Terrorist groups have never been more organized [fr]

Thank you Madam President,

I, too, would like to thank the Chairs for their briefings and for their leadership of the 1267, 1540 and Counter-Terrorism Committees over the past year.

As others have said before, terrorist groups have never been more organized, continuing their efforts to instrumentalize radicalized individuals in order to commit deadly attacks in our countries. Daesh, like Al Qaeda, is proving to be resilient and capable of adapting to operating in clandestine operations. The pandemic makes the threat even more diffuse, notably through the massive use of the Internet and social networks. Faced with this scourge that spares no country, it is more necessary now than ever before to act in a coordinated manner, which also stands for the Security Council, its committees and their expert panels.

We were able to demonstrate unity and coordination on Resolution 2462 on the financial aspects of the fight against terrorism, adopted at France’s initiative. This resolution calls for coordinated action by the 1267 Committee and the CTC. In this regard, it is important that the joint meeting of these two committees on trends and threats related to terrorist financing and the implementation of Resolution 2462 be held as soon as health conditions allow.

Such coordination and joint action is essential to enable the normative framework established by this Council to create its full effect.

I would also like to underscore three points.

First, the Counter-Terrorism Committee must continue to carry out its assessments, finding ways to tailor visits in the current health context. Cooperation between the CTED and the UNOCT must also continue.

Second point, the 1267 Committee’s activity shows both the extent of the work to be carried out to hamper the operational capabilities of terrorist groups, but also the ability of Member States to cooperate and show unity in the face of this common threat.

This unity must absolutely be maintained because the threat posed by Al Qaeda and Daesh remains despite the end of Daesh’s territorial hold in the Levant.

It is essential that the fight against terrorism and radicalization be carried out in full compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights, in accordance with Security Council resolutions which are unambiguous on this matter.

In this regard, I wish to commend the work of the Ombudsperson of the 1267 Committee, who plays an essential role in the matter of the rights of the defense, as well as the contribution of the monitoring team.

Finally, and this will be my third point, the risk of radiological, biological, chemical and nuclear materials and delivery systems falling into the hands of terrorists remains high and proliferation channels are diversifying. The role of the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts is, in this context, more relevant than ever, whether it be in securing sensitive materials and goods, strengthening border controls or establishing export control mechanisms.

Cooperation between the 1540 Committee and the other committees is essential for the effectiveness of our collective security system.

France, which has a solid and unique national legal framework for the practical implementation of resolution 1540, will participate fully in the process of reviewing this resolution with the other members of the Security Council.

In conclusion, I wish to say that France will continue to full cooperate with the 1540 and 1267 Committees and the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Thank you, Madam President.