On 20 August 2025, the Security Council held a thematic debate on the “Twenty first report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat (S/2025/496)”. Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) briefed the Council together with Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov of the Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the President of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Ms. Elisa de Anda Madrazo.
The UN Secretary-General’s latest report says that the threat posed by Da’esh remains volatile. Africa continues to be significantly affected, currently experiencing the highest intensity of Da’esh activity globally. In the Middle East, Da’esh is still active in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic, working to restore its operational capacity and renewing efforts to destabilize local authorities. In Afghanistan, ISIL-Khorasan represents one of the most serious threats to Central Asia and beyond.
Assistant Secretary-General Natalia Gherman, Executive Director of CTED, mentioned Da’esh ability to adapt and exploit instability, which continues to pose significant challenges. Over the past six months, ASG Gherman noted, CTED has conducted – on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee - assessment visits to Cameroon, Chad, Hungary, Malta, Norway, and Somalia, offering tailored recommendations to strengthen national counter-terrorism frameworks and implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions.
Da’esh also continues to exploit digital technologies—including artificial intelligence. “As we stand at the crossroads of technological transformation and geopolitical uncertainty, the threat of terrorism is more diffuse and complex”, ASG Gherman said. CTED supports Member States to counter the threat posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, including through the implementation of the non-binding guiding principles on terrorists’ use of unmanned aircraft systems and emerging financial technologies.
In his remarks, Under-Secretary-General Vladimir Voronkov warned that Da’esh remains resilient despite leadership losses. He also drew attention to northeast Syria, where tens of thousands remain in camps under unsafe conditions. USG Voronkov urged prevention-focused, law-compliant responses.
FATF President Elisa de Anda Madrazo presented the findings of FATF’s Comprehensive Update on Terrorism Financing Risks, the preparation of which was co-led by CTED and France and published in July 2025. The report attests to a coordinated approach between CTED, relevant United Nations entities and FATF in analyzing evolving terrorist financing risks and trends and aims to support Member States and other stakeholders in understanding and addressing them. In her remarks, FATF President emphasized: “By turning off the money tap, we can cut off the blood supply of terrorism.”
Following the briefings, Council members reiterated their commitment to countering Da’esh, emphasizing the need for strong mechanisms to counter the financing of terrorism.
The remarks of the Assistant Secretary-General are available here.
You can watch the meeting here.