ISIS continues to threaten international peace and security

The Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov Thursday released a statement on the threats posed Islamic State Da’esh (ISIS) to international peace and security. Voronkov said that, despite losses in leadership and diminishing cash reserves, the threat Da’esh poses to international security is high and has increased in and around zones of conflict where extremist Islamic groups are active.

Voronkov highlighted regions of concern in the statement including south, central Africa and the Sahel region of northern Africa. These are areas where Da’esh is currently expanding through the use of the Internet and social media. Voronkov claimed that Da’esh gains access to people through these sources and then radicalizes and recruits new supporters through propaganda.

Voronkov also emphasized the dire humanitarian crisis posed by camps in northeastern Syrian Arab Republic. In a recent report, Human Rights Watch stated that over 42,400 foreign nationals accused of Islamic State links remain in camps and prisons in northeast Syria. The detainees, many of which are children, are held by Kurdish-led authorities. The conditions are described as life-threatening, with extreme violence and a paucity of adequate medical care, clean water, shelter and education. Countries such as Canada and France have been moving to repatriate some of those kept in the camps, but Voronkov said the efforts are “too slow and leave children bearing the brunt of the “catastrophe.”

As a result, Voronkov proposed that the UN Security Council take measures to respond to the current threat and prevent any further expansion. He called for both security responses and preventative measures, rather than just security responses. He also called for gender-sensitivity. Voronkov emphasized, “No counter-terrorism measures can be successful in the end if they fail to uphold the rule of law and respect international law.”

Source: jurist