Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh) and its affiliated terrorist groups continue to adapt and pose a threat to international peace and security, speakers in the Security Council warned today, citing increased use of virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, as well as cybertools, unmanned aircraft systems and advanced artificial intelligence (AI).
"The group and its affiliates continued to adapt and demonstrate resilience despite sustained counter-terrorism pressure," said Alexandre Zouev, Acting Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, as he presented the Secretary-General's latest biannual report on the threat ISIL/Da'esh poses to international peace and security (document S/2026/57 ).
Da'esh and its affiliates continue to expand in parts of Africa, particularly West Africa and the Sahel, with Islamic State West Africa Province further strengthening its presence in the Lake Chad Basin region. The group remains active in Iraq and Syria, while ISIL-Khorasan (ISIL-K) continues to pose a major threat in Afghanistan and beyond, having claimed responsibility for the 19 January terrorist attack at a restaurant in Kabul.
He said AI and other technologies are increasingly being used to fuel radicalization and recruitment, particularly targeting youth and children, while commercial satellite communication systems are being exploited for low-cost and secure communications. While new technologies also offer important opportunities to counter-terrorism, their responsible use must be promoted in full compliance with international law, he cautioned.
Turning to priorities identified by the Secretary-General, he highlighted three areas of concern: the dire conditions in camps and detention facilities in north-east Syria and the need for safe, voluntary and dignified repatriation; the deteriorating security situation in parts of Africa, requiring political ownership and coordinated regional responses; and the need for whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches grounded in the rule of law, human rights and inclusive, nationally owned prevention.
"The intensification of the threat posed by Da'esh and its affiliates, despite significant national and international efforts, underscores the imperative to sustain global cooperation on counter-terrorism," he said. The ninth review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy this year provides an opportunity for Member States to reaffirm commitments, assess progress since 2023 and address emerging and evolving threats.
Growing Use of Internet, Drones by Terrorists Raises Alarm
Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, said that, in 2025, the Directorate conducted assessment visits to Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Hungary, Malta, Norway and Somalia, and it is leading a visit this week to Tajikistan. "We work closely with each Member State that we visit" to provide tailored support and recommendations, she said, also describing a recent gathering of countries in Kenya aimed at helping to combat terrorists' increasingly sophisticated use of the Internet.
Among other recent work, she said the Directorate published its fourth Thematic Summary of Gaps, focused on Africa, and is supporting international efforts to disrupt the use of virtual assets and new financial technologies for terrorist purposes. In line with its analytical mandate to identify issues, trends and new developments, it published a report on threats to critical infrastructure in partnership with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). "The threat posed by the terrorist use of unmanned arial systems has emerged as a priority for many Member States," she said, also citing increasingly advanced digital methods now used to exploit children.
Council members demonstrated unity in addressing terrorist threats. "As long as terrorism and antisemitism remain global threats, we have a shared responsibility to confront them with determination," said the representative of the United Kingdom, Council President for February, speaking in his national capacity.
Council Decisions Closely Monitored by Terrorist Groups
Counter-terrorism is where the UN can be useful, said the representative of the United States. "This is a prime example of where we can, and have, come together to face this combined threat." His counterpart from Panama agreed, saying: "Even terrorist groups pay attention to decisions here in this Council."
"We must work seriously towards drying up the sources of terrorist financing," Bahrain's delegate stressed. In May, France will host in Paris the fifth edition of the "No Money for Terror" high-level conference, the country's representative said. She noted the meeting will aim to develop a joint action plan to address the challenges posed by new terrorist financing practices.
The speaker for the Russian Federation underlined the need to suppress the acquisition and use by terrorists of commercial terminal satellite equipment - such as the company Starlink - and urged the United States to prevent such technologies from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
Reducing Ideological Appeal Central to Efforts
"The fight against this scourge must focus on reducing its ideological attraction, addressing the conditions that are conducive to radicalization and strengthening community resilience," said the representative of Colombia. To that end, "Latvia supports a comprehensive response, pairing counter-terrorism operations and security measures with prevention work", said the country's representative, adding that countering radicalization requires investment in education, media literacy, economic opportunity and community resilience. She then called for meaningful cooperation between State authorities and community actors, like youth, civil society and religious leaders.
The European Union's delegate, in her capacity as observer, noted the bloc actively supports repatriation, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts and remains the largest donor to Syria.
However, "we are deeply concerned by the regionalization of the threat", said Greece's delegate.
African Union Must Lead Counter-Terrorism Efforts on Continent
For its part, "the African Union must remain central to coordinating counter-terrorism efforts on the continent", said the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, speaking also for Somalia and Liberia. He said the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation and the Nouakchott and Djibouti Processes are essential to counter-terrorism efforts at the continental and global levels, stressing the need to strengthen the bloc's cooperation with the UN. Given the use of new technology by terrorist groups, he called for strengthened technical assistance and enhanced international cooperation to help African nations acquire the essential capacities to detect and neutralize these digital threats.
The representative of Pakistan emphasized that Al-Qaida's core was largely dismantled in Afghanistan due to his country's efforts. It has also played a leading role in combating ISIL-K in the region. However, externally sponsored and foreign-funded proxy groups, including Balochistan Liberation Army, have gained strength following the Taliban takeover, carrying out heinous attacks inside Pakistan. Just this past weekend, Balochistan Liberation Army attacks killed 48 civilians, including 5 women and 3 children, while his country's security forces neutralized 145 terrorists. "We urge the Council to act swiftly to designate [the Balochistan Liberation Army] under the 1267 sanctions regime," he said.
Citing ISIL-K's attack on a Chinese restaurant in Kabul, killing several people, China's delegate called for concrete measures to eliminate terrorists entrenched in Afghanistan. In this regard, he highlighted the importance of cooperation with Central Asia and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation to address the threat.
The UN sanctions regime on ISIL, Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities must remain "current, operational and credible", said the representative of Denmark as Chair of the 1267 Committee, warning that "a sanctions list that fails to reflect today's terrorist leadership risks losing its effect".
Complete Live Blog coverage of today's meeting can be found here .
