PRESS RELEASE : Terrorist groups and non-state actors pose a persistent and significant threat to international peace and security: UK statement at the UN Security Council [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

Statement by UK Political Coordinator Fergus Eckersley at the UN Security Council meeting on the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council.

Thank you, President, thank you for the Chairs for this briefing, and for your combined leadership of our counter-terrorist efforts. The Council has been lucky to have such effective and dynamic chairmanship, and chairwomanship, from the UAE, Malta, and Ecuador through the course of the year.

The UK is particularly grateful to the new Chair of the 1540 Committee for his drive since Ecuador took on this role at the start of the year. We commend the Chair for securing Committee agreement for a programme of work to take forward the actions agreed in Security Council Resolution 2663 and we welcome the Chair’s intention for the Committee to develop voluntary guidelines.

However, despite the best intentions of the Chair and the constructive approach by the majority of Committee Members, progress and provision of support to States has once again been impeded.

It is disappointing that two members have maintained their hold on the process to replace the 1540 Committee Group of Experts since April of this year, and that a Permanent Member is now blocking the Committee’s external engagement activities.

This situation severely undermines our ability to support states to implement a resolution that is designed to prevent chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons and related material getting into the hands of non-state actors, including terrorists.

It is hard to understand why any country – let alone a Permanent Member of this Council – would want to stymie those efforts.

The UK appreciates the continued efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Chair to tackle the global scourge of terrorism and protect all of our citizens. The terrorist threat is evolving and remains with us.

Terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda and Daesh affiliates, continue to seek to spread hatred and fear around the world using new technologies and taking advantage of regional instability. The work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee has to evolve to stay ahead of this. For our work to be effective, the perspectives of technical experts, civil society, and the private sector are invaluable.

We also commend the work of the 1267 Committee and its Chair. The Monitoring Team’s analysis of the evolving threat and effectiveness of sanctions remains a crucial resource for Member States. We welcome work by the Chair, Secretariat and Ombudsperson to uphold transparency and due process. These are critical to ensure that the 1267 regime retains the broad support and legitimacy that it needs.

President, despite the distinct mandates for each of the Committees, they share a common purpose – to tackle the persistent and significant threat to international peace and security posed by terrorist groups and non-state actors.

Only through the effective and coordinated implementation of the mandates of these three Committees can we address the threat together. We must redouble these efforts.

Thank you.