Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Gennady Kuzmin at UNSC briefing with regard to the 9th report of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL
Mr.President,
Russia closely monitors the activities of the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIL. We thank Mr. Ritscher for presenting the 9th report of UNITAD.
We welcome the finalization of the case assessment report on investigation of crimes against the Christian community. We hope that the Team will not lose this momentum and that before we convene in this format next time, UNITAD will have come up with reports on crimes committed by ISIL against other communities as well.
We believe it right that UNITAD focuses on cases of devastation of cultural and religious sites by terrorists. We have taken note of the reports that terrorists not only destroyed such facilities deliberately, but also captured them to use those sites for criminal purposes. We hope to receive detailed data and conclusions on all such cases by the end of the next reporting period.
We note that UNITAD has been successful in investigating the development and usage of chemical and biological weapons by terrorists in Iraq. The report unambiguously makes it clear that those were not just sporadic cases. ISIL was in possession of a full-scale chemical program that envisaged manufacturing and regular usage of various chemical projectiles. The attack on Taza Khurmatu that took place on 8 March 2016 was far not the only instance when terrorists used chemical weapons. Beyond all shadow of doubt, ISIL also used its chemical know-how in other countries, including Syria.
Extensive geography of ISIL’s criminal activities is eloquently evidenced by terrorists’ ties with criminal networks both at the local (in Mosul and Baghdad) and regional level (in broader region of the Middle East and Persian Gulf) that were disclosed through UNITAD’s efforts.
Mr.President,
We welcome the efforts of UNITAD aimed at collection of evidence with regard to the crimes committed by ISIL in Iraq. Yet we must say that collection and stockpiling of evidence is not a goal in itself, because evidence alone will not hold anyone accountable. In accordance with its mandate, the goal of the Investigative Team is to support the national efforts of Iraqi law enforcement and judiciary and help them ensure accountability for the members of ISIL. This ensues directly from UNSC resolution 2379, which defines the Iraqi authorities as the main recipients of the evidence collected by UNITAD. We do hope that this critical part of the mandate will not be ignored and that Iraq will soon receive all evidence.
Thank you.
