Terror Risk Turning into Extra Advanced as Extremists Harness New Applied sciences, Subsidiary Physique Headvertisements Inform Security Council

The Security Council was briefed at present by the heads of three of its subsidiary our bodies — which relate to Da’esh, Al-Qaida, UN counter-terrorism efforts and measures to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors — listening to that the menace posed by terrorism continues to evolve, particularly in Africa, as malign actors exploit new applied sciences to pursue harmful ends.

That menace “remains dynamic and geographically diverse”, stated Sandra Jensen Landi (Denmark), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) regarding Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (also called Da’esh), Al-Qaida and their associates.  It is most prevalent in Africa, the place these teams and their associates proceed to take advantage of social-media platforms to glorify violence, recruit youth and lift funds.  She added that their use of cryptocurrency poses a rising problem to sanctions implementation.

“Overall, [Da’esh] and Al-Qaida have proven resilient, adaptive and opportunistic, exploiting regional instability, weak governance and emerging technologies to sustain relevance and project influence,” she reported. Underscoring the necessity for continued vigilance, she outlined the Committee’s work in 2025.  This contains its approval of 19 of 32 requested travel-ban exemptions and not one of the seven asset-freeze-exemption requests it obtained, and she or he additionally famous that the Committee’s sanctions checklist at present includes 252 people and 89 entities.

Sanctions Must Respect Human Rights, Rule of Law

In her nationwide capability, she recalled that, with decision 2734 (2024), the Council acknowledged sexual and gender-based violence as a tactic of terrorism and grounds for itemizing beneath that sanctions regime — a welcome milestone that should be actively utilized.  Calling for the elevated itemizing of related individuals and entities, she emphasised that each one sanctions should respect human rights and the rule of legislation.

Amar Bendjama (Algeria), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to decision 1373 (2001) regarding counter-terrorism, equally pointed to an evolving terrorist menace with an epicentre in Africa.  Terrorist teams are quickly increasing their use of the Internet, social media, synthetic intelligence (AI) and gaming platforms for propaganda, recruitment, fundraising and operational planning.  He additionally careworn that their rising hyperlinks with organized crime and elevated use of unmanned plane programs additional underscore the urgency of strengthening collective responses.

Highlighting three areas of the Committee’s work, he stated that it visited Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Somalia and Turkmenistan to evaluate implementation efforts — enabling direct dialogue, figuring out technical challenges and guiding follow-up.  Also detailing the Committee’s different two priorities — facilitating technical help and selling implementation — he added that the subsidiary physique is dedicated to making sure that counter-terrorism measures adjust to worldwide legislation and to integrating gender views all through its work.

Next Chair Should Prioritize Substance, Human Impact

“To our successor at the helm of this Committee”, he stated in his nationwide capability, “listen to those who suffer terrorism’s impact daily”. He additionally urged the subsequent Chair to “prioritize substance over process” and to “never forget that, behind every statistic, is a human tragedy”.  He additionally spotlighted the “Algeria Guiding Principles” — adopted throughout his nation’s tenure as Chair — that “represent a precious framework addressing how terrorists exploit cryptocurrency and emerging financial technologies”.

Eloy Alfaro de Alba (Panama), Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to decision 1540 (2004), famous that such decision was a “crucial moment in international efforts to strengthen the non-proliferation architecture by addressing the threat posed by proliferation on the part of non-State actors, especially for terrorist purposes”. Detailing its actions over the reporting interval, he stated that the Committee will co-organize, with Panama, a coaching course for the Committee’s nationwide factors of contact in Latin America and the Caribbean over 15-17 December in Panama City.

He additionally described the Committee’s efforts to replace the mechanism by which it matches Member States’ requests for, and gives of, help in implementing their obligations beneath the decision. Further, he reported that the Committee held 4 formal conferences in 2025 and, in September, permitted its voluntary technical reference information on export controls.  That information is printed on the Committee’s web site, and he added that, in response to the Council’s request, that web site continues to be a software for public consciousness and serves as the first supply of data and sources on the decision.

In his nationwide capability, he stated that, though these three committees have distinct mandates, “their efforts converge on a common goal — strengthening the global architecture that underpins international peace and security”.  He additionally detailed Panama’s efforts to strengthen nationwide regulatory frameworks, enhance its capability to establish dangers and to operate “above all, as a responsible financial centre”.

Stronger Coordination amongst Counter-Terrorism Committees Needed

“With terrorist networks expanding and operations becoming increasingly sophisticated, close coordination among the three committees — focusing on sanctions, capacity-building and non-proliferation tools — is essential”, stated the consultant of the Republic of Korea. He, too, pointed to nationwide efforts, noting that Seoul is taking part in a brand new collaborative mission to assist nationwide safety establishments in South and South-East Asia strengthen oversight, coaching and capacity-building on misconduct investigations.  This will improve the promotion of human rights in regional counter-terrorism operations, he stated.

Greece’s consultant additionally pointed to the Committees’ distinct mandates however shared aim, stating that their complementary work highlights the necessity for coherent, coordinated and human-rights-based implementation that mixes sanctions, capacity-building and non-proliferation measures beneath a unified multilateral framework.  And she additionally famous nationwide efforts — from 11-14 November, Greece organized a workshop on maritime border safety enforcement beneath the framework of decision 1540 (2004).

The consultant of Sierra Leone, Council President for November, spoke in his nationwide capability to report that his nation initiated, in 2025, an off-the-cuff interactive dialogue on enhancing counter-terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel.  Further, it enacted nationwide counter-terrorism laws in 2024, establishing a nationwide coordination mechanism and strengthening authorized, monetary and enforcement measures.  He additionally welcomed the Council’s 24 January 2025 presidential assertion, which renewed the organ’s deal with terrorism in Africa.

In that vein, Somalia’s consultant famous “with serious concern” the evaluation that the terrorist menace stays dynamic and geographically various, with a troubling shift in direction of Africa. Noting that Da’esh and Al-Qaida have proven an alarming capability to adapt, he careworn:  “This flexibility demands a response that is equally agile and unified, particularly in support of African nations now bearing the brunt of these threats.”

In addition to drawing consideration to the worrying scenario within the Sahel, the consultant of the Russian Federation careworn that there’s a “clear risk of terrorism spilling over [from Afghanistan] into Central Asia and beyond”.  She voiced explicit concern over the rising menace posed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province, which employs international terrorist fighters and makes use of weapons left behind by Western forces.

Terrorist Use of New Tools Advancing Faster Than Countermeasures

Many Council members expressed concern over one other side — the evolving menace posed by terrorist use of recent methodology.  “The use of new and emerging technologies by terrorist groups is advancing faster than States’ ability to counter them effectively,” noticed Slovenia’s consultant.  Urging larger funding in preventive measures and technological safeguards, she additionally referred to as for complete, “whole-of-society” approaches to countering the menace.  Guyana’s consultant expressed related concern, welcoming the “Algeria Guiding Principles” to stop and disrupt terrorist use of recent monetary applied sciences.

Another space of focus was on the itemizing process for counter-terrorism-related sanctions.  France’s consultant, noting the enlargement of each Al-Qaida and Da’esh throughout a number of areas, welcomed the 1267 Committee’s latest designation of a person linked to the latter in East Africa — the primary in practically two years — and referred to as for extra agile, goal motion on future listings.  The consultant of China, for his half, urged members of that Committee to assist the itemizing of the Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majeed Brigade, “sending a strong signal of zero-tolerance for terrorism”.

Pakistan’s consultant stated that the 1267 Committee’s sanctions regime should “reflect ground realities”, and that itemizing and delisting points should be handled “in a fair, transparent and judicious manner and without political considerations”.  He additionally careworn that, to undertake a zero-tolerance strategy, the UN’s counter-terrorism structure “must also possess the necessary tools to designate violent, far-right, extreme right-wing, ultranationalist, xenophobic and Islamophobic groups around the world”.

Noting that just one addition to the sanctions checklist has been made since 2023, the consultant of the United States careworn that designating Da’esh and Al-Qaida targets “should be an apolitical issue”.  He due to this fact referred to as on members of the 1267 Committee to “set aside differences as they consider nominations”.  Joining others in underlining the necessity for brand new designations which are well-evidenced towards the itemizing standards, the consultant of the United Kingdom warned: “Politicization of the Committee’s listing process only serves the interests of the very Al-Qaida and Da’esh terrorists we should be disrupting.”