, and we commend the efforts and the comprehensive, collaborative approach of the United Nations system and international organizations, as illustrated by this debate. Among the numerous documents provided by United Nations bodies attesting to the linkages between these phenomena, let me also highlight the important contribution provided by the balanced analyses of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team supporting 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. The considerations included in the Monitoring Team’s reports highlight an essential point: we need more information and more evidence-based research, not to determine if those connections exist — because we know they do — but to define how and where they exist and in what ways they impact our societies. In that context, we support your initiative, Sir, to adopt a Security Council draft resolution on this subject. I will focus on the Italian experience in fighting links between terrorism and criminal groups. The National Antimafia and Antiterrorism Directorate, established in 1991, has a mandate to fight organized crime and, in accordance with resolution 2178 (2014), to counter terrorism. The Directorate has no direct or operational investigative power, but is in charge of coordinating the work of all prosecutor’s offices in order to share information, avoid overlapping and provide specific expertise. The positive effects of the mechanism include more specialized prosecutors, more effective cooperation with law enforcement, closer international cooperation and better coordinated use of information and evidence. The National Antimafia and Antiterrorism Directorate and its database have proved to be an essential tool in addressing the increasingly complex action of organized criminal groups and terrorist organizations. At the national level, the Directorate is a point of reference for the exchange of information with relevant bodies, including law enforcement, financial units, the intelligence service and the specialized private sector. At the international level, the Directorate established permanent coordination with foreign prosecutor’s offices, relevant European Union authorities and international organizations, including financial intelligence units. It also has a critical role in supporting joint investigations, providing mutual legal assistance and facilitating extraditions. In the last two years, the Directorate collected more than one piece of evidence of existing contacts and, in some cases, operational cooperation between organized criminal groups and persons belonging to terrorist groups in Italy and abroad. Part of the evidence is financial in nature. In some cases, criminal activities provided a source of illegal funding then diverted to terrorist operations. In other cases, criminal networks were exploited to secure the transfer of funds of both legal and illegal provenance to support terrorists’ needs. In that regard, I recall the memorandum of understanding signed between the Office of Counter- Terrorism and the Guardia di Finanza that will improve our common action against illegal financial flows linked to terrorist networks. The international scope of the contacts and the significance of illegal financial flows should bolster our commitment to carry out financial investigations in all cases of suspected terrorist involvement in criminal actions. This is a lesson learned that Italy is keen to share alongside the institutional and operational solutions I just described.

I now give the floor to the representative of Estonia.

At the outset, allow me to thank Peru for providing us a platform to discuss the important issue of the linkage between international terrorism and organized crime. The nexus between international terrorism and organized crime is, by its nature, complex. What complicates the matter further is a certain trend towards the convergence between terrorist groups and organized criminal networks, to the extent where a single entity might simultaneously exhibit both criminal and terrorist characteristics. Organized criminal networks might use terrorism to produce fear and achieve certain aims, while terrorist groups might use cybercrime and trafficking in drugs, weapons, cultural heritage and even human beings to finance their terrorist activities. On that point, I would like to praise the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) and, more specifically, the role played by the Netherlands in launching a policy toolkit at the fifteenth GCTF Coordinating Committee Meeting, held in Malaga in March. The toolkit serves its purpose well by making the complex nexus between organized crime and terrorism more comprehensible, on the one hand, and by bringing to light useful best practices, on the other. Today’s discussion gives us a necessary platform to continue stressing the importance of taking seriously the tackling of terrorist financing. Despite the success of the global coalition’s military campaign Inherent Resolve in Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham survives as an underground network and continues to pose a major threat to the security of both Iraq and Syria through its terrorist cells. It is clear that they need money to finance their illegal activities — be they the recruitment of new followers through online and offline propaganda channels or the need for equipment and weapons, as well as specific expertise in explosives such as improvised explosive devices. In that sense, blocking the financial channels of terrorist organizations effectively serves to cut off the head of the snake. As my final point, I would like to stress the need to continue working towards finding the right balance between human rights protection and technology. It is important to ensure greater transparency of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, as the use of cryptocurrencies, in general, is on the rise, including by criminal networks.

I now give the floor to the representative of Chile.

My delegation thanks the Permanent Mission of Peru for having convened today’s open debate on the linkages between terrorism and organized crime, thereby addressing an important issue that presents serious emerging challenges to international peace and security. We thank the briefers for their presentations and welcome the fact that the Council is once again focusing its attention on the issue and continuing to provide a space to analyse the phenomenon. It has held several meetings on the subject in recent years, which have led to concrete results, including resolutions 2195 (2014), 2331 (2016) and 2370 (2017) and various presidential statements. One of the main features of the rapid evolution of terrorism in recent years has been its progressive and strong link with activities related to transnational organized crime, which is essentially reflected in the way in which its operatives acquire resources to fund their illicit activities. Similarly, the line between the criminal and political motives underlying terrorism- related crimes is becoming increasingly blurred. The issue is of particular relevance to our region because of the serious consequences of organized crime in our countries. In Latin America, in particular in South America, the terrorist threat stems, to a large extent, from organized crime groups. Drug-trafficking groups have resorted to terrorist tactics to protect their economic interests and show strength through violence. Factors such as high levels of corruption, the lack of resources in the security sector and permeable borders, among others, facilitate the financing of terrorism and organized crime, which are mutually reinforcing, in particular in vulnerable areas. Organized crime undermines the rule of law, erodes international security and, ultimately, violates human rights, all of which are unacceptable. The United Nations system, especially the Security Council, must take preventive action, which is why today’s debate is so important. Major transnational terrorist groups engage in a range of criminal activities to fund their operational needs, propaganda, recruitment and training. For example, the self-proclaimed Islamic State uses various formats for organized crime, such as trade in natural resources and trafficking in persons and cultural goods. The nexus between crime and terrorism is clear; the response must therefore be forceful and multisectoral. Cooperation in border areas and information-sharing among the various Government agencies, such as intelligence services and the police, as well as with international organizations, are indispensable in the fight against terrorism and organized crime. In that context, we laud the close cooperation between the Security Council and INTERPOL and call for that body to continue cooperating with the Council and other relevant entities. The role of international and regional bodies in promoting cooperation and providing technical assistance is crucial. Chile attaches great importance to the full and effective implementation of the 40 recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force on money-laundering and terrorist financing, which are recognized as the global standard in that area. We understand that money- laundering continues to facilitate the commission of organized crime activities because of the need for criminal groups to conceal the illicit origin of funds. Lastly, our country is committed to implementing Security Council resolutions and sanctions against transnational terrorist groups. Their effective implementation helps to combat organized crime by providing a holistic preventive framework that includes curbing the export of arms and the diversion of financing for illicit purposes, as well as ensuring adequate control of migration flows.

I now give the floor to the representative of Norway.

I speak on behalf of the Nordic countries — Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and my own country, Norway. We commend our colleagues from Peru for including this matter on the Security Council’s agenda. Both terrorism and organized crime threaten international peace and security. Networks such as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and Al-Qaida continue to depend on external financing to run their organizations, recruit fighters, buy weapons, spread propaganda and move across borders. That financing must be cut off. In order to identify and stop illicit financial flows to terrorist organizations and criminal networks, we must disrupt the links between organized crime and terrorism. We must combine measures targeting the profits from crime with measures targeting financial flows to terrorists. Terrorist groups and organized-crime networks often flourish where governance and State presence are weak. In such spaces, terrorist and organized criminal networks both use similar approaches to develop and run illicit economies. They seek to develop and exploit territories that are beyond the reach of law-enforcement agencies, where they can safely recruit members and raise funds. The traditional sources of the financing of illicit activity have typically included drug trafficking and kidnapping for ransom. Examples of newer sources include the illicit exploitation and taxation of gold, oil and other natural resources. Both terrorist organizations and criminal networks use violence, illicit sources of revenue and political ideology to achieve social, financial and political goals. International cooperation is crucial in combating those developments. We need effective coordination. United Nations Headquarters in New York and the United Nations offices in Vienna must work more effectively together, including by making the best possible use of their existing presence in the field. As we strive to disrupt illicit financial flows and terrorist financing, we must also make sure that our efforts do not create barriers for legitimate flows and financial inclusion. To that end and to find the best solutions, we need cross-sectoral cooperation among humanitarian, financial and counter-terrorism experts. We welcome the 2018 addendum to the Madrid Guiding Principles to prevent violent extremism and radicalization in prisons. We also welcome The Hague Good Practices on the Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism, developed by the Global Counterterrorism Forum. We must address the role that prisons play in dealing with terrorists and violent extremist offenders, as well as with those at risk of being radicalized while in prison. ISIL in particular has consciously targeted people with a criminal past to offer them a narrative for joining terrorist groups. Policies addressing terrorism and organized crime should be part of a broader strategy to reduce vulnerability. We must strengthen security-sector reform and the rule of law. We encourage the expansion and development of initiatives to deal more effectively with the nexus between terrorism and organized crime. The aspects of those global security challenges are closely connected. They must be addressed both within the security pillar and as part of advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Only then will we be able to truly disrupt the link between terrorism and organized crime.

I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Let me also start by congratulating Peru on assuming the presidency of the Security Council and for convening today’s open debate on this all-important topic. I also thank the briefers for their insightful presentations this morning. The nexus between terrorism and transnational organized crime is complex and varies across different contexts. We know that criminal and terrorist outfits have cooperated to facilitate one another’s activities despite their divergent objectives. In our view, there are four major areas of confluence between organized crime and terrorism. First, there is the increasing cooperation between them, especially for the acquisition of arms, ammunition and explosive materials. Secondly, terrorist outfits increasingly rely on organized crime as a financing tool. Thirdly, terrorist groups recruit criminals, in particular marginalized youth, to advance their goals. And. fourthly, organized crime flourishes in areas outside Government control and under the patronage of terrorist outfits. Pakistan is one of the principal victims of terrorism, and, as such, its resolve to eliminating this scourge is clear and unwavering. Proceeds from the narco-trade, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, the smuggling of natural resources and human trafficking are some of the key sources of financing for terrorist organizations in my region. Located next to the epicentre of the world’s drug problem, Pakistan also remains one of the most affected transit States for illicit drug trafficking. With limited resources, our law-enforcement agencies continue to make record drug seizures every year — a tangible manifestation of our consistent and dedicated efforts to protect not only our own country but also the rest of the world from this scourge. We share the goal of the international community to address the global drug problem through appropriate national, bilateral, regional and international measures. At the regional and global levels, Pakistan has remained constructively engaged with various counter- narcotics-related forums and initiatives. Pakistan is an active participant in the regional programme for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). We are cooperating with Iran and Afghanistan under the UNODC-sponsored triangular initiative. Under the quartet initiative, we are collaborating with Russia, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan to combat drug trafficking. We have strengthened cooperation with the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre, which is a useful forum for the coordination of regional anti-drug efforts at the operational level. My country believes that only through collective regional and international efforts can we choke off the various sources that support terrorist outfits through organized crime. We believe that an effective strategy to achieve those goals must take into account the following five points. First, in order to ensure that our responses are evidence-based, the international community should allocate proper resources to better understand the correlation between terrorism financing and transnational organized crime. Secondly, there are instances, including in our region, where there is a nexus linking drug production, instability and the lack of alternative economic opportunities. It is important to re-establish Government control over territories used for drug production and to promote development to provide alternative livelihoods. Thirdly, in dealing with the world drug problem, it is important to focus on reducing both the supply of and the demand for narcotic drugs through a well- integrated, comprehensive and balanced approach. Fourthly, effective border controls are a prerequisite for clamping down on transnational organized crime and terrorism. Lastly, strategies need to be tailored to the specific challenges presented by specific regional dynamics and conditions. It is vital to build the capacities and capabilities of States facing those challenges. That is where the United Nations can play an effective role. Pakistan will continue to play its role to sever the vicious link between terrorism and organized crime in our region. That is critical for our own people as well as for our neighbourhood and, indeed, the rest of the world.

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

I thank you, Sir, for convening today’s open debate and also thank all of today’s briefers. The link between terrorist groups and transnational, serious and organized crime presents a complex and evolving threat to international security. There are many examples of international terrorist groups using sophisticated criminal activities to enhance and fund their operations and evade detection, in particular through kidnapping for ransom, money-laundering, drug trafficking, encryption and cybercrime. We know that transnational, serious and organized crime and terrorist groups are involved in money- laundering, drug-trafficking and people-smuggling activities, which span multiple countries. Those illicit activities have helped produce hundreds of millions of dollars to fund and perpetuate international terrorism and crime. There is an urgent need to enhance international cooperation and strategies to prevent terrorists from benefiting from such activities. Australia recognizes the importance of a coordinated global response to the transnational nature of those threats. Australia welcomes the collaboration between the United Nations and other relevant bodies such as the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF) to address those issues. The GCTF’s The Hague Good Practices on the Nexus between Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism notes that the nexus between transnational organized crime and terrorism exists in many forms and manifestations, exacerbating the threat to international peace and security. In recognition of the linkages across multiple security issues, the creation of Australia’s Home Affairs portfolio in December 2017 brought together national security policy areas, including terrorism and transnational, serious and organized crime. The creation of that body has enabled agencies to work closely with partners domestically and internationally and to share information more quickly, enhancing our ability to address terrorist threats. A strong counter-terrorism financing regime is critical to disrupting any links between terrorism and organized crime. Australia is pleased to host the next No Money for Terror ministerial conference on counter- terrorism financing, to be held in November. It will be a further opportunity to strengthen the global response against terrorist financing. The annual South-East Asian regional Counter-Terrorism Financing Summit is another example of multilateral cooperation focused on understanding and responding to terrorism financing and significant financial threats. It harnesses the collective capability of the region’s financial-intelligence units to develop actionable strategies to combat terrorism financing and serious crime. The next regional Summit will be held in Manila, also in November. Recognizing the need for a comprehensive response to the threat of terrorism, Australia is also strongly advocating for a broad range of counter-terrorism initiatives, including the recent leaders’ statement made at the Group of Twenty Summit in Osaka on preventing the exploitation of the Internet for terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Transnational, serious and organized crime is a complex phenomenon. Australia has committed to a nationally integrated approach involving our health, education, social policy, security and law-enforcement agencies, as well as to working closely with international partners, academia and industry to address all aspects of transnational crime to help prevent it from being used to support terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Spain.

We appreciate Peru’s timely convening of this debate on an important topic that undoubtedly merits our in-depth consideration. Spain aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union. There has been much discussion on the connection between terrorism and organized crime, and, although there are clear differences in their processes and objectives, there is a growing convergence between the two phenomena, whose cooperation — reflected above all in terrorism’s use of organized crime to obtain financing and logistical support — has helped them to achieve their respective goals. Due to the transnational, flexible, adaptable and recovery traits of organized crime, it is well placed to interact with terrorism, thereby reinforcing itself and increasing its dangerousness. Terrorist organizations, for their part, have evolved from airtight groups that are very separate from other types of crime due to their ideology into decentralized networks with multiple connections to organized crime or, at least, common crime. In fact, 20 per cent of the terrorists convicted in Spain linked to Da’esh or Al-Qaida had previously been imprisoned for other crimes. In Spain, especially after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 in New York and 11 March 2004 in Madrid, the security forces began to detect the first signs of that nexus. The explosives used in the Madrid attacks, for example, were bought from criminals involved in drug trafficking. The analysis of subsequent attacks worldwide confirmed that trend, and Spain came to the conclusion that it was necessary to adapt the response of our intelligence and police services, with two main objectives. First, we needed to link investigations into terrorism and organized crime; by not doing that, we would run the risk of ignoring crucial aspects of the threat. Secondly, we needed to share intelligence related to both phenomena and interpret it in a more open and creative way in order to facilitate new methods of prevention, research and analysis. In that regard, the Intelligence Centre for Counter- Terrorism and Organized Crime was established in Spain in 2014, which entailed the integration of two pre-existing bodies: the Intelligence Centre against Organized Crime and the National Anti-Terrorism Coordination Center. That was a pioneering step in terms of the architecture of the intelligence services, based on the structure of the so-called fusion centres, which broke with the traditional organic separation of the fight against both phenomena by broadening the scope of knowledge and intelligence, increasing coordination, improving response and, at the same time, facilitating a more efficient use of available resources, while avoiding duplication. The establishment of the Intelligence Centre led to the interconnection of the relevant databases, which has made it possible to detect commonalities in 14 per cent of investigations. Such commonalities, mainly between individuals linked to terrorist organizations and related to drug trafficking and money-laundering, have served to pave the way for fresh avenues of investigation with an innovative and more effective strategic approach. With that same philosophy, the new national strategy against organized crime and serious crime, adopted in January, establishes as one of its 10 focal points the response to the link between organized crime and terrorism, including the following actions. First, the activities of the aforementioned Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organized Crime must be stepped up, in both the preparation of strategic intelligence and the effective coordination of investigations. Secondly, the work of the police units dedicated to the combat against those two phenomena must be promoted by fostering the creation of joint investigation teams. Thirdly, databases on organized crime and terrorism must be improved so as to enhance the early detection of possible links between criminal and terrorist groups and their possible targets and interconnections. Lastly, information exchanges at the international level must be pursued. In short, Spain believes that the existence of connections between terrorism and organized crime constitutes a threat that should not be underestimated and that requires specific measures to ensure better coordination in police investigations into both phenomena and greater exchange of intelligence.

I now give the floor to the representative of Argentina.

Argentina thanks Peru for convening this open debate on the links between international terrorism and transnational organized crime. We also thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Mr. Yury Fedotov; the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, Ms. Michèle Coninsx; and the International Consultant, Ms. Tamara Makarenko, for their valuable briefings this morning. Although Argentina recognizes the existence of a nexus between terrorism and traditional organized crime, we would be remiss if we did not reiterate the need to bear in mind that both phenomena are governed by different legal frameworks at the international level and that their specificities must be respected. Terrorism undermines the values and principles of States, democracy and freedoms, which is why the fight against terrorism requires an integrated and collaborative approach. Argentina reiterates its commitment to addressing the terrorist threat in all its forms and manifestations, within the framework of international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law and international refugee law, as well as the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Argentina has also worked seriously in recent years to strengthen our national capacities in the fight against transnational crime, organized crime, drug trafficking and trafficking in persons by preventing the illicit movement of persons, goods, weapons and resources, which directly contributes to increased regional and global security against the scourge of terrorism. At the regional level, the Republic of Argentina supports initiatives in the areas of training and the exchange of information, and best practices within the framework of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism of the Organization of American States. We contributed to the establishment of that Committee in 1998, and we chaired it in 2018. Furthermore, on 19 July, Buenos Aires will host the second Western Hemisphere counter-terrorism ministerial conference, 25 years after the terrorist attack on the headquarters of the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association. We hope that there will be a high level of participation from the countries of the region. At the national level, the Ministry of Justice of Argentina is carrying out training for judges, prosecutors and other public officials on property investigations within the context of the crimes of money- laundering, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Argentina has sought to make progress in a balanced implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. For example, under pillar I, we have strengthened our legislation on rights and guarantees to protect victims of terrorism and other related crimes so as to provide them with advice, assistance, legal representation, protection and access to justice. In conclusion, I would like to stress the importance of increasing data collection on transnational organized crime and stepping up the analysis of the current situation as a starting point for an assessment of the current scenario and the development of specific strategies to address that issue at the regional level, always in respect of the existing legal frameworks and the specific competencies of the various bodies, in accordance with the Charter.

I now give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

Allow me first of all to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your country’s presidency of the Security Council during the month of July and for such a pertinent choice of theme: the important issue of the linkages between international terrorism and transnational organized crime. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kuwait on its successful presidency in June. I thank Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Assistant Secretary- General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate; Mr. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko, International Consultant, for their enlightening briefings. There is no doubt that linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime exist, nor are they new. Terrorist and transnational organized crime networks have often worked together, acting as service providers for one another. They coordinate closely to carry out their heinous and illegal operations, sparing no continent or country. These linkages have been accentuated over the course of this decade, which has seen a resurgence of terrorist acts, along with a rise in cross-border criminal activities, thereby threatening the peace, stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States and societies. The flow of foreign terrorist fighters to hotbeds of tension, particularly in Iraq and Syria, has seen these two networks further unite in order to facilitate the travel of foreign terrorist fighters, with the help of traffickers and smugglers. In addition, terrorist networks have used transnational organized crime networks to finance their activities through kidnapping-for-ransom operations, trafficking in drugs, weapons, cultural property and persons and illegal immigration activities, inter alia. This has been highlighted in a number of reports of United Nations bodies, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and noted in resolutions including 1373 (2001) and 2368 (2017), as well as in presidential statement S/PRST/2018/9. The military defeat of Da’esh triggered the return, transit and resettlement of foreign terrorist fighters, which intensified the global terrorist threat on the one hand and bolstered the linkage between terrorist and transnational organized crime networks on the other. It is therefore extremely important to consider their next destination. Returning foreign terrorist fighters are heading towards North Africa and the Sahel, among other regions. This is likely to put significant pressure on peace and security in Africa, especially the Sahel- Maghreb area, as they look for hotbeds of tension and institutional fragility — essentially a State vacuum, where they can settle, proliferate and sow the seeds of terror and fear throughout the continent. This new reality has reinforced the existence of linkages between cross-border crime, armed groups, separatist movements, terrorist groups and traffickers of all kinds in Africa. In addition, drug and arms traffickers have joined the ranks of terrorist groups, such as Al-Qaida and its branch in the Islamic Maghreb and entities affiliated with Da’esh. All of these criminal networks are interlinked and fuel one another further as they become more global, thereby increasing their capacity to destabilize and undermine the territorial integrity of States. This is undoubtedly a threat to peace and security not only in Africa, especially in the Sahel- Maghreb area, but throughout the entire world. This is a source of concern for my country and one to which the international community must pay more attention. This new situation further complicates efforts to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime. It requires us to strengthen border security and the exchange of information, consolidate international, regional and subregional cooperation and implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the international conventions and protocols on counter- terrorism, the relevant Security Council resolutions and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The United Nations has a central role to play, especially with regard to capacity-building. The Kingdom of Morocco is well aware of the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime, especially the trafficking of drugs, weapons and human beings, hostage-taking and the kidnapping of tourists, humanitarian workers and even United Nations officials. It was one of the first States to alert the international community to these dangerous linkages. We therefore call for vigilance and a combination of subregional, regional and international efforts to combat terrorism and transnational organized crime. We also call on the States of the Sahel and the Maghreb to take concerted action to stem the already perceptible adverse effects of such terrorist and criminal activities. Morocco has developed its own national strategy based on security governance, upgrading our legal framework, the fight against social instability and religious-sector reform in order to combat these scourges. We have also invested in international efforts, both within the United Nations and its specialized bodies and in international counter-terrorism initiatives and forums, including the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, which we co-chair with the Netherlands and, from September, Canada. Finally, Morocco remains willing to share its expertise and know-how in the fight against terrorism and transnational organized crime. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our African brothers, both bilaterally and through triangular cooperation with the United Nations in the context of South- South cooperation.

I now give the floor to the representative of Turkey.

We would like to thank you, Mr. President, and the Permanent Mission of Peru to the United Nations for convening this open debate. We would also like to thank the briefers for their valuable remarks. Turkey aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the observer of the European Union, and I would like to make the following remarks in my national capacity. Transnational threats, in particular terrorism and organized crime, are no doubt among the main security challenges that we face today. It is deeply alarming that the global threat of terrorism is expanding both geographically and in terms of tactics, despite the increasing resources and means devoted to fighting it. New technologies and opportunities are revealing themselves to terrorist organizations. As terrorists use new and more sophisticated methods, adapt their tactics and modus operandi to changing circumstances, countering terrorism is becoming more complex. Furthermore, the expansion of the area in which terrorists operate is connected to the financing and financial support they receive. Therefore, terrorist groups are becoming increasingly involved in lucrative criminal activities, and criminal groups are helping terrorist organizations by providing services. This growing overlap between terrorism and organized crime requires greater attention from the international community. We cannot prevent and counter current and future threats in isolation. We need international and regional cooperation among us, as well as with civil society and the private sector. Operational and timely intelligence-sharing, cooperation among law enforcement agencies and formal judicial cooperation are also of vital importance. Moreover, we can effectively address these interlinked challenges only in a comprehensive and cross-dimensional manner, while fully respecting the principles of the United Nations, in particular those in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The United Nations is naturally positioned at the centre of our common efforts on counter-terrorism. The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy provides the backbone for both national and international work to be done in this area. We support the instrumental role played by all United Nations agencies and bodies in this regard. We believe that technical assistance is another crucial aspect of our efforts. We applaud the work done by United Nations entities, especially the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, to improve the capacity of States requesting support. For its part, Turkey has contributed to the capacity-building activities by providing training to the officials of other Governments based on their needs, by making financial contributions to UNODC-led programmes and by hosting high-level international meetings. We will continue to support such activities. Before concluding my remarks, I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that, as a country that has a long and painful experience in the fight against terrorism and continues to face an imminent threat from several terrorist organizations, Turkey firmly believes that the international community must stand united, show mutual solidarity and cooperate against terrorism without making any distinction between terrorist organizations.

I now give the floor to the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. Mr. Vale de Almeida: I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU) and its 28 member States. The candidate countries Turkey, the Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania; the country of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, align themselves with this statement. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for presiding over today’s meeting on such an important issue. I also thank all the briefers for their valuable contributions. For the sake of brevity, my oral intervention will be shorter than the written statement, which will be circulated. I would like to make a few points, if I may. First of all, the Addendum to the Madrid Guiding Principles, adopted in December 2018, calls upon all of us to continue to conduct research and collect information to enhance our knowledge and better understanding of the nature and scope of the links that may exist between terrorism and transnational organized crime. In that regard, the European Union strives to achieve a multidisciplinary, multi-agency integrated approach to effectively tackling crime, including terrorism, while ensuring that all measures taken respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. The various law enforcement and other agencies in both fields need to work together, to share information and intelligence and to coordinate efforts at all levels in order to effectively respond to the challenges posed in both areas. In that regard, I would like to highlight the important role played by Eurojust, which contributes to improving judicial cooperation in the fight against serious crime, including terrorism, and the role of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), which supports the member States in preventing and combating all forms of serious international and organized crime and terrorism. Europol prepares a terrorism situation and trend report every year. In the most recent report, which has just been published, Europol noted that there were a number of investigations in the EU member States that demonstrated that issues of money-laundering, human trafficking and migrant smuggling and terrorism financing are interlinked. In the EU, legislation to prevent and combat money- laundering and the financing of terrorism is designed to prevent the financial market from being misused for those purposes. The legislation deals with both issues together. It is imperative that we cut off the access of criminals to capital by fighting money-laundering effectively in order to successfully disincentivize terrorism and organized crime. That legislation has been amended recently with the aim of increasing transparency about who beneficially owns companies and trusts so as to prevent money-laundering and terrorist financing via opaque structures; improve the work of financial intelligence units with better access to information through centralized bank account registers; tackle terrorist financing risks linked to the anonymous use of virtual currencies and of pre-paid instruments; and improve cooperation and exchange of information between anti-money-laundering supervisors and the European Central Bank, among many other important goals that we are pursuing at the European level. The EU Action Plan on Drugs 2017-2020 also provides a strengthened response to the newly emerging health and security challenges in the area of illicit drug use and trafficking. While maintaining and updating the core policy areas and cross-cutting themes of our previous strategy, the new action plan identifies new priority areas for action, including evidence gathering on the potential connection between drug trafficking and the financing of terrorist groups, organized crime, migrant smuggling or trafficking in human beings. We are currently working very hard on all those areas. In conclusion, we consider that it is useful to increase efforts to better understand further linkages between terrorism and organized crime. For those reasons and many others, we welcome this debate and the opportunity that it provides to share and highlight experiences.

I now give the floor to the representative of Kazakhstan.

I thank the Peruvian presidency for convening this open debate on the critical subject of links between terrorism and organized crime, since both of them are today destabilizing regional and global security. I join other delegations in thanking Mr. Yury Fedotov, Under-Secretary-General, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ms. Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and Ms. Makarenko for their insightful briefings. Today international terrorism has gained a more sinister character, moving from isolated acts to large-scale terrorist aggression across Europe, Asia and Africa. The activities of terrorist groups are undermining security far beyond the conflict zones of North Africa and the Middle East and resulting in forced migration to Europe on an unprecedented scale. My delegation is alarmed that terrorists are benefiting from transnational organized crime. That compels us to take action to prevent terrorists from raising funds through a variety of means. Kazakhstan is a party to all the major international conventions and instruments against terrorism and is also guided by the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. We propose that the Strategy and other current United Nations instruments should be made legally binding through relevant Security Council resolutions. Last year, the third phase of the Joint Plan of Action for the Implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia was launched in the region together with the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia, the Office of Counter-Terrorism (OCT) and CTED. Kazakhstan is proud to be the first donor to the third phase of the regional project, allocating 10 per cent of its overall budget. International terrorism cannot be defeated without a coordinated response. In September 2018, Kazakhstan therefore launched the code of conduct towards achieving a world free of terrorism, a concise document with 10 provisions that reflects existing conventions and legal instruments and calling for our better cooperation, joint actions and coordinated efforts to fight terrorism. More than 80 like-minded Member States have already signed it and coalesced to honour commitments to implement the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy and other instruments. Based on our recent experience in the Council, we can say that we have found no proof of a direct link between terrorism and organized crime in our region of Central Asia. At the same time, we have some cases where we observe a close connection between the United Nations-listed terrorist organizations and drug traffickers operating on the territory of Afghanistan. In the light of the continuing opium cultivation on the territory of Afghanistan, the role of regional and international organizations such as INTERPOL, UNODC and its Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre for combating the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors are becoming even more relevant. We call on States Members of the United Nations to enhance cooperation with the regional organizations. Prompt and decisive action calls for political will and collaboration at the regional and national levels to counter terrorism and tackle organized crime. A lack of educational and employment opportunities creates fertile ground for radicalism and leads to the spread of terrorist ideology among vulnerable groups, primarily the youth. We need to address factors that trigger negative global trends, instability, armed conflicts in many regions of the world and refugee flows, together with the unresolved problems of poverty and disparities in development, all of which further derail progress and impede the full effectiveness of our interventions. Our law enforcement agencies cooperate closely with the Anti-Terrorism Centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Offices of UNODC, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the European Union in strengthening regional cooperation, including the exchange of information, practical experience and joint measures in countering terrorism and organized crime. In the current circumstances, we need to relentlessly search for ways to improve, strengthen and unite our efforts. We should make better use of the enormous potential of OCT, CTED, UNODC and relevant regional structures to share experiences and best practices, train personnel and develop effective tools for practical cooperation. Capacity-building is key to success. To conclude, Kazakhstan is ready to work hand in hand with others to improve and intensify mutually beneficial cooperation to mobilize all possible efforts to counter international terrorism and organized crime regionally and globally.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Netherlands.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today’s open debate. We also thank the briefers for their important contributions. The Netherlands aligns itself fully with the statement that was just made on behalf of the European Union. In my national capacity, I would like to highlight three issues: research and information-sharing, local engagement and international cooperation. First, the need for more research on the nexus between terrorism and organized crime has already been highlighted. Whether it is about the environments where terrorists and criminals meet, their recruitment strategies or the link with human trafficking, we simply do not know enough yet. But we should not only do more research; we should also do better research through enhanced information-sharing. That requires identifying the right stakeholders from Government, civil society and academia to facilitate their interaction. It requires developing legislation to stimulate inter-agency and public-private information-sharing, in line with human rights obligations, and it requires the training of officials to use new sources of data and new methods of data collection and analysis. The Security Council can encourage Member States to engage in such actions to enhance our understanding, because only by understanding the nexus better can we better address it. Secondly, on local engagement, it is clear that one nexus does not exist. In different regions and countries, the relationship between terrorists and criminals takes different shapes. However, it is at the local level where the nexus manifests itself most clearly and where actions to address the nexus have the most direct effect. Building trust between national and local actors strengthens dialogue and cooperation. Such dialogue and cooperation help Governments address drivers of terrorism and organized crime at the local level, like unemployment and a lack of access to basic services. The United Nations continues to play a key role in assisting Member States, especially those with limited resources, in capacity-building at the local level to tackle the nexus. Thirdly, with respect to international cooperation, in 2018 the Kingdom of the Netherlands presented a set of good practices on the nexus between terrorism and organized crime to the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum (GCTF). In March of this year, we launched a policy toolkit to operationalize those good practices, and I am glad that they have been mentioned by many before me in their statements. Both the good practices and the toolkit were developed in close cooperation with the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute and are publicly available on the GCTF website. International cooperation between the United Nations and organizations like the GCTF is crucial for the United Nations and its Member States to stay ahead of the curve of international terrorism and organized crime. The United Nations cannot and should not go at it alone. In conclusion, sometimes people with the worst pasts create the best future. The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant recruited criminals for its caliphate with that slogan. The caliphate may have fallen, but our debate today shows us that the nexus between terrorism and organized crime is more alive than ever. The Kingdom of the Netherlands remains committed to supporting the United Nations and its Member States in countering the scourge of terrorism and organized crime, as well as in overcoming the worst pasts and creating the truly best future for all.

I now give the floor to the representative of Liechtenstein.

The links between transnational organized crime and terrorism have been recognized by the General Assembly in the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, among others. The Security Council has also acknowledged that complex nexus by adopting relevant resolutions, including resolution 1373 (2001). Enhancing cooperation with relevant actors at all levels and strengthening the capacities of law enforcement and counter-terrorism agencies is indispensable for our ability to effectively prevent and combat the numerous forms of transnational organized crimes that are linked with international terrorism. A particularly cruel crime is modern slavery and human trafficking. Worldwide, over 40 million people live in conditions of slavery, the majority of whom are women and girls. An estimated $150 billion in revenue are generated every year by forced labour alone. A recent report of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee highlights how human trafficking has increasingly become a tool for terrorist groups. Human trafficking can be both a tactic of terrorism and a source of terrorism financing. It can be used to spread terror, intimidate populations, institutionalize sexual slavery and incentivize recruitment, and it can be used as a source of revenue — for instance, when captives are sold in open markets or online auctions and used as an instrument to secure ransom or rescue payments. The Council has recognized that human trafficking can constitute a war crime and has listed human traffickers under the Libya sanctions regime. We continue to support a more consistent practice in that regard and encourage further discussions within the Council, including on a possible thematic sanctions regime. We further applaud the adoption of resolution 2331 (2016), which calls upon Member States to increase cooperation among law enforcement and regulatory actors, as well as with the private sector, to help identify and detect suspicious financial activity related to trafficking in persons that finances terrorism. Responding to that call, Liechtenstein, together with Australia and the Netherlands, and with secretariat support from United Nations University, launched a financial sector commission against modern slavery and human trafficking, also known as the Liechtenstein initiative. The commission consists of stakeholders from retail banks, hedge funds, global regulators, institutional investors, survivors, United Nations agencies and the anti-slavery movement. It has been designing measures in the areas of sustainability and innovation, responsible lending and investment, as well as compliance and regulation to equip the global financial sector in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking. We thank the Government of the Netherlands for hosting the fourth and last thematic consultation of the financial sector commission at the end of June on topics including sanctions, financial sector cooperation and responsible business, which will further inform our response to modern slavery. The final product of the commission will be presented in the margins of the high-level week, on 27 September in New York. The effective implementation of the measures identified by the commission will be essential in contributing to the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking, including when committed by terrorist groups. The United Nations, and the Council in particular, in addition to other international organizations, bodies and entities, will be crucial platforms to that end. Curtailing the link between international terrorism and organized crime also means addressing corruption in all its forms. Both petty and large-scale corruption hinder millions of people every day from fully enjoying their human rights in areas such as health care, social services and justice. They deprive young people of economic opportunities, fuel irregular migration, offer fertile ground for crimes and foment the grievances and conflicts that give rise to terrorist groups. With its comprehensive approach, the United Nations Convention against Corruption provides a legal basis to address corruption in its many facets. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime further calls upon States parties to adopt legislative, administrative or other effective measures to promote integrity and prevent, detect and punish the corruption of public officials. Liechtenstein is committed to fully implementing relevant conventions and promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels, as contained in Sustainable Development Goal 16. We cannot underline enough that the achievement of peaceful, just and inclusive societies depends on the successful eradication of corruption.

I now give the floor to the representative of Viet Nam.

Terrorism continues to be one of the greatest challenges to international peace and security, human life and dignity. As evidenced by practical and academic studies, there exists a context-specific connection between terrorism and organized crime. At the level of pragmatic collaboration, terrorists raise funds through illicit drug trafficking, the illicit trade in natural and environmental resources and money-laundering, and obtain logistical support from trafficking in firearms, whereas organized crime weakens State capacity and governance and contributes to increasing the space within which terrorists operate. At a higher level of convergence, both groups are increasingly recruiting from the same groups of people and have even begun to merge in terms of personnel, resources and logistical and operational activities. That worrying trend cannot be overlooked and the international community should develop a sustained and comprehensive approach to preventing and fighting the scourge of terrorism and organized crime. In this regard, we welcome the initiative of Peru to convene this open debate and wish to stress the following points. First, the nexus between international terrorism and organized crime has been acknowledged with concern by the Security Council in several resolutions, most notably resolution 2195 (2014). The United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols, as well as other relevant international agreements, have also set the standard for international cooperation to combat organized crime. In that respect, it is essential that Member States’ obligations under Council resolutions and relevant conventions be implemented in a comprehensive and innovative manner. In some cases, the resources allocated to fighting organized crime remain modest in comparison with those allocated to fighting terrorism. Given this combined threat, it is high time that efforts were stepped up to raise awareness and apply technologies in collecting and comparing data on the two phenomena with the aim of monitoring and severing their interactions. Secondly, we stress the importance of Member States strengthening their capacity to secure their borders against and investigate and prosecute terrorists and transnational organized criminals working with them. We would like to emphasize that one of the most effective means of fighting this combined threat should involve addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism and criminal activities. We should strive to address poverty, social inequality and discrimination and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the same time, we cannot overemphasize the need for exchange of information and intelligence and the sharing of experiences and best practices among law and border enforcement agencies. Any effort to combat international terrorism and transnational organized crime must be in accordance with the principles of international law, as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity and non-interference in domestic affairs. Thirdly, at the United Nations level, we call on the Security Council, the General Assembly and relevant United Nations agencies to further strengthen inter-agency cooperation in leading international efforts. The assistance provided by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in capacity-building and training is an important resource for Member States to draw on. Viet Nam condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of their motivation, whenever and by whomsoever committed. We have spared no effort in bringing our laws and policies into conformity with the relevant obligations under Council resolutions and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its applicable Protocols. We have been working closely with international agencies, such as INTERPOL and UNODC, in countering terrorist financing and money-laundering. In the framework of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), we have taken commendable measures to implement the ASEAN Convention Against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, adopted in 2015, and the ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter- Terrorism of 2017. To conclude, let me reiterate our commitment to working closely with the United Nations counter- terrorism bodies and international and regional partners to address the combined threat of terrorism and organized crime to international peace and security.

I now give the floor to the representative of Egypt.

At the outset, I would like to congratulate Peru on assuming the Council presidency for the month of July. I also express my appreciation for Kuwait’s presidency of the Council over the past month. My country appreciates your selection, Sir, of the important topic of linkages between international terrorism and organized crime for today’s open debate. I also express my appreciation for all the valuable briefings that we heard at the beginning of today’s meeting. Egypt has always called for the adoption of a comprehensive approach to addressing the phenomenon of terrorism, its driving forces, impact and interlinkages in order to find the most effective solutions to tackle this dangerous criminal phenomenon. The relationship between terrorism and organized crime is well established at the conceptual and theoretical levels. This is made clear in General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 2000, which concerns the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and acknowledges that relationship in many of its provisions. Practical experience has also shown in more than one case the interlinking interests between terrorist groups and transnational organized crime networks. Egypt has the honour to currently chair the African Union for the year 2019. In this connection, allow me to share Egypt’s view of the security situation on the ground in the Sahel and its impact on consolidating the linkage between the terrorist groups in that region and transnational organized crime networks. Egypt will also share its recommendations and suggestions on how to address this illegitimate union between terrorism and organized crime, of which there are many examples in various regions of our world. The African Sahel region has long suffered from the activities of transnational organized crime groups, be they connected to drugs or arms or human traffickers. Increasing terrorist activity is a result of weak law enforcement agencies in many of the States concerned, and the large area in which these groups have proliferated. The deteriorating security situation in sisterly Libya exacerbated the situation as huge quantities of weapons became available, in addition to the large number of mercenaries who enhanced the capabilities of these criminal groups in the region to confront the law enforcement agencies of the States concerned. Terrorist groups, such as Boko Haram in the West or terrorist groups affiliated with Da’esh in the Sahel, took advantage of the fragile security situation to share mutual benefits in that region with organized crime groups. The outcome has been deplorable. Day in and day out, we have seen incidents of abduction, violence, the targeting of civilians, particularly women, the fuelling of intercommunal fighting within the States of the region, trafficking in humans and illegal migration. Egypt believes that the best way to address the activities of terrorist groups in these hotbeds, where they are able to collaborate more easily with transnational organized crime networks, as is the case in the Sahel, is through the support of the international community to the authorities of these States and their capabilities, as well as their national institutions, along with strengthening their law enforcement agencies. Egypt therefore provided, for example, technical support to the sisterly countries of the Sahel by offering them 1,000 training grants in the military sphere, as well as capacity-building programmes in various fields, through the Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development. The training courses cover the areas of security, law enforcement and justice. In addition, Egypt recently opened the Sahel- Saharan Anti-Terrorism Centre. We greatly hope that the Centre will contribute to the capacity-building of institutions in the Sahel-Saharan countries and strengthen the pillars of the nation States in the region, restricting the space for the activities of terrorist groups and transnational organized groups. We call on the international community and our partners to cooperate with us in that regard, since cooperation will benefit not only our dear African continent but also our northern neighbours in Europe, which also suffer the repercussions of organized crime and the activities of terrorist groups in the Sahel. In conclusion, I have given just a few realistic examples. Egypt and many sisterly African countries have also suffered from the linkage between terrorist and organized crime groups. We have shared our views and practical suggestions on addressing this phenomenon by strengthening the pillars of the nation State and building the capacities of national institutions. We believe that this is crucial in order to fill the gaps exploited by organized crime groups and affiliated terrorist groups.

I now give the floor to the observer of the International Committee of the Red and Cross. Mr. Mardini: I thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate today. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is grateful for the opportunity to address the Security Council and share our experience in connection with persons deprived of their liberty. In 2018 alone, the ICRC visited more than 1 million persons in places of detention. In our activities we come across programmes whose aim is to prevent or eradicate violent extremism and we see policies described as prevention of radicalization and deradicalization. Some measures targeting detainees accused or convicted of offences related to terrorism can have harmful consequences not only for the detainees themselves but also for the wider detained population and society as a whole. Such measures include placing detainees assessed as radicalized or at risk of becoming radicalized in isolation; grouping them together in special wings or placing them under strict regimes; reducing access to services and rehabilitation programmes; or submitting them to frequent or repeated transfers. The potential consequences of such measures contradict the aim of protecting the public from acts of a violent nature. Today I will highlight five key safeguards that, when included in policies, can help to counter or prevent violent extremism or to prevent radicalization in places of detention. First, we should respect the rule of law and treat detainees humanely. Respect for the law and the dignity and protection of the physical and psychological integrity of detainees are the basis of any successful programme in detention. Moreover, they are imperative. Secondly, making an individualized risk and needs assessment and coupling it with a tailor-made response and follow-up would help to minimize the stigmatization of some groups of detainees. Thirdly, we must ensure that restrictions are legally based, necessary and proportionate. All detainees have the right to essential services and goods such as daily access to the open air, water, food, sanitation facilities, health care and meaningful human interaction, including contact with the family. Fourthly, we should put in place high-quality, trained, supported and supervised detention staff. Fifthly, we must ensure good order and security in detention for all detainees, not just specific groups. To have a positive impact and avoid discrimination, material or financial support must benefit the whole detention system. That also applies to any external interventions, such as bilateral and intergovernmental cooperation initiatives. Above all, detainees must be treated humanely. Inhumane conditions and treatment contradict State obligations and are counterproductive to preventing radicalization and violent extremism. The ICRC stands ready to work with States to ensure humane treatment and conditions for all detainees.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Philippines.

The linkages between international terrorism and organized crime are well established in the Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf Group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the Maute Group and Ansar al Khalifa, which have all declared allegiance to the Islamic State, fund their operations through criminal activities, mostly drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion and arms smuggling. They initially cooperated with criminal organizations but have since developed their own criminal networks, which operate under the false rubric of freedom struggles, covering themselves with the mantle of victims of human rights and of religious conscience violations whenever the State moves against them to protect its citizens. The Marawi siege of 2017 illustrates the symbiotic relationship between terrorism and the illegal drug trade. With drug money, terrorists gathered a motley assortment of well-armed extremists, criminals, mercenaries and foreign terrorist fighters to take control of Marawi. Narco-politicians supported the local terrorist groups with personnel, funds and firearms, which helped to sustain the siege that followed the Government’s counteroffensive. Intensive military and law enforcement operations allowed us to recapture Marawi in six months, which was less than the six years it took to recapture Raqqa. Beyond law enforcement and military operations, a comprehensive approach is needed to address the linkages between terrorist organizations and organized crime. On the political level, the Philippines now has the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which gives autonomy to Muslim Mindanao and is intended to end the decades- long conflict in that region, which has been used by the Abu Sayyaf and local terrorist groups as a freedom struggle. It was anything but that. We are also amending our Human Security Act to make it more responsive to such linkages. Drug trafficking offers a profitable illicit revenue stream. The drug trade weakens social resistance and corrupts a political response. It is known that local terrorist group members are both narcotics distributors or dealers and consumers. Shabu is frequently used for recruitment and the shabu trade is primarily run by organized criminal groups, illustrating the cooperation between terrorist groups and local and transnational criminal organizations. They learned the lesson of the opium trade, whereby Britain subdued a once-proud continent-sized country to its will. Our anti-drug operations therefore target the trade. Since money is the main driver of such linkages, identifying and curtailing the sources of finance and tracking its flow are essential. Financial intelligence units, law enforcement agencies, the prosecution service and local Government units must work together, share information with one another and raise awareness. The public sector, as appropriate, must also work closely with the private sector. Intelligence gathering can be more effective if agencies focus not only on terrorist acts per se but more on the means that enable them. At the subregional level, we conduct joint maritime patrols with Malaysia and Indonesia over our tri-border region of the southern Philippines, eastern Malaysia and Sulawesi to strengthen border controls, especially in the light of the Abu Sayyaf Group’s trademark transnational kidnap-for-ransom operations, which took the life of the Netherlander Ewald Horn. At the regional level, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter-Terrorism provides for the establishment of computerized shared databases on terrorist organizations and their associations, as well as transnational organized crime groups with possible links to terrorist organizations, with a view to developing a joint risk and threat assessment. Here at the United Nations and at the international level, more exchanges of best practices and capacity- building are needed for law enforcement and financial intelligence units. We recall that elements of the United Nations counter-terrorism group came to us three weeks before Marawi fell to warn us that the defeated Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in the Middle East would attempt to revive its caliphate in South-East Asia. Our counter-terrorism efforts are anchored in respecting human rights, because a State’s first, foremost and overriding responsibility is to protect the law-abiding against the lawless and the innocent against those threatening their safety and well-being. To that responsibility, the President of the Philippines has made an iron, unwavering and total commitment, and he will not be deterred by criticism.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Sudan.

At the outset, we wish to extend our warm congratulations to you, Mr. President, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We also thank Kuwait for its presidency of the Council last month. We commend you, Sir, for having chosen such an important topic for discussion today. The Sudan is a vast country bordered by seven countries. Those borders are long and difficult to control. For that reason, we are particularly mindful of the need to combat terrorist groups trying to take advantage of open and difficult-to-control borders. The fight against terrorism and organized crime is therefore a top priority for my country and all its institutions, as well as a fundamental fulcrum of our coordination and cooperation with neighbouring countries and the international community. The Sudan has ratified all international conventions concerning the fight against terrorism and organized crime, in addition to the relevant African and Arab regional conventions. My country is playing an active role in the context of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to combat terrorism and organized crime. The Sudan believes that the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is one of the most important international legal frameworks aimed at guiding national laws and legislation coherently and harmoniously in the area of counter-terrorism, which has had a positive impact in curbing the activities of extremist elements and groups and reducing the spread of terrorism and organized crime. The danger of terrorism lies in the challenge posed by the growing nexus between organized crime and terrorism. Their great structural similarity has led some to consider terrorism as a form of organized crime, especially given that the actions of organized crime groups and terrorist groups sometimes overlap to the point of forming close alliances among them. There is therefore an urgent need to understand and address the evolving links between terrorism and transnational organized crime, as well as the extent to which those links differ across various regions and contexts. In order to combat organized crime in the context of its links to terrorism, we need to implement cost- effective and innovative measures to combat global criminal and terrorist networks, based on the promotion of bilateral and collective cooperation and coordination among States. Urgent measures must also be taken to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, while recognizing that international cooperation and any steps taken to prevent and combat terrorism must be in line with our obligations under international law, including the Charter of the United Nations and relevant international conventions and protocols, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law. Tackling poverty, achieving balanced development, supporting reconstruction and advancement programmes in developing countries, especially African countries, and promoting North-South dialogue all form a comprehensive approach to addressing the dangers and manifestations of terrorism through efforts to create a fair and balanced international order. Our national efforts to combat terrorism and organized crime within the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy require technical support in building our capabilities and enabling international mechanisms to fully play their role on the basis of cooperation and mutual respect, without undermining national ownership and sovereignty. That requires a collective effort on the part of States and civil society organizations, as well as the media and research centres that identify and monitor a variety of related phenomena, provide deep analysis and lead efforts to improve awareness and understanding. In conclusion, my delegation hopes that the United Nations, including its relevant institutions and donor States, will continue to provide capacity-building to States, where necessary and appropriate, in order to assist them in addressing the threat posed by terrorism, which benefits from transnational organized crime.

I now give the floor to the representative of Uruguay.

We are grateful for the briefings delivered and commend Peru for having taken the initiative to convene today’s open debate on a hugely important topic that is particularly relevant at a time when we are seeing the proliferation of threats that did not previously exist, exposing us to new risks and vulnerabilities. Activities related to organized crime, such as drug trafficking, illegal arms trafficking, money-laundering, human trafficking, corruption and cybercrime, among others, all contribute to the proliferation of domestic crime, intensify its effects, damage the economic, social and cultural development of the State, destroy its social cohesion, damage its international image and even threaten the stability of its democratic institutions. Organized crime and terrorist acts are among the obstacles that Uruguay could face in the 2014- 2030 period. Our national strategy to combat money- laundering, terrorism financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction for the period 2017- 2020 highlights that among the illicit cases of money- laundering and terrorism financing perpetrated within, in connection with or from Uruguay, the most relevant were those related to the trafficking of narcotic and psychotropic drugs. It also indicates that international criminal organizations, particularly those dedicated primarily to drug trafficking, constitute a threat to our country. Although they have not managed to establish permanent bases within our territory, they have local partners responsible for domestic distribution and collaboration across multiple logistical and support aspects. Moreover, owing to the nature of our borders and geographical location, Uruguay is attractive as a transit country. With regard to terrorism and its financing, at the time of carrying out the evaluation reflected in the aforementioned national strategy, no terrorist organizations acting locally were identified and we did not find that the Uruguayan financial system had been used to carry out financial transfers linked to terrorist organizations acting abroad. The main threat identified was that posed by terrorist organizations that had been able to operate in other countries of the region. Over the past few years, Uruguay has been preparing to tackle these scourges, which corrode peace and the social welfare of the population and have a destructive potential to affect a country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, development and resources, thereby undermining its future. We are aware that in order to effectively prevent and combat organized crime, terrorism and the nexus between them, it is necessary to have in place effective police and judicial systems, with updated legislation and inter-institutional coordination within the State. For that reason, various national actors are engaged in addressing and tackling the various threats through a multidimensional approach with a view to providing a multisectoral response. In terms of legislation, in recent years Uruguay has been incorporating new standards into its legislation that allow us to confront the evolution of threats. Several laws have been adopted regarding the prevention and control of money-laundering and the financing of terrorism, the latest being Law 19,749, of 15 May 2019, and its regulatory decree 136/2019, of 16 May 2019. In another area, in 2013 Uruguay enacted Law 19,172, on State control and regulation regarding the importation, production, acquisition, stockpiling, commercialization and distribution of marijuana and its derivatives. The law states that, through State intervention, it will seek to tackle the devastating health, social and economic consequences of the problematic use of psychoactive substances, as well as to reduce the incidence of drug trafficking and organized crime. It stipulates measures aimed at controlling and regulating psychoactive cannabis and its derivatives, as well as providing education, raising awareness and preventing the health risks of cannabis use in society, particularly with regard to the development of addictions. For its part, Law 19,513, of 2017, on combating drug trafficking and transboundary organized crime, established the Commission to Combat Drug Trafficking and Transboundary Organized Crime as well as the Security Committee for Border Crossings, and it also includes criminal provisions. Also in 2017, Uruguay adopted a national counter-terrorism strategy that established the National Counter-Terrorism Coordination Centre with the aim of improving the country’s response capacity within the context of respecting the rule of law and human rights. The strategy pursues four main objectives, namely, to prevent, protect, evaluate and respond, thereby seeking to implement solutions with a comprehensive approach. Given the transnational nature of organized crime and terrorism, we cannot limit ourselves to national actions but should instead encourage and strengthen bilateral, regional and international cooperation. In that regard, Uruguay maintains its firm commitment to cooperating with other actors in the international community in the fight against both of these scourges and their pernicious links. Our actions carried out at the national level reflect that commitment. We appreciate the recommendations that were made by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate during its most recent visit to Montevideo, on 16 and 17 March 2017. Our country continues to work to overcome its vulnerabilities and is grateful for the support for those efforts to adapt to the new demands of the international context, within the framework of respect for the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

I now give the floor to the representative of Cuba.

The achievements of the Cuban revolution and our country’s commitment to preventing and confronting terrorism, as well as preventing and combating the various manifestations of transnational organized crime that may contribute to terrorism financing, have succeeded in making Cuba an unappealing place for such activity. The nature and scope of the terrorism-crime nexus, which has been recognized by the Council and may serve as a source of funding or logistical support for terrorism, varies according to context. In the case of Cuba, that nexus does not bear a significant reflection as in other countries and regions around the world. Our country  — for decades a victim of State-sponsored terrorism from abroad  — condemns all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all forms and manifestations, whatever their motivation. The revolutionary Government of Cuba has reiterated that it has never allowed, or will it ever allow, its national territory to be used for the realization, planning or financing of acts of terrorism against any other State, without exception. As proof of that stance, Cuba has committed to 18 international conventions on terrorism. We have put into effect legislative, institutional, administrative and other measures to prevent and punish all terrorist acts and activities. We have developed a specific criminal standard to address criminal acts of a terrorist nature  — Law 93 against acts of terrorism  — as well as criminal legislation that criminalizes offences of money-laundering and terrorism financing. Cuba’s determination and institutional capacity to prevent money-laundering and terrorism financing has been recognized by the Financial Action Task Force of Latin America (GAFILAT) on several occasions. The Mutual Evaluation Report of the Republic of Cuba, which was carried out within the framework of GAFILAT, points out that the general risk of money- laundering in the country is low. It also highlighted the inter-institutional coordination and cooperation existing at all levels in Cuba and the updated legal framework to combat this scourge. As a result, it has been recognized at the international level that the work of our country is “substantially effective” in the areas of supervision, people and legal structures, confiscation, investigation and prosecution of terrorist financing, financial sanctions and preventive measures of terrorism financing. With regard to the various manifestations of organized crime, Cuba has also adopted a firm, principled position and a zero-tolerance policy, particularly in relation to the production, consumption and trafficking of drugs as well as human trafficking, preventing and sanctioning all those illegal activities in accordance with our national legislation and thereby preventing, through the adopted measures I mentioned, the financing of terrorism. Cuba works hard to avoid its national territory being used as a site for the storage, stockpiling, transit or destination of illicit drugs, implementing a strategy of prevention and combating the illegal use and trafficking of drugs, while strengthening the level of coordination among our national institutions with the active participation of communities and civil society organizations. As a result of those efforts, in 2018 Cuba seized 2,438 kilograms of drugs, the majority of which were seized at maritime ports as part of international drug trafficking operations and were not destined for our island. Two attempts to introduce drugs into the country by speedboat were uncovered and thwarted, resulting in four people being detained. Two other operations were neutralized within our national waters, with a further four foreign drug traffickers being captured. We also neutralized 49 operations organized by criminal networks attempting to introduce drugs across our airspace border. In respect of trafficking in persons, Cuba has in place a national action plan for the prevention and tackling of trafficking in persons and the protection of victims for the period 2017 to 2020. The incidence of that scourge in our country is very low thanks to our social achievements and citizen security, equal opportunities, policies and programmes aimed at the empowerment of women, as well as the political will and prioritized level of care from the State and the Cuban Government in preventing and tackling this scourge in all of its manifestations with a view to protecting the victims. We reject in the most absolute terms our being included in the worst category in the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report of the United States Department of State. It is well known that that unilateral report, without any legitimacy or international recognition, aims to fulfil an objective of political manipulation as a weapon to apply pressure against other States and, devoid of respect, consideration or any attachment to international efforts to combat trafficking in persons. It deliberately disregards the exemplary and comprehensive work carried out by Cuba in the prevention and tackling of, and the response to, that scourge. It ignores our country’s zero-tolerance policy on human trafficking and hides the outcomes of the exchanges that took place between both countries for five consecutive years to share information and cooperate on those issues. As has been shown, the defamatory campaigns against Cuba, which have uncontrollably superimposed each other, serve to justify the hostility of the current Government of the United States against Cuba and the ever-increasing unilateral measures of blockade and economic coercion aimed at deteriorating the standards of living of our people, limiting financial flows into the country, hindering supplies, undermining our production processes and damaging our social services. All of that forms part of the relentless economic war that has been imposed on us over the past 60 years. The fight against the scourge of terrorism and organized crime must take place in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The Security Council must not undermine the mandate, functions and prerogatives of other organs in the United Nations system, which have the capacity to provide effective and coordinated responses to those scourges. In order to prevent and combat terrorism and organized crime in all its forms and manifestations, the Council should first and foremost fulfil its responsibility to maintain international peace and security by addressing the root causes of conflicts. The Council must promote international assistance and cooperation for the creation and strengthening of national capacities for States that request it, as well as the exchange of experiences in the fight against terrorism and organized crime, based on mutual respect. We firmly reject the double standards, political selectivity and unilateral acts of certain States in seeking to corroborate conduct and draw up politically motivated lists that run contrary to international law, as well as in waving the banner of a supposed fight against terrorism and organized crime to commit acts of aggression, undermine national sovereignty and interfere in the internal affairs of other States.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ireland.

I would like to begin by thanking you, Mr. President, for having organized this important debate and for your continued leadership in strengthening our understanding of the linkages between international terrorism and organized crime, both of which, as we have just heard, have grown substantially in scale and threat over the past 20 years. I am here because my country, Ireland, believes that debates such as this matter and can make a difference. A vitally important step in countering the twin threats that I have spoken of is to better understand the nature and scope of the links that exist between them. We must do more to deepen our understanding together here at the United Nations, in our Governments and across civil society. I would like to draw from your useful concept note (S/2019/537, annex), Sir, and make four brief points. First, it seems like a truism but it is a fact that fuelling both terrorism and organized crime are the complex and evolving global systems of money-laundering and terrorist financing. We believe that we have no hope of addressing that issue individually or in silos. A coordinated approach is key to effectively tackling it. Ireland’s own response brings together a range of Government departments and agencies, including the Central Bank of Ireland, the Irish police, our Criminal Assets Bureau and Irish Revenue Commissioners. But we know we need more. The Security Council must play its own part. We were pleased to co-sponsor the French-led resolution 2462 (2019), setting out a comprehensive approach to combating the financing of terrorism. As ever, the challenge now is to move from rhetoric to implementation. Secondly, we know that organized crime groups and terrorist organizations are increasingly recruiting from the same pool of largely marginalized and often vulnerable people. Prisons are particularly fertile grounds for recruiting. Petty criminals and members of organized criminal groups are often radicalized. We believe that police training and the meaningful involvement of women and youth are crucial in combating that. Thirdly, multilateral engagement and collaboration are a sine qua non for effectively countering those threats. My country, Ireland, sees a central role for the United Nations in leading the coordinated and inclusive response of Member States, guided by the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We believe that we ought to make a concerted effort to increase the visibility and effectiveness of United Nations activities on counter- terrorism. As a candidate for a seat on the Security Council for the term 2021-2022, we believe two things — first, that this is indeed a threat to our collective peace and security; and secondly, that the Council not only can but must play a role in understanding and combating the links between terrorism and organized crime. As an active member of the European Union (EU), we want to acknowledge the important work undertaken by the European Union Judicial Cooperation Unit in improving judicial cooperation in countering organized crime and terrorism. We also greatly value the work of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and Europol and the support that they offer in facilitating information-sharing among EU member States. Fourthly and finally, we strongly believe that counter-terrorism measures, especially cross-border information-sharing, should never undermine our obligations under international law, including human rights law and international humanitarian law. Civil society plays a crucial role, and we encourage further efforts to strengthen that partnership. Put simply, building and maintaining trust between public, private and non-governmental organizations is the bedrock upon which we must take this fight forward. The Security Council, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the United Nations system as a whole possess a wide variety of tools to combat these threats. Our job is to ensure that we put them to use. My country, Ireland, reiterates our unwavering commitment to engaging actively with partners here at the United Nations, and hopefully with the support of this Chamber as a Security Council member in the future, we will work actively to address the threats. We believe that we owe at least that to the countless victims.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Maldives.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today’s open debate. Terrorism and organized crime remains one of the most complex and challenging global issues of our time. Our ability to respond to and comprehensively address those issues is growing deeper and becoming more difficult. Terrorism transcends race, religion and nationality. Combating terrorism therefore requires a multifaceted approach, from direct action in dismantling networks, cells and financing webs to preventing extremist ideologies from spreading, including by monitoring hate speech both offline and in the digital space. Open debates such as this would help us to better understand this multifaceted phenomenon and learn from each other in order to gear our collective actions to detect, counter, intercept and prevent horrifying crimes. The Maldives strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. Terrorism is an atrocious act that takes the lives of innocent people, destroys societies, forces people to move from their homes and sets back decades of development. Terrorism is a transnational threat that requires international and coordinated action. As members of the international community, each of us has a responsibility to collaborate more closely, study its root causes and work to prevent violent and extremist ideologies from taking a foothold in our respective countries. In recent years, we have witnessed a growing dependency between international terrorism and organized crime, whereby individuals are moving between their identities as terrorists and criminals. Their blurring functions are making it harder for law enforcement officials to apprehend and prosecute them. As nations, we must understand those linkages and not only strengthen our national frameworks but also ensure that those frameworks function as they are supposed to. We must also ensure the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions. The Maldives enacted the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Prevention of Money-laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act in 2015. The regulation issued in 2015 by the Maldives Monetary Authority, the country’s central bank, under the Prevention of Money-laundering and Financing of Terrorism Act provides clear guidance to the banking sector and other financial institutions. Participating in terrorist activities or supporting such activities is a criminal offence in the Maldives. I am pleased to report that the Government of the newly elected President Solih has accelerated efforts in countering terrorism and radicalization as a priority. Work is currently being carried out to amend anti-terrorism legislation in order to better address contemporary threats. During his first month in office, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih established the Presidential Commission on Corruption and Asset Recovery. The purpose of the Commission is to investigate cases of misuse of Government funds, money-laundering, corruption and abuse of power within State institutions between January 2012 and 17 November 2018. My country ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in 2013 and its supplementary Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children in 2016, which led to the formulation of a national action plan on anti-human trafficking. More recently, in February, a new anti-trafficking coordinating body was established to better coordinate anti-trafficking efforts. The National Counter-Terrorism Centre of the Maldives (NCTC) provides a common platform for facilitating information- and-intelligence sharing and for synchronizing inter-agency activities in our efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism. The Maldives aims to tackle the phenomenon of violent extremism through a whole-of-society approach. In collaboration with inter-agency partners and community stakeholders, the NCTC has undertaken various programmes to enable the community to resist radicalizing ideologies and empower communities, especially women and youth and their leaders. It is the deep conviction of my Government that, if we are to prevent and counter terrorism, the most feasible strategy is through community-based programmes. We must undertake a multi-stakeholder approach to tackle global terrorism, extremism and organized crime. The Maldives reiterates its commitment to upholding its obligation to combat terrorism. As we continue to strengthen the frameworks and countermeasures to tackle the fight against terrorism and organized crimes at home, we will continue to ensure that our efforts are part of a comprehensive regional and global approach.

I now give the floor to the representative of Slovenia.

I wish to begin by thanking the Peruvian presidency of the Security Council for putting the issue of linkages between international terrorism and organized crime on the agenda of the Council. It has been over four years since the Council discussed this topic (see S/PV.7351) and adopted resolution 2195 (2014). Let me also thank all three briefers from this morning. The timing for this debate could therefore hardly be more appropriate given that the means and threats of terrorism are becoming increasingly complex, and the same holds true for organized crime. With greater involvement of new technologies, the interlinkages are more difficult to uncover and fight. I also wish to align myself with the statement delivered earlier by the Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) and would like to make some observations and comments in my national capacity. Terrorism and crime have often been treated as different phenomena because of the different motivations behind them. However, the growing convergence of organized crime and terror groups over the past several decades is a global trend threatening the security interests of many States worldwide. This phenomenon is not new. Indeed, it is an established fact that organized crime groups and terrorist groups often operate in similar ways, carrying out the same types of criminal activities and sharing organizational characteristics. Commonalties include the transnational character, the financing through the commission of criminal/ illegal activities, and the ability to instil fear. This blurring of the traditional lines of distinction between terrorism and other forms of serious organized crime calls for a fine-tuning by States of policies designed to prevent and combat the activities of terrorist and organized-crime groups so as to optimize their impact and provide maximum security to citizens, while respecting the rule of law, human rights and democracy. We believe that regional cooperation is one of the most effective ways of coping with this pressing and demanding issue. Pursuant to a proposal by Slovenia, the EU supported the development of the Western Balkan Counter-Terrorism initiative into the Integrative Internal Security Governance concept, which includes other prominent areas of internal security cooperation, namely, prevention of violent extremism and the fight against terrorism, the fight against serious and organized crime, and border security. Its policy goals aim to strengthen intelligence-led policing, improving regional instruments and bolstering operational cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans. In 2017, Interior Ministers of the region, together with international and EU partners, launched the implementation process, appointing a support group to implement the new policy. The structure brought together existing capacities and expertise of regional cooperation mechanisms and is hosted by the regional office of the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance, in Ljubljana, my capital. Today’s debate has clearly shown once again the serious threat that interconnections between organized crime and terrorism pose to international peace and security. Legislation and law enforcement almost always seem to be a step behind, which should be reason enough for all States to stay vigilant, update their legislation accordingly and in a timely manner, and most of all invest in international cooperation. We have implemented a variety of these policy choices in recent decades at the subregional, regional and international levels and working with the new United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. If we truly want to fight both of these threats, we simply have to comply with the rules we have already established and cooperate. No State or Government can fight these threats alone. Terrorism and organized crime know no boundaries. Neither should we in fighting them. The draft resolution that the Security Council will adopt later this month should therefore necessarily focus on all these different aspects of threats as well as on our joint response to them. Let me once again thank you, Mr. President, for this initiative.

I give the floor to the representative of Costa Rica.

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate on a subject that concerns us all. The best way to attack the links between transnational crime and terrorism is through prevention. States must strengthen the institutions that combat crime and work hard to reduce impunity and to respect the rule of law and human rights. To prevent the radicalization of young people and close spaces to crime, efforts must also be redoubled to extend such basic services as education, health and security to areas where the Government’s presence is weak or scarce. Costa Rica stresses in this regard the importance of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the four pillars that underpin it, including addressing the conditions that help to spread terrorism, preventing and combating terrorism, and strengthening the capacity of States and the role of the United Nations. Another way to prevent the interaction of organized crime and terrorism is by strengthening borders, both maritime and land. Porous borders lend themselves to such illicit activities as drug trafficking, the movement of people and weapons and the smuggling of prohibited goods. While preventing and combating these evils are the responsibility of each State and are matters of national security, when illicit activities are carried out in a coordinated manner in several territories, transcending the borders of one country, this requires international attention. That is why it is good that we are having this discussion today. We are dealing with a phenomenon in which criminals provide such services to terrorists as money- laundering, the provision of documents, arms trafficking and human trafficking. There are also situations where terrorists engage in such organized-crime activities as kidnapping or the illegal extraction of metals, in order to obtain financing. This represents a great challenge for crime prevention and for the administration of justice, because it changes the traditional schemes for which our law-enforcement officers and administrators of justice have been trained and the situations they are accustomed to facing. Costa Rica has recently made changes to its domestic legislation in order to strengthen the tools against money-laundering and terrorist financing. Although preventive activity is sometimes naively concentrated only on this aspect, it is, as you yourself have said, Mr. President, not everything. The Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica is working on training judges, prosecutors and judicial police in cybercrime, in the participation of companies in organized crime and the money-laundering, human trafficking and smuggling, among others, as ways of detecting organized crime. Work is also being carried out to improve the processing and study of information, analysis and the establishment of relationships among the various networks made up of such organizations. Cooperation is fundamental to be able to fight these organized groups, which operate at the international level and differ in their motives. While the criminals are in search of profits, generally terrorists seek to impose ideologies or religions. However, they use common methods and resources — illicit activities such as the transfer of arms, human trafficking, money-laundering, kidnapping, bank robbery, among others — to achieve their ends. Apart from the assistance that countries can provide through bilateral agreements, Costa Rica is of the view that regional and subregional organizations, which have knowledge about the areas in which they are based, play a key role in cooperation, as well as in coordinating joint efforts. National needs and crime patterns vary by region. As we heard in the special meeting held in April, Latin America is the most violent region in the world, with the highest rate of homicide and kidnapping for ransom and the largest diaspora. That is an example of very peculiar characteristics of a geographical space, where the link between terrorism and organized crime is probably different from that which occurs in other regions that do not have such a predominance of violence. Examples of that have been heard here in the Chamber throughout the day. Cooperation should include training and technology transfer, both when it comes to States as well as between the United Nations and regional bodies. Computing tools, used mainly for tracking foreign fighters, should be available to all countries, and that should be a joint effort. The standardization of contents in databases that facilitate the exchange of information should be a common objective to improve the fight against terrorism. With regard to the latter — to the extent that domestic regulations permit  — countries must make an effort to establish public-private partnerships that facilitate access to technological advances to serve both in the prevention of terrorism and in the gathering of evidence. All of that should take place while respecting the rule of law, human rights and the fundamental freedoms of individuals. We must bear in mind that criminal and terrorist organizations, whether acting in tandem or not, have shown that they have access to all kinds of resources. To cooperate in an orderly and equitable manner and achieve an effective exchange of information, Member States must subscribe to the relevant United Nations instruments, such as the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three Protocols. Costa Rica believes it is urgent to bolster our ability to be able to identify new trends in preparations for sophisticated events. To that end, it is important to raise awareness not just among officials but among society at large. Prosecution and the establishment of norms are important, but it is just as important to seek mechanisms and guidelines that allow for the timely identification of indicators in order to avoid large-scale events and actual crisis situations. To achieve that, it is vital that States cooperate with one another in the exchange of information. That is why we support the draft resolution being advanced by Peru.

I now give the floor to the representative of Algeria.

Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to the Peruvian presidency of the Security Council for organizing this timely and extremely important open debate on linkages between international terrorism and organized crime. I also thank each of the three briefers for their comprehensive briefings. The growing threat to peace and security posed by organized transnational crime and its nexus with terrorism and violent extremism certainly require further attention and action by the international community. It must step up its efforts to sever the links between both scourges and address them in a holistic manner. Despite territorial setbacks and the limiting of the funds available to such terrorist groups as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida, these entities are showing a great capacity for mobility, adaptation and innovation and often resort to new methods of financing to diversify their revenue streams. It is therefore expected that terrorist groups across Africa and other parts of the world will support themselves through a variety of criminal activities, including trafficking in persons, illicit drug trafficking, cybercrime, illegal exploitation of natural resources, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, trafficking in firearms, money-laundering and smuggling of migrants, as well as radicalizing criminals in the prison system. As underscored in the concept note (S/2019/537, annex), there is an urgent need to better understand and address the evolving linkages between terrorism and organized crime, as well as the manner and extent to which they vary in different regions and contexts. We must mobilize our joint efforts to develop and deploy a set of tools to disrupt those expanding networks and cut off the funds that they are generating. Exchanging information among intelligence, military and police officials, enhancing the capacity of national police and financial intelligence units, providing the necessary technical assistance as requested and further sharing of resources and technology among States must be key priorities. It is also important to highlight the importance for Member States to invest more in promoting effective border control and surveillance technologies, including introducing biometric identity documents. In that connection, we reaffirm that States have the sovereign right, in accordance with international law, to secure their borders. Cooperation between States in that regard can be achieved only through a coherent and coordinated approach that respects the basic principles of sovereign equality, political independence, territorial integrity and non-intervention in matters that are essentially within a State’s domestic jurisdiction. The United Nations counter-terrorism entities, particularly the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, have an important role to play in identifying threats and capacity-building needs at the request of States, while bearing in mind that each region has its own specificities. We also need to address the structural conditions that are conducive to criminal activity and terrorism. The fight against both scourges can succeed only through a comprehensive approach to economic and social development and by promoting transparency and good governance and addressing the root causes, including poverty, inequality, exclusion and radicalization. Ensuring the effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the involvement of civil society and local communities are also essential in that regard. Addressing the nexus between terrorism and organized crime remains a central component of Algeria’s comprehensive national strategy in the fight against terrorism. Accordingly, my country has adapted its legal framework related to anti-money- laundering and the criminalization of the financing of terrorism, assets-freeze measures and control of the non-profit sector, in conformity with relevant Security Council resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force standards. At the regional level, Algeria is fully committed to regional cooperation in fighting the destabilization caused by terrorist and organized crime groups in the Sahel region. Like all Sahel countries, Algeria has consistently advocated an approach geared towards targeted and efficient action based on national ownership and aimed at combating terrorism and cross- border criminality, while assuming responsibility for security and stability within our territory, in keeping with our international obligations. Algeria’s extensive military deployment on its borders is part of its efforts aimed at ensuring its national security and that of all its neighbours. Algeria has engaged in a concerted approach among the countries of the Sahel through various cooperation mechanisms, such as the Joint Operational General Staff Committee, the Sahel Fusion and Liaison Unit and many other forums. Such mechanisms contribute to enhancing security cooperation among the Sahel countries, through the coordination and strengthening of border control measures, as well as through training and the sharing of intelligence and equipment. It is worth mentioning that, at the thirtieth African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit in February, in its capacity as an African Union Champion in combating terrorism and violent extremism, Algeria presented a report that outlines terrorist threats and trends on the African continent in 2018. The report notes that the connection between terrorism and transnational organized crime in Africa has grown at an alarming pace. Although driven by different motives, the two scourges have a common purpose that serves their respective interests, that is, to weaken State institutions and reduce their capacity to assume their responsibilities. Terrorist groups in Africa are increasingly involved in criminal activities related to drugs and psychotropic substances, trafficking in firearms and humans, counterfeiting, the smuggling of cultural goods, the exploitation of natural resources and minerals, cattle rustling and piracy. The transboundary nature of terrorism and organized crime, as well as the existence of porous borders and ungoverned spaces in some AU member States, coupled with weak national institutional capacities of other member States, are often exploited by terrorist and criminal groups as they expand their activities. The African continent, through the African Union and its various institutions, and the countries directly affected have shown resilience and determination in combating terrorism and addressing trafficking- related terrorist financing. Various continental collective security initiatives and arrangements have been established, such as the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes, the Committee of Intelligence and Security Services of Africa, the African Police Cooperation Organization (AFRIPOL) and the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT). AFRIPOL and ACSRT, both based in Algiers, continue to play an important role in strengthening Africa’s capacities to combat terrorism and organized transnational crime. The signing, in January, of an information-sharing agreement between INTERPOL and AFRIPOL provides an important joint platform for cooperation in a bid to reinforce their partnership and coordination in terms of combating both scourges. Further steps were also taken in supporting AU member States to further enhance the capacity of their national law enforcement agencies, including through the establishment of AFRIPOL national liaison offices and the African Police Communication System. As part of its global efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism, Algeria also works closely with other actors, particularly the Global Counter- Terrorism Forum (GCTF), which complements United Nations counter-terrorism efforts. In that framework, Algeria and Canada are chairing the GCTF Capacity- building in the West Africa Region Working Group. In that connection, a meeting on the nexus between terrorism and transnational organized crime in West Africa was jointly organized in Algiers by Algeria and Canada in October 2017. The GCTF has also produced useful framework documents addressing the linkages between terrorism and organized crime, as well as the Algiers Memorandum on Good Practices on Preventing and Denying the Benefits of Kidnapping for Ransom by Terrorists. Finally, Algeria remains firmly engaged in global efforts to counter terrorism and violent extremism at all levels, and is ready to contribute to the collective endeavour to curb the threat posed by transnational organized crime and its nexus and collusion with terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Panama.

I would like to begin by commending the Peruvian presidency for the initiative of convening this important debate and by recognizing the value of the briefings, which lay bare the current reality regarding the links between international terrorism and organized crime. One of the paradigms at play in the globalized world has been the internationalization of organized crime, whose illicit activities have expanded to include new and dynamic methods and now increasingly challenges our countries to identify and effectively prevent any activity utilized by terrorist or criminal organizations. In order to achieve their goals, terrorist organizations associate themselves with organized crime, through both legal and illegal activities, so as to generate the financial resources that will allow them to develop their ongoing or potential activities. As a transit and bi-oceanic country that is a bridge between North and South America, we are no strangers to the scourge of organized crime, which goes hand in hand with forced migration and trafficking in persons, arms, cultural goods and drugs, among other phenomena. As such, we are also aware of our global responsibility to tackle it decisively. Panama has expressed its firm commitment to the head-on fight against the financing of terrorism. We also recognize the value of joint initiatives with international organizations. The support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for such efforts confirms that we cannot rely on isolated action alone. We have ratified 18 international counter-terrorism instruments at the regional and global levels and, pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), set up a national list on terrorism and its financing. At the regional level, together with the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism, Panama is implementing the legislative assistance and combating terrorist financing programme and continuing to enforce measures on preventive freezing, travel bans, arms embargo and other measures adopted at the Security Council through the updating of the sanctions lists. Panama’s criminal code now criminalizes and imposes a harsh penalty for the financing of terrorism. We enacted a law on money-laundering, terrorism financing and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which includes regulations on preventive asset freezing, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions. Panama will continue to join forces in the fight against terrorism and its financing, while investing resources in improving its counter-terrorism capacity. Our efforts are focused on protecting our borders and financial and logistics system, with the aim of preventing, deterring, detecting and suppressing terrorism and organized crime networks. The interconnected world makes us vulnerable and continues to challenge us. The dynamic development of telecommunications, social networks and connectivity indicates significant progress in the area of economics, as well as major security challenges. Based on today’s concept note (S/2019/537, annex), I underscore the role that all actors — public and private alike — can and should play in preventing terrorism and organized crime from undermining our societies and generating instability. Collective efforts, the constant sharing of good practices and dynamic and effective cooperation are prerequisites for generating responses with comprehensive approaches that address the phenomenon in the various environments where organized crime is committed. Given that the challenges we face are global, solutions must also be global. In recognizing the significant importance of multilateral efforts and, with them, the value of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, poised to conduct its seventh biennial review in 2020, I reiterate that Panama will continue working with the international community to maintain efforts aimed at the higher purpose of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies that are intolerant of organized crime and terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing today’s meeting. My gratitude also goes to the Executive Directors of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for their input. As global concerns, both international terrorism and transnational organized crimes require a global response, and the United Nations has a decisive role to play in both cases. While the Security Council should continue its role in addressing international terrorism, issues related to transnational organized crimes must be dealt with only by the General Assembly. Terrorist and criminal groups have different motives and use different methods. However, the impacts of their activities are very similar — both are extremely disruptive and exceedingly destructive. Iran is the victim of the activities of terrorist groups and transnational criminals alike. At the same time, we are at the forefront of combating both menaces. In the past four decades, 17,161 Iranian citizens, including almost 200 high-ranking political figures, among them one President, one Prime Minister, one judiciary chief, one deputy chief of the armed forces and 27 members of Parliament, as well as four nuclear scientists, have been martyred by foreign-backed terrorist groups. The Mujahedeen-e Khalq (MKO), which is responsible for the killing of at least 12,000 Iranian civilians and many Iraqi citizens, as well as a number of citizens of various nationalities, continues to receive funds from certain countries in the region, while enjoying the support of certain States, including in Europe. Moreover, after being delisted as a terrorist group by the United States, MKO is now active in this country and its members are cooperating closely with the United States intelligence community to develop disruptive and destructive plots and plans against Iran. Cognizant of the serious threat posed by terrorist groups in our region, Iran has assisted Iraq and Syria, upon their request, in combating the most dangerous terrorist groups. In our neighbourhood, terrorist groups and organized criminals are involved mostly in the trafficking of drugs and, in certain cases, of arms and cultural properties in order to finance their activities. Therefore, in addition to combating terrorist groups, we have also engaged seriously in countering organized criminals, mainly those involved in drug trafficking. As a result, in the past 40 years, 3,815 members of our law enforcement forces have lost their lives and over 12,000 others have been wounded. In the past three decades, Iran has seized approximately 11,000 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. In 2018 alone, our law enforcement forces carried out 1,557 operations against drug traffickers, seizing approximately 807 tons of different types of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Our outstanding activities in combating drug traffickers have always been acknowledged at the global level. For instance, according to the World Drug Report 2019 of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in 2017, Iran seized the largest quantity of opiates, accounting for 39 per cent of the global total. Likewise, during the same period, the largest quantities of opium, as well as the second-largest quantities of morphine and heroin, were also seized by Iran. We are determined to continue our efforts in combating terrorists and drug traffickers. However, to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of our efforts, the international community must assist Iran — of course, without preconditions, discrimination or politicization. I also refer to the detrimental effects of unilateral sanctions in undermining our efforts to counter terrorism and organized crime. Countries imposing such unlawful sanctions have to be reminded that their sanctions policies seriously weaken the effectiveness of the counter-narcotic efforts of transit countries. Ultimately, our success in countering those menaces is dependent largely on our genuine political will, comprehensive approach and non-discriminatory cooperation and assistance.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ukraine.

I thank the Peruvian presidency for organizing today’s important debate. While fully aligning myself with the statement delivered earlier on behalf of the European Union, I would like to make the following comments in my national capacity. Terrorism, fuelled by the root causes of radicalization and violent extremism, is ever-more interlinked with organized crime and the trafficking in people, drugs and arms, as well as corruption. Needless to stress, further synergy among terrorist organizations and organized crime groups can provoke more dire consequences, not only for certain countries but at the global level. According to experts’ assessment, the common denominator in all such groups is that their field of activities is not limited to a specific region or State; instead, they have expansionary aspirations and a vast development agenda. Up until now, the international community has been exposed to constantly evolving threats from the so-called crime-terror nexus, with more sophisticated methods and tactics, including in the financing of transnational criminal activity. The following are some of the factors that allow terrorist and criminal groups to remain active and ambitious: the misuse of technological advances and communication innovations, loosely controlled borders, complex challenges with regard to returnees and relocators from the conflict zones, and insufficient prosecution and punishment measures in place for those who provide funding or other support to terrorist and criminal activities in any form and by any methods, to name a few. It remains crucial to ensure the effective implementation of all international instruments in combating terrorism and transnational organized crime in force, including the relevant Security Council resolutions, the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy and the Financial Action Task Force standards and recommendations. I also wish to reaffirm the importance of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocols in combating both existing and emerging forms of transnational organized crime. The provisions of the Convention can target profit-oriented transnational organized crimes by terrorist groups, including armed robbery, kidnapping for ransom, money-laundering, corruption and participation in an organized criminal group involved in such activities. Moreover, it can address the role of terrorists in human trafficking, migrant smuggling and the illicit trafficking in firearms. Therefore, Ukraine supports the establishment of the mechanism for the review of the implementation of the Convention and the Protocols thereto. We believe that any mechanism that might be adopted should be transparent, efficient, non-intrusive, impartial and aimed in particular to assist States in the effective implementation of the Convention and its Protocols. Besides that, we recognize the urgent need to find additional effective measures to counter evolving trends in both terrorism and organized crime. In particular, having been unpunishably integrated into the State policy of some countries, terrorism and criminal components lead to brutal violations of international law, including to the most hostile war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ukraine continues to experience such consequences while countering the Russian hybrid aggression for more than five years now. Switching blame, manipulation, propaganda, the interference in the internal affairs of States, fuelling international conflicts by supplying weapons and financing terrorism, and killing civilians, including medical personnel, is the modern political course of the Russian Federation. The Russian representative so graphically described earlier in his statement the dangers of supplying weapons to terrorists in Syria. Instead, I would love to hear him talk about an even more relevant topic, namely, when Russia itself will end the non-stop delivery of arms and munitions to terrorists, fuelling the senseless bloodshed in occupied Donbas. Transnational criminal activity, including terrorism, must be not only condemned, but rather effectively countered and punished. Regrettably, the current situation in Ukraine clearly demonstrates that the accommodation, or the appeasement, of an aggressor breeds further aggression. That is why it is critically important to firmly hold the aggressor State to account and employ all the necessary instruments to make it return to the tenets of international law.

I now give the floor to the representative of Nigeria.

At the outset, let me thank the delegation of Peru for organizing today’s open debate. Our special appreciation goes out to the representatives from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for their remarks. We also thank the other briefers for sharing their perspectives on this very important subject. The existence of militant groups and organized criminal gangs is not a new phenomenon. In recent times, however, their manifestation and intricate linkages have been of growing concern at the national, regional and international levels. More important, their convergence has now become an urgent threat to international peace and security. Its widening base at the grass-roots level has led to the failure of some States and the weakening of others. There are also increasing similarities between terrorism and organized crime. Both use extreme violence and the threat of reprisals. Both use kidnapping, extortion and assassinations. They also operate secretly, although at times publicly, in friendly territories. Both defy the State and the rule of law. For a member to leave either group is rare and often fatal. Both present an asymmetrical threat to the nation, and both are highly adaptable, resilient and innovative. They have back-up leaders and foot soldiers. While some criminal groups and terrorists might operate opportunistically in partnership, others might converge in a single terror-crime entity. Three levels of interplay between organized crime and terrorist groups have been identified, namely, coexistence, cooperation and convergence. cooperation can take various forms when criminal groups work together, from a purely financial or transactional nature to an operational and organizational arrangement. Moreover, such groups often cooperate for mutual assistance with intangible technology transfers, which are defined as the export or transfer of technology from one entity to another via non-physical means, such as the Internet. In the case of organized crime and terrorism, that might include technical know-how, intellectual property and manufacturing techniques for building anything from bombs to drones. Correspondingly, four major developments have been identified as enablers of the increasing convergence between organized crime and terrorism. They are: globalization, which has provided the space for the free flow of trade and human resources, thereby providing the opportunity for organized crime and terrorism to mingle; the end of Cold War, which has reduced State financing of terrorists, leading to terrorists resorting to self-help by indulging in criminal activities to fill financial needs; communication through the Internet; and the global war on terror, which has led to global cooperation to crackdown on terror. Nigeria has had a fair share of outbreaks of attacks by Boko Haram targeting civilians, public infrastructure, community and religious leaders, places of worship, markets and media houses, among others. Further complicating the security landscape is the increase in the outbreak of transnational organized crimes that feed into the so-called terrorist loop in West Africa with threats of terrorism, drug and arms trafficking, illegal oil bunkering, piracy and human trafficking, which have acquired a worrisome transnational dimension in recent times. Due to porous borders and the growing demand for arms by criminals and militants, cartels specialized in arms trafficking are devising ingenious methods for concealing and conveniently trafficking arms across borders in West Africa. In order to address those security challenges, Nigeria has adopted several mechanisms and instruments to enhance security, including the national counter- terrorism strategy, adopted in 2014, the national policy framework and national action plan for preventing and countering violent extremism, adopted in 2017, and the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), established in collaboration with our neighbours, such as Chad, Cameroon, the Niger and Benin, to defeat the Boko Haram insurgency. We are therefore making an appeal to the international community to continue to support the MNJTF and other activities involving countering terrorism, peacebuilding and sustaining peace in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa at large. It is our expectation that this debate will offer suggestions to address the prevailing challenges of terrorism and organized crime, which are increasingly joining forces to challenge States and threaten human security worldwide. Policy makers and scholars alike claim that new and unconventional methods are needed to counter the existential risks that arise from cooperation, convergence and the merging of terrorism and organized crime. Therefore, as distinctions between terrorists and criminals fade, so too must distinctions among the traditional measures used in fighting them. Since organized crime and terrorism are converging, a single, comprehensive concept is required to counter it. The challenge, therefore, has not been a regional lack of frameworks and instruments to respond to those threats, but rather the failure to address the underlying factors contributing to the outbreak of those crimes, as well as the complex linkages among them. In order to deal effectively with the threats of terrorism and organized crime, there must be a broad approach that integrates efforts at the national and regional levels into a robust strategy focused on improving governance, development and security. There is also a need for improved knowledge-sharing and cooperation on all levels, especially internationally. Following the money trail and countering financing remain a focus through targeted strategies to prevent and control money-laundering, extortion and kidnapping for ransom, among others. Ultimately, it is important to reiterate that the eradication of this phenomenon can be possible only if cooperation can be achieved at the international level and counter-terrorism programmes, along with development schemes, are implemented at the grass- roots level.

I now give the floor to the representative of Azerbaijan.

At the outset, I would like to thank the Government of Peru for convening this open debate to discuss linkages between international terrorism and organized crime and for submitting the concept note (S/2019/537, annex) on the topic. Terrorism and related criminal activities continue to represent a serious threat to international peace and security, the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the political independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the social and economic development of all Member States. Those activities are unjustifiable regardless of their motivation, constitute serious crimes and must be condemned and prosecuted. Instances of shielding and glorification of terrorists must not be tolerated. The sensitive geographic location of Azerbaijan and unresolved armed conflicts in the region increase transborder threats, such as international terrorism and related criminal activities. Since the end of the 1980s, as a mean of realizing groundless and unlawful territorial claims and as a method of warfare, externally directed terrorist attacks have been repeatedly perpetrated against my country, claiming the lives of thousands of its citizens. While recognizing the significance of addressing all conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, it is critical to intensify conflict resolution efforts in various parts of the world. Areas of armed conflict, especially territories under foreign military occupation, often create opportunities for terrorists, organized criminal groups and networks to benefit from the exploitation of natural resources, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in cultural property, money-laundering and other crimes. The strict compliance of all States with their international obligations, including the relevant resolutions adopted by the Security Council, is critical to ensuring, inter alia, that their respective territories are not used for terrorist and related criminal activities, in particular for the financing of and providing, directly or indirectly, any support to such activities under any pretext or disguise. It is important that, where terrorists or organized criminal groups are engaged in unlawful commercial activities, including in conflict zones and occupied territories, corporate liability and the individual criminal responsibility function in tandem to ensure the prosecution of corporations or their representatives for violations of international law. In that connection, in addition to measures that States are entitled to take at the national level to assert criminal jurisdiction over crimes perpetrated by their nationals overseas, international cooperation in criminal matters, with mutual legal assistance as one component, is the key to combating impunity for acts of terrorism and related offences. Azerbaijan strongly supports enhanced individual and collective counter-terrorism measures, including in particular those aimed at degrading and ultimately defeating terrorist organizations, their affiliates and networks. We recognize that significant efforts have been made by the United Nations and other international, regional and subregional organizations to promote cooperation and coordination and to strengthen the capacities of Member States in combating international terrorism and organized crime. It is important that those efforts continue and expand. Although terrorism and organized crime have different motivations and legal regimes, there is a need for the further comprehensive examination of evolving linkages between them. We commend the initiative of holding this open debate to share and highlight experiences, lessons learned, good practices and context-specific challenges, and consider it useful to continue discussions on the topic.

I now give the floor to the representative of Ecuador.

My delegation is grateful for the convening of this meeting against the backdrop of your concept note, Mr. President, which was published on 28 June (S/2019/537, annex). We thank your delegation for maintaining, in the course of your presidency of the Security Council this month, a common thread with regard to concerns about regional situations and their impact on international peace and security. On this occasion, nothing is more appropriate than referring to the links between terrorism and organized crime and the difficulties that their multiple facets represent for Governments. I also thank Under-Secretary-General Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime; Under-Secretary-General Michèle Coninsx, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; and Ms. Tamara Makarenko for their enlightening briefings. Of the activities mentioned in the concept note that can be linked to terrorism, the fight against two of them is fundamental for my country, namely, drug trafficking and corruption. Ecuador has experienced the impact of the Colombian conflict throughout its history. On the northern border, the splinter groups that did not comply with the peace agreement are part of transnational crime networks. They seek to keep their activities undisturbed through the use of terror, including attacks and death. Security issues have been linked to criminal gangs and an increase in illicit activities, including organized crime, drug trafficking, human trafficking and money-laundering. With varying degrees of penetration, organized crime permeates society and secures its survival by expanding its markets through micro-trafficking, whereby children and young people are condemned to lives without a future. We see how corruption in our region, which involves the private sector and Governments alike, became a sophisticated mechanism for self-perpetuation. In addition to the diversion of resources that should be devoted to development, citizens lose faith in the values ​that support coexistence in the community, accountability and democracy. Drug trafficking and corruption are two of the most important challenges my country faces. Both require solutions that go beyond national borders and that must be interlinked to be effective. Every sector must be involved: the Government and its functions, public and private institutions, academia with its analysis and citizens with their convictions. My delegation has spoken here on numerous occasions in favour of working to identify and address the underlying causes of conflicts  — an aspect that coincides with the vision that Peru’s presidency has brought to the Council. In the case of organized crime as well, it is necessary to go beyond the commission of crimes, to the elimination of their origins. Working with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, my country is actively working to combat drug trafficking and corruption through a dedicated committee made up of experts at the highest level that also includes bilateral cooperation. However, the challenge is not individual. It requires the commitment and cooperation of the entire international community. In that regard, my delegation endorses and reiterates the content of presidential statement S/PRST/2018/9, which the Council issued on 8 May 2018 and which, in its second paragraph, calls on States “to enhance cooperation and strategies to prevent terrorists from benefiting from transnational organized crime, and to build the capacity to secure their borders against and investigate and prosecute such terrorists and transnational organized criminals working with them, including through the strengthening of national, regional, and global systems to collect, analyse and exchange information, including law enforcement and intelligence information.” To be credible, the results must be visible and lasting. It is not enough that tons of drugs be seized every day, as happens in my country; it requires that there be no consumers and no crops. It is not enough to identify corruption and begin the processes of dismantling its frameworks; it is necessary that the diverted resources return to the countries of origin. It is necessary to create just, peaceful and inclusive societies and to work for the elimination of poverty and for the recovery of ethical values. To that end, it is essential to have a convergence of efforts at the national, subregional and organizational levels.

I now give the floor to the representative of Trinidad and Tobago.

At the outset, allow me to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. Allow me, as well, to commend you for your leadership in bringing this significant and urgent issue before the Chamber. As a small island developing State, Trinidad and Tobago remains at the forefront of this pressing challenge. The convening of this open debate presents an ideal opportunity for the international community to assess fully the interconnectivity between international terrorism and organized crime. My delegation notes with appreciation the very informative and comprehensive interventions delivered by the briefers, which we believe constructively added to the debate. In the Caribbean, transnational organized crime and its attendant cross-border activities have evolved into a major threat to regional security as the countries within the region grapple with increased criminal activity, which has moved from random acts of criminality to criminal activities that are being carried out in an increasingly organized and highly professional manner. These indicators undeniably point to a changing dynamic of illicit cross-border activity in an increasingly sophisticated and technological global environment. Transnational organized crime represents a threat not only to peace and security, but to the rule of law, human rights and socioeconomic development. For our region, the confluence between international terrorism and organized crime cannot be ignored. Trinidad and Tobago is a uniquely diverse society, founded on a rich history of inclusion, tolerance and the peaceful coexistence and harmony of all its citizens in a pluralistic, multicultural and multi-ethnic society. To this end, we are committed to safeguarding our citizens and supporting international efforts to combat terrorism, and have taken a comprehensive and inclusive approach to the issue of countering terrorism and, in particular, to addressing the potential threats posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters. Our approach has involved the establishment of a national counter-terrorism policy and strategy, the improvement of the national legislative framework, the enhancement of the national capacity and the deepening of collaboration with local and international partners, inclusive of civil society and academia, while maintaining respect for human rights and dignity. Most notably, in 2017 Trinidad and Tobago approved its counter-terrorism strategy, which was founded on three mutually reinforcing pillars, namely, protect and prevent, pursue, and respond and recover. In addition to policy development, we have recognized that legislation is a key pillar of the national response to terrorism. In this regard, Trinidad and Tobago has conducted a review and amendment of key legislation pertaining to terrorism, in particular its Anti-Terrorism Act. One example is the significant amendments that have been proposed through the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Bill 2018, which speaks specifically to the threat posed by returning foreign terrorist fighters and addresses technical deficiencies in terms of compliance with resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1373 (2001). In this context, special consideration is being given to the implications of this legislation for women and children. In conveying our appreciation to you, Mr. President, for convening this open debate, I wish to reiterate my country’s commitment to countering the threat of terrorism, including the financing of terrorism, and to taking active measures to create enabling environments to resist the fostering of foreign terrorist fighters.

I now give the floor to the representative of Armenia.

At the outset, we would like to congratulate Peru on its assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of July, and to thank it for its choice of the theme of today’s open debate. We thank the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Executive Director of the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the invited international consultant for their briefings. Terrorism continues to pose significant threat to international peace and stability. Horrific terrorist acts have been perpetrated in many parts of the world in recent years. Undoubtedly, enhanced cooperation at both the regional and the international levels is crucial to countering and addressing the multifaceted threats posed by terrorism and transnational organized crime, which quite often appear to be closely interlinked. The Security Council has recognized and expressed concern over the connection between transnational organized crime and terrorism in several of its resolutions, most recently in resolution 2462 (2019), which Armenia co-sponsored. The nature and scope of the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime vary by context. The sustained and comprehensive engagement of all States and international, regional and subregional organizations is as critical as ever if we are to better understand the links that exist between terrorists and transnational organized crime. We express our support to the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in its activity aimed at improving visibility, advocacy and resource mobilization for United Nations counter-terrorism efforts. We are glad to note the enhanced cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). CTED conducted its follow- up visit to the Republic of Armenia in 2018 to assess the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and subsequent counter-terrorism resolutions. Armenia’s relevant national security and law enforcement authorities reaffirmed their unequivocal commitment to contributing to fighting terrorism and its financing in all its forms and manifestations so as to ensure further compliance with the counter-terrorism resolutions of the Security Council and in line with CTED recommendations. Armenia has made considerable efforts to strengthen its anti-money-laundering/counter-financing of terrorism regime, having conducted a thorough national risk assessment and introduced its national strategy for combating money-laundering and terrorism financing. We have significantly improved our legal framework on terrorism financing and the freezing of terrorist assets. Armenia has strengthened operational access to the relevant tools and databases of INTERPOL and cooperates in counter-terrorism matters with the relevant regional and international organizations. We pursue also cooperation with Anti-Terrorism Center of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), relevant structural units of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe, and advance collaboration in the bilateral format. We actively participate in the regularly conducted joint operations of CSTO member States to counter drugs and arms smuggling and information and communications technology-related threats and to combat threats arising from foreign terrorist fighters, which are closely interlinked with terrorist and organized criminal groups. The relocation of foreign terrorist fighters from the Middle East, particularly to the conflict areas in the OSCE and CIS regions, poses a serious threat to regional security. Foreign terrorist fighters returning from conflict zones in the Middle East import their violent practices and disseminate virulent extremist ideas, thereby contributing to the radicalization of societies. Da’esh-style executions and other atrocities are already not limited just to the Middle East. Unfortunately, the events of April 2016 in our region proved the validity of our concerns. Armenia reiterates its full commitment to working with the relevant United Nations bodies and Member States to redouble collective efforts to fight international terrorism and its links with organized crime, in whichever form it takes and wherever it happens.

I now give the floor to the representative of the United Arab Emirates.

I wish at the outset to congratulate the Republic of Peru on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month and on holding this important debate. I also thank the briefers for their valuable presentations this morning. The United Arab Emirates is participating in this debate because of the great importance my country attaches to combating terrorism, including its relationship with organized crime. My country, as an important commercial and financial hub of the Middle East, seeks to combat these serious crimes at all levels. As speakers have pointed out today, there is a growing linkage between organized crime and terrorism, whereby terrorists benefit from trafficking in persons, weapons, cultural heritage and natural resources, as well as kidnappings and bank robbery, to finance their operations and support their terrorist activities. Therefore, the elimination of international terrorism requires cutting off all sources of financial and logistical support, including organized crime. The concept paper submitted for this debate (S/2019/537, annex) points to the importance of sharing best experiences and practices to address the linkages between terrorism and organized crime and to explore ways of enhancing cooperation among regional, international and subregional organizations. In this context, I would like to note a number of initiatives and actions taken by the United Arab Emirates to disrupt the linkages between terrorism and organized crime, especially in the area of financial support, which have contributed to my country’s ranking among the top five countries of the world in terms of commitment to combating money-laundering and terrorist financing, according to the Global Competitiveness Report. At the local level, the United Arab Emirates has strengthened its legal frameworks to combat the financing of terrorism and implement the latest recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which contribute to ensuring continued compliance with international standards related to combating money-laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. Accordingly, my country has issued wide-ranging legislation to address these crimes, including Federal Decree No. (20) of 2018 on countering money-laundering and combating the financing of terrorism and illegal organizations. That law includes provisions covering the obligations under the FATF recommendations. My country has also established a national committee to counter money-laundering and combat the financing of terrorism and other illegal organizations within the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates. The committee receives and analyses suspicious transactions from financial institutions and refers them to the competent authorities for appropriate action. It must be emphasized that our efforts to combat the linkages between organized crime and terrorism cannot be effective without close cooperation with the private sector and non-profit and charitable organizations. In addition, the United Arab Emirates seeks to protect its domestic financial system by applying the latest and most efficient global systems, including by providing financial intelligence units with the necessary equipment and expertise, enabling them to analyse and investigate suspicious transactions. In that regard, we are proud to be the first country of the Gulf region to launch the goAML platform to collect and analyse financial information on anti-money-laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. At the international level, my country has spared no effort to combat this phenomenon. In addition to its accession to regional and international treaties and conventions relating to combating the financing of terrorism, the United Arab Emirates has co-sponsored and implemented Security Council resolutions on this issue. Most recently, we co-sponsored resolution 2462 (2019), which calls on Member States to take further measures to prevent and combat the financing of terrorism. My country is also a founding member of the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force, which plays an important role in the exchange of information between financial intelligence units to combat terrorism financing in the region. The relevant authority in my country has signed more than 45 memorandums of understanding with international entities to combat money-laundering and terrorism financing. In addition, my country co-sponsored resolution 2347 (2017), which is the first Security Council resolution to deal exclusively with combating the destruction and illegal trafficking in cultural heritage by terrorist groups in armed conflict. The resolution was adopted following the launch by the United Arab Emirates, in cooperation with France and UNESCO, of the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage in Conflict Areas. This is an international fund to protect cultural property and combat the theft, smuggle and sale of such property by terrorists to finance their destructive activities. The fund has raised nearly $60 million, of which $15 million were provided by the United Arab Emirates. I would like to stress that the United Arab Emirates will continue to take all measures and implement best practices to combat the linkage between organized crime and international terrorism, including by combating money-laundering and strengthening border security in the interest of maintaining international peace and security. In conclusion, I would like to make the following recommendations. First, we must focus on implementing Security Council resolutions and FATF recommendations. In that context, the United Nations should focus on strengthening the capacity of Member States to better understand and implement their new commitments when the Security Council adopts resolutions on these issues, in addition to holding accountable States that finance and support terrorist groups in clear violation of Council resolutions. Secondly, we must continue to promote a better understanding of the linkage between international terrorism and organized crime, including through further studies and research, the sharing of experiences and best practices, and improved regional and international cooperation in this regard. Thirdly, we must understand the specific context of each region upon taking action and ensure the implementation of programmes aimed at disrupting the linkage between organized crime and terrorism, taking into account the advice and opinion of the States of these regions on the best means to combat such crimes.