The United Nations Security Council met to examine the ongoing threat posed by ISIL, also known as DAESH, as senior counter-terrorism officials warned the group remains resilient. In a separate development, the seventh round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel hosted in Rome concluded on August 6.
Senior UN counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council that ISIL and its affiliates continue to adapt despite ongoing military pressure. They noted that in a June conference, the acting head of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism stated that Al-Qaeda, DAESH, and affiliated groups remain adaptive and resilient.
Officials warned that terrorist organizations are adapting through decentralized networks, artificial intelligence, encrypted communications, virtual assets, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The threat is most acute in Africa, particularly in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin, while ISIL-K remains dangerous in Afghanistan and Syria requires continued vigilance during its transition.
According to the UN, terrorist groups exploit weak governance, armed conflict, and organized crime, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Security Council members highlighted risks from foreign fighters, online recruitment, and rapid technological developments that outstrip current response capabilities. Speakers urged stronger international cooperation through intelligence sharing, border security, financial investigations, sanctions, technology oversight, support for victims, and assistance to frontline states.
African Operations and Technology Abuse
Oguljeren Niyazberdiyeva, head of the office of the Under-Secretary-General at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, said continuous counter-terrorism operations have disrupted DAESH leadership and limited its centralized control. However, she warned that the organization continues to adapt, with several affiliates in the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin expanding their operational reach and tactics.
Niyazberdiyeva highlighted Islamic State West Africa Province as the most active DAESH affiliate globally. She stated that the group has shown an increasing ability to acquire and use commercial drone technology.
Deputy Permanent Representative of Greece Ioannis Stamatekos emphasized that the threat from the Islamic State requires constant international vigilance. He expressed deep concern over terrorist activity in Africa, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Central Asia, while pointing to the sophisticated abuse of emerging technologies and stressing the importance of maritime security and humanitarian efforts.
National Counter-Terrorism Strategies
Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States Ambassador Tammy Bruce detailed her country's national counter-terrorism strategy released on May 6. She said the strategy identifies three priority threats: narcoterrorists and transnational gangs, traditional Islamist terrorists, and violent left-wing extremists.
Bruce praised member states whose operations and disruption of funding have curtailed DAESH, Al-Qaeda, and their affiliates in Iraq, Syria, and Somalia. She added that beyond the jihadist threat, Iran and its proxies continue to destabilize the Middle East, calling for expanded intelligence sharing.
Bruce noted that the United States has designated 20 cartels and transnational criminal organizations in the Western Hemisphere as foreign terrorist organizations since January 2025. She stated that the United States would not allow the region to become a haven for those who threaten its security.
Permanent Representative of Pakistan Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad stated that since the Taliban took power in August 2021, numerous terrorist organizations have continued to thrive in Afghanistan. Ahmad called for interrupting terrorist financing, specifically targeting encrypted channels such as digital wallets, virtual assets, and cryptocurrencies.
