The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States and the Kingdom of Spain.
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The Kingdom of Spain hosted a meeting of senior diplomatic officials from the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS/Daesh today in Madrid. Spanish Deputy Minister of Foreign and Global Affairs Diego Martínez Belío opened the meeting and emphasized the importance of countering ISIS/Daesh globally. Director General of Foreign and Security Policy Alberto Ucelay and United States Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Gregory D. LoGerfo co-chaired the single-day meeting that reaffirmed Coalition members' commitment to enhance collective efforts to disrupt foreign terrorist travel, operational planning, financial support networks, and recruitment efforts.
The members addressed the ISIS/Daesh security risks in Syria, including those associated with detained ISIS/Daesh fighters and civilians in displaced persons camps in the northeast. They affirmed the Coalition's continuing commitment to counter ISIS/Daesh in post-Assad Syria, including through increased border security and information sharing and the return and repatriation of Syrians, Iraqis, and third country nationals to their communities and countries of origin.
The members prioritized disruption of ISIS/Daesh travel and its capability to carry out external attacks. They welcomed the creation of the Coalition's Terrorist Travel Working Group and its inaugural meeting hosted by INTERPOL May 27-28, noting the importance of ensuring alignment of foreign counterterrorism policy and international law enforcement efforts. Members welcomed the incorporation of lines of effort from the United Kingdom and Türkiye-led ISIS-Khorasan Province Diplomatic Grouping to the Coalition. They welcomed Uzbekistan as the newest member of the Coalition and lauded its invaluable leadership in addressing the ISIS-Khorasan threat before it reaches the United States, Europe, and other regions.
African members of the Coalition urged regional initiatives to counter ISIS/Daesh affiliates in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria addressed areas of cooperation with the Coalition to disrupt financial support networks and counter terrorist travel among sub-regions on the continent.
To confront changing ISIS/Daesh operations and stymie recruitment efforts, the Coalition assessed how to mitigate emerging threats from the use of the internet and to understand and leverage new technologies for counter terrorist purposes. The Coalition considered operationalizing best practices, including reducing terrorist radicalization in diaspora communities.
The delegations endorsed the necessary re-structure of the D-ISIS Coalition in order to effectively counter the ISIS/Daesh threat. This includes revising working group mechanisms to counter terrorist travel, disrupt terrorist financial networks, prevent terrorist recruitment, and regionally focused groups for Syria and Iraq, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. This structure will enable maximum effectiveness in our efforts to ensure the enduring defeat of ISIS/Daesh.
