Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Statement by Ambassador Vassily A. Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, at the Security Council meeting on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts

We are grateful for the convening of today’s briefing. We thank Mr. Voronkov and Ms. Coninsx for their detailed analysis of the situation with regard to combating the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS). We note the active efforts of the bodies that they head in preparing the most recent report of the SecretaryGeneral on the issue (S/2018/770).

We listened with interest to the briefing by Ms. Cook. Amid the military and territorial losses, the destruction of the economic infrastructure, the weakening of the propaganda machine and the demoralization of the fighters, the group’s leadership seeks any opportunity to maintain its influence. The global terrorist Tower of Babel has collapsed.

However, ISIS cells continue to speak with one voice and to successfully coordinate among themselves. Following the destruction of the hydrocarbon smuggling network, terrorists have turned to new sources of financial and logistical support. There have been reported incidents of speculation on stock markets, and the terrorists strive to invest funds in the legal sectors of the economies of a wide range of countries. The supporters of ISIS actively invest in tourism, hospitality, industry, agriculture, fish farms, pharmacology and construction companies. The group also continues to fight for control of drug-smuggling routes, including in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, ISIS continues to receive funds from foreign sponsors cooperating under the cover of philanthropic foundations, religious groups and other non-governmental organizations. We note with satisfaction that the starting point of the report presented today was an acknowledgement of the success of the Syrian army in combating terrorism. That was evident in the intense fight against ISIS in the suburbs of Damascus.

At the same time, there has been progress far beyond the boundaries of the Syrian capital. With the support of the Russian armed forces, more than 1,400 towns and cities have been liberated from the presence of terrorists. More than 96 per cent of the Syrian territory has now been brought under the control of Government forces and the people’s militia units. As a result, more than 1.5 million Syrian refugees have already been able to return to their homes.

At the same time, we do not overlook the possibility of an increasing number of terrorist sleeper cells in Syria. The supporters of ISIS are doing their utmost. They actively recruit minors, including children under the age of 12 years, to carry out terrorist attacks. It is entirely possible that terrorist attacks will become more frequent, in particular in the area of Idlib.

Furthermore, there is an increasing likelihood of the threat of ISIS in Afghanistan, where, according to various reports, there are 4,000 to 10,000 active members of that group, a significant number of whom are in the areas bordering the Central Asian States. In parallel with the military defeat of ISIS, it is necessary to most effectively address the issue of holding radical elements to account.

In that context, it behoves us to raise the issue of the inadmissibility of attempts to supplant the functions of Syrian Government’s counter-terrorism bodies. As stated in the report of the Secretary-General, in parallel with Government forces, arrests of ISIS members are also being carried out by certain armed entities. We would like to receive more detailed information. Who specifically is undertaking such tasks and on what basis? What is the fate of the detainees? Are there plans to hand them over to the authorities? We trust that we will receive answers from the specialized Security Council committees without having to await the issuance of the next report.

I would reiterate that, ultimately, all those who provide direct or indirect assistance to terrorists, not to mention the fighters themselves, must be held to account. However, the collection, processing and transfer of evidence to judicial bodies must be done strictly in accordance with international law and with full respect for the sovereignty of the States where ISIS perpetrated the crimes. If that factor is not taken into account, not a single initiative to investigate terrorist crimes can claim to be legitimate. For our part, Russian investigative bodies actively participate in such efforts on Syrian soil with the consent of, and in cooperation with, Damascus officials. During the discussion of the sixth report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/80) in February (see S/PV.8178), the Russian delegation drew attention to the blatant breach of the arms embargo with regard to ISIS. What remains unresolved is the question of how that gang of thugs put together an arsenal of weapons, which for seven years has enabled it essentially to resist the world’s largest armies.

The current report depicts the situation as if the ISIS fighters are content with merely what happens to come their way, robbing storage sites in the territories under their control and manufacturing improvised explosive devices. In reality, those terrorists are able to manufacture only a small proportion of the weapons using an improvised method and only their most primitive models. There is increasing evidence of arms being provided from abroad, including through semi-legal structures or even with the support of the intelligence services of certain countries.

We trust that there will be a detailed discussion on ways to address that issue during the international conference on countering illegal arms supplies in the context of combating international terrorism, to be held in Moscow on 3 and 4 September. ISIS activity has decreased, which has enabled Al-Qaida to appear once again, with financing to the tune of $20 million to $40 million a month. That group is strengthening its ties with affiliated groups in North Africa. It strives to take control of local criminal businesses and to invest in the agro-industrial holdings of African countries.

According to available reports, as ISIS is displaced Al-Qaida and its allies may take on the role of countering international efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in Syria. In conclusion, we would like to reiterate that the only way to eliminate the threat posed by ISIS, Al-Qaida and affiliated groups is on a genuinely collective basis. In that regard, we are studying with interest the initiative by the Secretariat leadership to set up a network of counter-terrorist coordinators.

We are convinced that strengthening the practical cooperation of the specialized agencies of Member States represents an important factor in establishing a single United Nations-led counter-terrorism coalition on a non-ideological basis, which is something for which we have long called.