New York: Europe and the Arabs
Despite steady progress by UN member states in reducing the operational capabilities of ISIS, ISIS and its affiliates still have the capacity to launch attacks that result in significant civilian casualties and human suffering, according to the daily UN news bulletin we received. A copy of it this morning, according to a report issued by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. During a briefing to the UN Security Council yesterday, Thursday, UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, Vladimir Voronkov, reviewed the report that addresses the threat posed by ISIS to international peace and security and the scope of efforts made by the United Nations in support of member states in combating this threat.
Voronkov said that the tragedy, devastation and suffering caused by terrorism should serve as a catalyst for renewed international commitment to not only address its horrific effects, but also, more importantly, to intensify efforts to prevent such attacks in the first place.
He explained that the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism will continue to work with Member States to this end - including supporting survivor-centred, gender-sensitive and human rights-compliant approaches to combating terrorism and preventing violent extremism conducive to terrorism.
In addition to Mr. Voronkov, the Council heard two briefings from Ms. Natalia Germain, Head of the Executive Directorate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Mr. Jürgen Stock, Secretary-General of the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL).
Ms. Natalia Germain reviewed the report, which expressed concern, in particular, about women and girls affected by sexual and gender-based violence committed by ISIS in Iraq. The report called on member states to continue working together in their efforts to combat ISIS and to enhance international cooperation in the field of combating terrorism.
The report emphasized that the continued threat posed by ISIS - despite the significant progress achieved as a result of counter-terrorism efforts - highlights the limitations of security-focused approaches, noting that addressing the threat requires comprehensive, multi-level and multi-stakeholder responses - including Primarily to prevent violent extremism leading to terrorism.
The risk of the organization returning
Although ISIS and its affiliated groups continued to face leadership attrition and financial setbacks, they retained the ability to launch terrorist attacks and plan threats outside their areas of operations. The risk of the organization's resurgence remains in Syria and Iraq. The activities of ISIS-affiliated groups have contributed to the deterioration of the situation in parts of West Africa and the Sahel region, according to the report.
The United Nations continued to support Member States in the fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups, including in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and relevant Security Council resolutions, and through the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Agreement.
On August 3, ISIS announced its new leader, Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, and member states attributed the delay in recognizing the death of the former ISIS leader, Abu al-Husseini al-Husseini al-Qurashi, to internal divisions in the organization.
ISIS funding sources
Regarding the organization’s financial resources, the Secretary-General’s report indicated a continued decline in ISIS’s basic revenues, as member states reported that available reserves range between 10 and 25 million dollars.
The sources of funding for the organization and its affiliated groups remained context-dependent. The group in West Africa has continued to raise money locally from criminal activities including extortion of fishermen and farmers, livestock theft, and kidnapping for ransom, and has recently begun to explore agricultural activities such as red pepper in countries bordering Lake Chad.
Although Member States reported an increase in the use of cryptocurrencies, the predominant means of financial transactions used by ISIS and its affiliated groups remained cash holders and alternative money transfer (hawala) systems.
Most ISIS-affiliated groups remain financially independent, and some of these groups are said to be using social media to raise funds through cryptocurrencies (digital currencies).
How ISIS obtains weapons
The report indicated the concern of member states about the spread of weapons in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa, especially the continued increase in ISIS’ use of drone systems and improvised explosive devices. Several countries have reported the continued proliferation of weapons originating from stockpiles remaining in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power.
Resettlement from camps
The report expressed grave concern about the dire and tragic situation in camps and other detention facilities in northeastern Syria, where “individuals – mostly women and children – with alleged links to ISIS and other terrorist groups remain detained in precarious conditions and face significant challenges.” “Relate to their human rights and their access to humanitarian assistance.”
The report explained that despite the notable progress achieved last year, the overall pace of returning these individuals to their homelands remains slow, indicating that ISIS is exploiting these challenges, which has serious repercussions on regional and international security.
The report warned that the risks associated with camps and detention facilities will continue for several years without a significant change in the pace of voluntary returns. The report indicated the concern of some Member States about the ability of national authorities, in some areas, to deal with a significant increase in the pace or volume of returns.

Rehabilitation and integration
In this regard, the Secretary-General’s report noted that the United Nations continued to support Member States in providing comprehensive, human rights-compliant and gender-sensitive programs to address challenges in the rehabilitation and reintegration of returning citizens.
IOM, UNHCR and UNICEF arranged visits by Iraqi authorities to the camps, organized awareness sessions on applicable law, provided advice and representation in courts to ensure that returnees had access to various legal documents, and UNICEF provided community support for the reintegration of returning children, including health, legal and educational services.