I thank the Secretary General for the twelfth report on the threat posed by ISIL to international peace and security as well as Under-Secretary General Voronkov and Assistant Secretary General Coninsx for their insightful briefings.
Mrs President,
Covid-19 pandemic continued to influence terrorism trends in the past six months. We took note that the threat posed by ISIL and its followers is constantly evolving, capable of quickly exploiting existing and emerging vulnerabilities. In this context – terrorists and violent extremists have increased their activities online, targeting the populations spending more time in front of the screens than ever before. Furthermore, terrorists have managed to forge new alliances with organized criminal groups and raise funds via cryptocurrency wallet addresses.
As the Secretary General´s report outlines, violent extremists and terrorists were able to increase their operations in the second part of 2020. These included high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, in West Africa, and in Central Africa. Unfortunately, we witnessed a number of inspired attacks by lone individuals in Europe, suggesting that online terrorist propaganda continues to cause homegrown terrorist attacks outside conflict zones.
Estonia took note that despite territorial defeat of ISIL in 2019, its sizeable remnants continued to concern Member States and the threat is constantly evolving. Estonia is a proud member of the Global Coalition against ISIL and let me reiterate Estonia´s determination to continue the fight against ISIL in the framework of the international coalition.
There is no doubt that violent extremism and terrorism pose a threat to global peace and security and the only successful effort to combat it involves close cooperation on the global, regional and national level. Estonia appreciates increasing cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union, Europol and Eurojust.
The United Nations has a central role in leading the global effort, from setting the standards to the delivery of technical assistance. Better coordination and cooperation should be continuously emphasized within the wide UN system. One-UN approach should be pursued as a standard.
Furthermore, it is essential that we engage meaningfully with civil society groups and private sector. The voice of youth, women, religious and community leaders should be heard. Whole-of-society approach and prevention are more critical than ever in designing effective counter terrorism policies as well as in building cohesive societies that are resilient to terrorism and radicalization.
Mrs President,
Estonia condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. My country is convinced that States must ensure that all counter terrorism measures comply with their obligations under international law, in particular with international human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law. Ignoring these principles can undermine counter terrorism activities and lead to increased radicalization fed by violence and a sense of impunity. Therefore, we also condemn all attempts of misusing the counter terrorism agenda as a pretext for human rights violations.
Estonia is deeply concerned about the increasing mis-use of counter terrorism measures to silence human rights defenders, political opponents and members of religious or ethnic minorities.
Ensuring accountability and denying impunity is an essential part of countering terrorism. It is also vital in healing communities, restoring trust, and creating conditions for sustainable peace. We took note that COVID-19 posed a significant challenge to international legal cooperation. At the same time it is worth to highlight that despite the difficulties the UN entities managed to continue many programs, for example, to support efforts by States to develop and implement comprehensive and tailored prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration strategies.
Finally, despite the fragmentation of our efforts caused by the pandemic, it is essential that our cooperation in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism continues and we are vigilant to adapt to the new circumstances. In this context, Estonia wishes to underline its appreciation of the work of the UN entities, such as the United Nations Office of Counter Terrorism, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, the Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, the United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIL and UNICEF – all which have managed to adapt and continue to fulfil their mandates under these difficult circumstances.
I thank you!