Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Security Council, 10221st meeting

Colleagues, if you don't mind, we're going to wait. Colleagues, we're going to wait five minutes, if you don't mind. Five minutes, can we wait? Excellence, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, 25 years ago, on the 11th of September 2001, Pardon me. The 10,221st meeting of the Security Council is called to order. Twenty-five years ago, on the 11th of September 2001, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks struck the United States. Thousands of people were killed. And here in New York, the Twin Towers were destroyed. and more than 3,000 people of 19 nationalities lost their lives. At the outset of this meeting, I invite all Security Council members and those present in the Chamber to stand and observe a minute of silence to honour with the city of New York and the United States, and to honour all victims of terrorism and their families, and to honour all victims of terrorism.

Thank you.

The provisional agenda for this meeting is threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts. The agenda is adopted. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure, I invite the following briefers to participate in this meeting: Ms. Natalia German, Executive Director, Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate; Mr. Ehab Omaish, Director for Policy and Coordination, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism; And Ms. Noorin Chowdhury-Fink, Executive Director, the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. It is so decided. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of item 2 of the agenda. The Council has the text of the presidential statement. I now give the floor to Ms. Natalia German.

Mr. President, Excellencies, Distinguished members of the Council, At the outset, I would like to reiterate our solidarity with the survivors and the families of those who perished in the 9/11 attacks as well as our sympathies for all victims of terrorist attacks worldwide. In 2001, the Security Council's response was swift and united. Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council adopted a series of obligations in Resolution 1373. They are as relevant today as they were 25 years ago. At their heart is solidarity and international cooperation in acting to prevent terrorism, bring terrorists to justice, and to ensure they cannot find safe haven. Both before 9/11 and since, the Security Council has unanimously condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It continues to provide a strong and collective voice against all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation. Since the adoption of Resolution 1373, the Council has passed more than 20 additional resolutions on counter-terrorism. They include landmark decisions addressing terrorist incitement and recruitment, countering violent extremism conducive to terrorism, taking action to impede terrorist travel and strengthen borders, and measures to prevent financial flows to terrorists. At the same time, the Council has been consistent in reminding States that measures taken to counter terrorism must comply with their obligations under international law, including human rights, humanitarian and refugee law. At the institutional level, the Council created the Counter-Terrorism Committee to assist Member States to achieve the full implementation of resolution 1373 and its successors. To support the Committee, the Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, or CTED. CTED provides neutral, independent and expert assessments of States' counter-terrorism measures on behalf of the Counter-Terrorism Committee. Our assessment reports contain recommendations to States as well as suggestions for technical assistance delivery by our global Counter-Terrorism Compact partners. And since 2001, Member States have made real progress in implementing the resolutions of the Security Council, and yet much remains to be done. As terrorism evolves, States' responses must adapt. The work of this Council and its Counter-Terrorism Committee remains critical in supporting Member States to stay abreast of the threat and to update their legislation, institutions, methodologies and practices. Excellencies, I wish to make a few observations on how the terrorism threat has evolved in recent years. terrorism has become more fragmented and diffuse. Terrorist groups adapt their structures, decentralize operations, diversify financial streams, and take advantage of instability to sustain their influence. They continue to exploit fragile governance, competition over resources, and local grievances to expand their reach. They skillfully tailor their messages and recruitment strategies to the specific vulnerabilities of men and women. Terrorist groups and organized criminal networks are also using maritime routes and critical infrastructure to facilitate the movement of individuals, weapons, and illicit goods. At the same time, CTED has identified a growing role of decentralized cells, loosely connected networks, and lone actors whose pathways to violence are often less visible and more difficult to disrupt. A second observation is that technology is having an accelerating impact on the threat environment. Terrorist groups are using new technologies not only for propaganda and recruitment, but also for attack planning, intelligence gathering, and financing. In addition, unmanned aircraft systems have become more accessible, affordable, and effective. Terrorist actors are employing these systems for surveillance, reconnaissance, and attacks. A third observation demands particular attention. The recruitment and exploitation of children and youth is emerging as a pressing challenge facing the counter-terrorist community. Terrorist and violent extremist actors are exploiting social media platforms, gaming environments, and other virtual spaces to identify vulnerabilities and recruit individuals, especially young people. Advances in artificial intelligence and automated content generation are further increasing the speed, scale and precision. A fourth observation concerns terrorist financing. Financing networks are becoming more decentralized and difficult to detect. Traditional methods such as cash couriers and hawala-like systems remain widely used. And at the same time, terrorist actors are increasingly exploiting online payment services, crowdfunding platforms, mobile money systems, and virtual assets. Many groups continue to generate revenue through criminal activity, including extortion, kidnapping for ransom, trafficking, and the exploitation of natural resources. The nexus between terrorism and organized crime remains a prominent feature of several contemporary conflict environments. These trends have been highlighted in recent reports, including the Financial Action Task Force 2025 Comprehensive Update on Terrorism Financing. CETA was very pleased to co-lead that report with the French Treasury. It underscores the need to continue enhancing the understanding of terrorism financing risks associated with new and emerging financial technologies and fundraising methods as the first and critical step for developing appropriate responses. Mr. President, on this day, when we remember the victims of 9/11 and of all terrorist attacks, We owe them our continued commitment to prevention and preparedness, and to international cooperation and solidarity in the fight against terrorism, firmly grounded in human rights and the rule of law. In the 25 years since 9/11, the Security Council has maintained a strong sense of unity and common purpose in the fight against terrorism, and I am confident that the Council and its Counter-Terrorism Committee will continue to demonstrate their resolve to anticipate and respond to the evolving terrorist threat. For its part, CTED remains committed to deliver on its mandate to assist Member States to implement their obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions and advance our common objective of a world free from terrorism. I thank you.

I thank Ms. Kerman for her briefing. I now give the floor to Mr. Ayad Omesh.

Thank you, Mr. President. Twenty-five years ago, A cowardly terrorist act cut short the lives of almost 3,000 people here in the United States. It left many more injured and devastated countless families and communities around the world, claiming victims from 90 countries. The unimaginable horror of that day terrorized the whole human family. In minutes, it drastically changed the course of history, making the world less safe for all people. Today, we honor the memory of those who lost their lives, and we stand with the survivors. We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, their loved ones, the first responders, the people of the United States, and all communities affected, including here in New York City, home to the United Nations. As we mark this solemn anniversary, we remember all victims of terrorism around the world. Their experiences remind us of the profound human cost of terrorism and our collective responsibility to prevent such suffering. The voices and stories of survivors of loss, fear, resolve, and hope must remain at the heart of our efforts. Today is a moment of remembrance, but also an opportunity to take stock. A quarter century of sustained international mobilization has delivered significant progress in countering terrorism, thanks to the impetus provided by the Security Council. These efforts are still needed. The United Nations remain an indispensable forum. Here, in the very city that suffered a devastating terrorist attack, Member States can come together to prevent and counter terrorism in all of its forms and manifestations. The attack of September 11th exposed the profound danger posed by a single terrorist organization operating across borders. Today, the threat is more diffuse, more decentralized, and increasingly enabled by new technologies. New terrorist tactics are attracting a diverse range of individuals and, worryingly, increasingly young people. Terrorist groups exploit instability and organized crime networks, leverage online platforms for incitement and recruitment, and misuse emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence. However, opportunities to use new technologies to counter terrorism in full respect of international law have also developed. Over the past 25 years, Member States have built a comprehensive international counterterrorism framework. The United Nations and this Council have played a central role by focusing national efforts on gaps and new trends, fostering cooperation, and enabling capacity building that responds to local needs. Three lessons stand out. First, security measures remain indispensable, but they must be accompanied by proactive and sustained prevention efforts to address the conditions terrorists exploit to radicalize, incite, and recruit people to violence. Second, international cooperation and whole of society partnerships are essential. Communities, civil society, women, youth, and victims of terrorism all have a role to play in building resilience against violent extremist narratives and affirming that acts of terrorism can never be justified. Third, effective counterterrorism and respect for international law are mutually reinforcing. Measures that undermine the rule of law and human rights ultimately weaken our collective efforts. Mr. President, much has changed since September 2001. Terrorist groups have lost leaders and territory. International cooperation has deepened. Member states have strengthened legal frameworks, institutional capacity, and mechanisms for disrupting terrorist networks. These are significant achievements, but they are not grounds for complacency. Terrorist actors have adapted their tactics, and our collective response must keep pace. The tragedy of September 11th has changed countless lives and reshaped the international security landscape. Let us carry forward the lessons of the past 25 years with determination, principled action, and solidarity. The continued leadership of the Security Council is critical in this regard. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism remains committed to supporting this Council and all Member States, working with our partners across the United Nations system to translate that resolve into collective action. We are committed to building a future free from terrorism. Thank you, Mr.

President.

I thank Mr. Al-Maayish for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ms. Noreen Chowdhury-Fink.

Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and.

Gentlemen, I would like to first of all thank the Mission of France for their invitation to address the Security Council today. It is an honor for me to be able to address you.

Excellencies, members of the Security Council, I would like to thank the Mission of France for the invitation to speak today. I am deeply honored to be here. It's hard to believe that a quarter of a century has passed since the attacks of September 11, 2001. It's a date that marked the beginning of an era that redefined threats to international peace and security. For those of us who call this city home, the violent changes to the New York City skyline have left an indelible mark, and before I continue, I'd like to take a moment to pay tribute to the lives lost and forever changed by the attacks. But this is not only a story of victims, it is a story of survivors and resilience. A city that came together and a world that joined forces. First responders that ran in even as the flames grew. Communities that mourned their loss but did not give in to hate. We salute them. It was not just people and communities that united in the aftermath of 9/11. This Council played an integral role in forging a global response, from the adoption of Resolution 1373 to a series of resolutions over the following decades that reflected the understanding that countering terrorism requires investments in prevention and in marshaling global expertise, from criminal justice to financial institutions, law enforcement to civil society. The resolutions offered a complex and multilayered notion of security, reaffirming that the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights and countering terrorism are mutually reinforcing goals. We have collectively learned that credible, sustainable and effective counterterrorism resolutions require a whole of society approach. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, over the past 25 years, terrorism and counterterrorism trends have evolved dramatically, in large part owing to emerging technologies. While traditional threats persist under what the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy calls the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, tech tools have reduced the timelines for radicalization and mobilization, lowered barriers to entry for adversarial actors, made it easier to finance and advance operations, and expanded the scope of terrorism's audiences to an unprecedented level. In 2015, when ISIS created and shared a video of the brutal murder of Jordanian pilot Muath al-Kasasbeh, the video went viral. It was reportedly shared in tens of thousands of posts. In 2019, just five years later, when the murder of worshipers in Christchurch was live streamed, one platform removed about 1.5 million videos of the attack in the first 24 hours alone. Emerging technologies are no longer a key tool for terrorists. They are the key tool. Evolutions in artificial intelligence can only sharpen this trend. No longer are capabilities simply the purview of those seeking to travel far, live in isolation, and train with hardened combatants. Beyond simply providing information, such as the infamous article, "How to Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mother," AI can offer would-be attackers guidance and support, break down complex tasks into manageable pieces, offer tailor-made responses, and in some cases, even emotional validation. Ideological and operational diffusion has made it harder to identify and classify terrorists in many instances. Perpetrators may be motivated by uncertain and unclear ideologies or a mix of various ideological strands. They are not necessarily identified by their commitment to a particular cause or group. They do not need to go through complex training or take operational risks, bringing them to the attention of financial border security or law enforcement officials. Let me highlight, for example, the phenomenon of agentic smurfing, where AI-enabled financial transactions can occur at such a micro level and with such frequency so as to render the transactions virtually invisible to formal terrorist financing safeguards. Security Council Resolution 2462, which I had the privilege to help negotiate, covered a vast and complex expanse of issues to bolster international efforts to counter terrorist financing. But we did not envision even these developments at that time. As counterterrorism measures have become widely familiarized, adversarial actors have adapted. Like many of us, Terrorists are using multiple applications or tools for diverse purposes and managing their resources to survive decapitation strikes, evasive identification, and regroup as needed. The decreasing average age of perpetrators and their peers highlights a generation used to communicating in memes, coded languages, symbols, and slogans that can easily bypass measures to counter terrorist narratives because they blend into the daily communications of billions of users. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we must also focus our efforts on the positive potential of technologies like generative AI, which can offer immense opportunities to counter terrorism. They have placed hitherto inconceivable resources into the hands of defenders. They have allowed industry and practitioners to more rapidly identify and understand harmful content, to connect with experts and frontline organizations to develop targeted interventions, to scale up and support nonprofit organizations to support vulnerable communities and individuals. We have seen chatbots offer psychosocial support. increasing linguistic diversity in outreach materials for vulnerable populations and individuals, and targeted counter-messaging alerting users to harmful or violative content. And the hashing of content, or creating digital fingerprints that help circulate information about terrorist content without sharing the content itself. But there is always more to be done. Adversaries can migrate to find hospitable environments. This fragmentation creates vulnerabilities. variations in policy frameworks can make it difficult to foster consistent approaches to managing harmful terrorist content and create openings for adversaries. And this dynamic is at the crux of our work at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, or GIFCT. Please allow me very briefly to introduce our work. GIFCT was established as a voluntary initiative by four major tech companies to facilitate cooperation in addressing terrorist content online. Today, nearly a decade later, we have grown as an independent nonprofit with about 40 tech company members and even more in the pipeline. They represent diverse ranges in geographies, sizes, and functions. Our members include frontier AI labs, gaming and gaming adjacent companies, social media platforms, music and video sharing sites, and file sharing apps, for example. Our membership's net monthly active user base is more than 5 billion individuals. Our mission at GIVCT remains unchanged, to prevent terrorists and violent extremists from exploiting digital platforms. But how do we achieve this? Through four key tools that allow us to work closely with our members. First, we offer a cross-platform community that allows for a many-to-many interaction model so that companies can share knowledge, concerns, and resources. We have a hash sharing database which allows member platforms to identify and share information about known terrorist content without actually circulating the content itself. Our incident response framework allows us to work with companies to address perpetrator produced online content associated with offline attacks. And finally, we have a research arm based in King's College London, the Global Network on Extremism and Technology, to ensure that our companies can connect to global expertise and analysis. GNET publications are also publicly available as an educational resource. We cannot and do not do this work alone. Our multi-stakeholder community includes partners across the globe from Asia to Europe, Africa to Oceania, and across the Americas. We are proud to be members of the Christchurch Call and have deep working relationships with the UN, OSCE, GCTF, Aqaba Process, Interpol, and many others. We work closely with our membership and partners to integrate human rights throughout our work, and among our core membership criteria is the requirement that companies align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, In the aftermath of 9/11, many asked if there was an enduring role for the United Nations in addressing this new phenomena, and if so, what could it be? Then Secretary General Kofi Annan responded with the five Ds, dissuade terrorism, deny safe haven, deter perpetrators, develop state capacities, defend human rights. The Security Council played an integral role in forging the complex international framework that facilitated global counterterrorism cooperation. Yet, even as the threats have rapidly evolved and tech advances and global lessons learned accumulate, little policy direction has emerged from the Council at this critical juncture. Technology ensures that contemporary and future threats have no geographic boundaries. Ideas, tactics, inspiration, all travel across the globe instantaneously. It is therefore essential that multilateral approaches to counterterrorism reflect contemporary threats, trends, and innovations if they are to keep both states and citizens safe. While this Council has often reaffirmed the central role of the state to counterterrorism, today's threats mean that the private sector is a key counterterrorism partner. Critical advances in technological innovation are evolving in the private sector. Yet too often they are absent from international counterterrorism negotiations and discussions. We were pleased to see them referenced in the Valletta Principles on National and Regional Counterterrorism Strategies, but multilateral counterterrorism must include the private sector and strengthen opportunities for public-private partnerships. We at GIFCT stand ready to support these efforts. In conclusion, I would like to mark this momentous occasion by ending where I began, honouring the memory of the victims and survivors and the service of all those individuals, groups and organizations that have come together over the past 25 years to ensure that the goals of the terrorists are defeated by the resilience of humanity. Thank you.

I thank Ms. Fink for her briefing. I now give the floor to those Council members who wish to make statements. I give the floor to the representative of the United States.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colleagues, this is a meaningful and, frankly, somewhat surreal day for many of us here in the United States. And I'm confident, if you ask any American who is alive, on September 7th, who was there that day and ground zero, where I'm so grateful that so many of you joined us last week and where we were this morning, that they can, every American I know can tell you exactly where they were when they heard about the attack. They'll tell you what they saw, who they were speaking to, what family members they called. and what they did next. And in the years that followed, as we well know, and as history now looks back on, an entire generation of soldiers, firefighters, police officers, intelligence professionals, ordinary American patriots, coalitions, stepped forward to serve. One of those patriots I'd like to just take a moment to tell you about, his name was Matthew Pacino. He was a police officer and joined the military, joined the army because of September 11th, because he could not accept the fact that these terrorists had attacked his country on his own soil. A few years later, Matt became one of the Green Berets who served in my command and was literally one of the very best human beings I've ever known. Unfortunately, where we were serving at the time, the enemy adapted. They adapted to our jammers that jammed the IEDs and they went back to their own basics, so to speak, using trip wires and buried bombs. This was an enemy that was terrorizing the civilians that were around them, beheading local policemen. Matt repeatedly volunteered to ride ahead of our armored convoy, but he did so on a small motorcycle so that he could be close enough to spot any disturbances on the ground, any tripwires. And one day I confronted him and I said, Matt, you are really pushing your luck here, brother. And his response, which has stayed with me ever since, He said, "Sir, if I miss one, if I miss one of these tripwires, I want to make sure it only gets me, not four or five of my brothers riding behind me in a vehicle." One night he did miss one. He was killed by an IED in Afghanistan. I didn't bring him home. I wear his name with me every single day and his memory. And I share that memory and the memory that we have today of the 2,977 innocent people murdered on September 11th, 2,605 Americans and citizens from more than 90 countries. I say again, 90 countries were killed this day, 25 citizens from 90 countries were killed this day, 25 years ago, it was the World Trade Center. It was an attack on the world. We all remember the first responders who didn't run away. They ran towards the flames and their families with loved ones who never came home, the nurses and doctors who waited for the injured who never came. It was 9/11's death toll did not end at Ground Zero or the Pentagon or Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Years later, they were heroes like U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens, soldiers who were with him and defending him, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, Glen Doedry, all who died in Benghazi, murdered in cold blood by terrorists 14 years ago today, also on 9/11. Millions around the world have since been murdered, maimed, displaced, recruited, forced to live under terrorism's shadow because of this scourge. Colleagues, as I look around the table, everyone in this room, all on this council, from Latvia to Liberia, everyone has lost men and women in uniform confronting terrorism in the years since. So for most of you, September 11th is sadly not the only terror attack in your national memory. And we should take stock of that. We should remember that. The Bataclan in France, 7/7 in the UK, Beslan school attack in Russia, the Peshawar school massacre in Pakistan, the Mogadishu bombing in Somalia, the El Nigal bombing in Colombia, The Alas Chiricanas Flight 901 in Panama, the Kunming knife attacks in China, the Congolese church massacres, the Copenhagen synagogue attack in Denmark, November 17 attacks in Greece, the die bombing in Bahrain. Each one, death, destruction, and so many innocent lives lost. And they say, quote, a common danger unites even the bitterest of enemies. And maybe this explains why on a council that often disagrees on almost everything, sometimes it seems like, but condemning terrorism remains one of those few things we all do together and do so unanimously. And we did unanimously. with France then as the president of this council on September 11th, 2001, where we unanimously adopted resolution 1368, condemning the attacks, calling on all nations to work together to bring the perpetrators, the organizers, and the sponsors to justice. And on behalf of the American people, I thank you for that. 17 days later, Resolution 1373 required states to suppress terrorist financing, to freeze terrorist assets, to deny terrorist safe haven. And with today's presidential statement, this Council has spoken with one voice against the scourge of terrorism. I saw that same unity on the battlefield across my career. Green Berets and I served alongside soldiers from all over the world, from Aussies and Afghans to Emiratis, to Brits, to Poles, so many others. Together, we hunted down bin Laden. Our coalition destroyed the ISIS caliphate. We killed al-Baghdadi and al-Zawahiri. We will never fully know how many plots have been thwarted that haven't hit our cities, yours, colleagues, because of quiet professionals in all of our governments across our militaries. But there is still work to do. It is not over. Our mission is not complete against extremism. Today's threat is broader. Narco terrorism, transnational criminal organizations, resurgent political terrorism, evil still exists in this world. And terrorists are adapting again. They're exploiting, as we've heard today, drones, AI, encrypted communications, digital finance, whatever they can invent next to spread their terrorism into our societies. Entire regimes still fund and arm civilian-killing terrorists that target civilians deliberately. Some of their representatives come before this very council. And after all, each of us has suffered. We cannot waste another day excusing proxies or looking away. That goes for this institution too. The UN has spent 25 years building a counterterrorism architecture, and now we have to deliver. So let's call terrorism what it is. Let's cut off its funding. Let's deny it safe haven. Let's enforce this council's resolutions. Let's share intelligence. Let's hunt down those who plan these attacks, because we all must fight this scourge until it is defeated. And we will never forget. And I thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

I thank the representative of the United States for that statement. Allow me to thank you on our behalf and to convey to your authorities our solidarity on this day. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Chris Elmore, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State. We thank him for being here and we welcome him.

Thank you, Mr. President. 25 years ago, nearly 3,000 people from over 90 countries were murdered in an appalling terrorist attack of September the 11th, 2001. Today, we stand with the people of the United States and countries across the world in remembering the victims, their families, and those who survived but have lived with the consequences. But it has never been enough to simply remember what happened. It has been our duty to do everything we can to stop it happening again. And so today, we also honour those around the world who have dedicated their lives to preventing and countering terrorism, including members of our armed forces, law enforcement, first responders, humanitarian workers, and United Nations peacekeepers. The attacks of September the 11th were intended to divide us through fear. Instead, they united the international community in a shared determination to confront such appalling acts of terrorism. In the aftermath of the attacks, this Council acted with unity and resolve. Resolution 1373 established obligations and institutions that remain central to our collective security. Over the past 25 years, this Council has built a robust framework to prevent terrorist travel, suppress terrorist financing, and strengthen international cooperation. Around the world, intelligence cooperation has deepened, terrorist financing has been constrained, Border and aviation security has been transformed. Terrorist organisations have been degraded. And countless attacks have been prevented. In the United Kingdom, our intelligence agencies and law enforcement partners have disrupted dozens of terrorist plots. Through our Prevent programme, thousands of vulnerable people have been supported away from pathways towards terrorism and violent extremism. Internationally, we continue to work with partners to strengthen security and resilience where terrorist groups seek to exploit instability. In Iraq, the United Kingdom has trained more than 120,000 security personnel and provided over $670 million in humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to communities affected by Daesh. In West Africa and the Sahel, terrorist groups continue to drive displacement, exacerbate humanitarian need, and undermine stability. The UK is working with regional partners to provide targeted support on intelligence sharing, investigations, and counter-terrorism finance activity. These achievements demonstrate a simple but important truth. International cooperation works. Yet the threat continues to evolve. Daesh and al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to exploit conflict, instability and weak governance. They are adapting their methods and exploiting new technologies to spread propaganda, recruit, raise funds and increase their operational reach. We must continue to implement our existing obligations consistently, including those under resolution 2462 on terrorist financing. We must strengthen cooperation between governments, the United Nations, civil society, and the technology and financial sectors. Artificial intelligence and other technologies present risks, but they can also help us detect terrorist content, identify financial networks, and protect vulnerable communities. We must continue to make full use of the Security Council's sanctions regimes to constrain terrorist travel, disrupt financing, and deny terrorist groups the resources they need to operate. Lastly, our response must be effective and principled. Counterterrorism measures must comply with international law, including international human rights law. Measures that undermine rights or civic space can fuel the very grievances that terrorists seek to exploit. President, The lessons of the past 25 years are clear. Terrorism does not recognise borders, so our response must be collective. It must combine effective security action with prevention, resilience and respect for the rule of law. The United Kingdom remains resolute in working through this Council and with partners worldwide to combat terrorism in all its forms. That is how we honour the memory of all victims of terrorism in every region of the world and reaffirm our shared commitment to protect future generations from this threat.

I thank the representative of the United Kingdom for that statement. I now give the floor to the representative of China.

President, I thank Executive Director Gherman, Director General O'Meara, and Ms. Fink for their briefings. 25 years ago today, appalling and devastating terrorist attacks in New York and the Washington areas dealt a massive blow to the global security landscape. Since then, counterterrorism has become a central issue for the international community. Whilst we pay tribute to the victims and honour the rescue workers, we must further strengthen our resolve and determination in the counter-terrorism. Over the past 25 years, the international counter-terrorism cooperation continued to deepen. A global counter-terrorism framework centred on the UN has been gradually established. countries awareness and capabilities steadily increased, advancing the prevention and combat terrorism with the positive progress. China commends the contributions by the CTED and UNOCT established during this process. At the same time, the threat of international terrorism persists and is taking on new forms and new challenges. Terrorism as intertwined with regional conflicts, terrorist activities characterized by decentralization and fragmentation, emerging technologies misused for terrorist purposes, and some countries adopting selective counterterrorism measures and double standards. Against this backdrop, the international community should strengthen solidarity and cooperation, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, give full play to the central coordinating role of the UN, jointly confront terrorism, this common enemy of mankind. Let me propose four points. First, focus on both the symptoms and root causes. Counterterrorism should not only strengthen security strikes, but also pay attention to eradicating the root causes of terrorism. Underdevelopment easily gives rise to extremism. A lack of education weakens people's ability to discern such extremist ideologies. And conflict and instability create power vacuums. All of these may allow terrorist forces to exploit the vulnerabilities and chaos to grow. The international community must assist the countries concerned with their economies, people's livelihoods, education, and employment, support them in pursuing development paths suited to their national conditions, implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and breaking the vicious cycle of terrorism born of poverty. The Council must promote the political solutions to pressing issues, resolving differences through dialogue and negotiation, and eliminate the breeding grounds for terrorism. While opposing the politicization and instrumentalization of counterterrorism and avoid linking terrorism to specific countries, ethnic groups, or religions. Second, intensify efforts to combat terrorism. At present, terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State and ETIM are still waiting for opportunities to restore their operational capabilities. In West Africa, the Sahel region, Syria and Afghanistan, there are still a large number of terrorists active. Counterterrorism is an international obligation that all countries must fulfill. The Syrian Transitional Government should resolutely combat all terrorist organizations designated by the Council, including ETIM, and strictly prevent foreign terrorist fighters from establishing safe havens or crossing borders. The Afghan government should effectively combat all terrorist forces in Afghanistan, including ISKP, Pakistani Taliban and ETIM, and resolutely prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a breeding ground for terrorism. Terrorist activities remain frequent in some parts of Africa. Regional countries should strengthen cooperation in border control, intelligence sharing, and joint counterterrorism, and guard against the trend toward closer convergence between terrorist organizations and separatist armed groups. It is necessary to implement the Council Counter-Terrorism Resolutions and UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategies, make good use of the Sanction Magna Carta 1267, 2713, and include terrorist organizations such as Balochistan Liberation Army and its Majid Brigade in the sanctions list as soon as possible to form a strong deterrence. Third, enhance our capacity to respond. Effective international counterterrorism requires concerted efforts at the national, regional, and international levels. All countries must refine their counterterrorism policies, laws, and regulations, enhance law enforcement capabilities, adopt preventative counterterrorism and de-radicalization measures, and strengthen citizens' ability to resist the infiltration of violent extremist ideologies. The international community, whilst respecting the sovereignty of countries concerned, must help developing countries, in particular those in Africa, to enhance their autonomous capabilities to respond and implement counter-terrorism sanctions by providing substantial support in funding, technology, equipment and training. Cooperation with regional organizations such as the AU and SCO must be strengthened using the geographical advantages and coordinating capabilities to forge a united front against terrorism. The entities under the UN Global Counterterrorism Coordination Compact should enhance coordination and implement each other's strengths, balance the four pillars of strategy to promote the efficient multilateral counterterrorism. Fourth, Address risks from emerging technologies. The international community should step up the refinement of rules and regulatory frameworks governing emerging technologies, accelerate the use of such technologies to enhance counterterrorism capabilities of early warning, monitoring, and operational capacities. China supports the UN in actively implementing the Abu Dhabi guiding principles, encouraging all countries to include drone attacks into their national counterterrorism strategies and risks assessments, and enhancing their capabilities in detection, identification, and counterterrorism. At the same time, we must narrow the digital divide and assist developing countries with higher terrorism risks in strengthening their technical infrastructure and professional talent development, enhancing their capacity for emerging technologies such as AI in counterterrorism, and building a forward-looking defense. President. China always stands firmly on the front line of the global counterterrorism. President Xi Jinping's Global Security Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative provide important guidance for strengthening international counterterrorism cooperation. We will continue to implement in good faith these initiatives and actively participate in the efforts under the UN frameworks, the SCO, and the BRICS countries, among others, to share experience with the international community to help relevant countries strengthen their capacity building. China is ready to work with all parties to actively contribute to a world without terrorism. Thank you, President.

I thank the representative of China for that statement. I give the floor to the representative of Greece.

Thank you, Mr. President. I wish to thank the representatives for their briefings. On the 11th of September 2001, the unimaginable came to pass. Today, 25 years later, we recall with emotion and remember the thousands of innocent victims that lost their lives. We also remember all of those who since then have been struck by terrorism throughout the world. We express our deep solidarity with the victims and their families. And we here pay tribute to the courage and devotion of all those who sprung into action following the attacks.

Presidents, this anniversary gives us pause, not only to remember, but to renew together our shared resolve to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms. Over the past 25 years, the international community has built something we can genuinely be proud of, a comprehensive multilateral counterterrorism architecture from Security Council Resolution 1373 73 and subsequent resolutions, to the sanctions regime targeting ISIL, Daesh and al-Qaeda, to the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. This is a record of collective achievement, and it deserves to be recognized as such. That said, the threat has not stood still. ISIL, Al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to show an unsettling capacity to adapt, to decentralize, to take advantage of fragile environments and conflict settings. At the same time, the nature of the threat we face today is more diverse. terrorism and organized crime are converging. This should concern us all. Those overlapping networks make it easier to move people, weapons, and money across borders and open the door to illicit markets and logistical support that terrorist groups could not otherwise access. Meeting this evolving challenge requires even closer cooperation, counterterrorism, law enforcement, customs, border security and financial intelligence authorities, always in accordance with international law and national legislation. The seas are not immune. Maritime security must be an integral component of our counterterrorism efforts. The world's maritime routes and infrastructure remain attractive targets for exploitation by terrorist and criminal networks seeking to move people, weapons, and other illicit resources. The sheer scale and complexity of the maritime domain only adds to these vulnerabilities. We therefore believe that stronger maritime domain awareness, timely information exchange, robust port and vessel security, border and customs controls, and cooperation among national, regional, and international authorities should be woven into the of a broader counterterrorism efforts. Emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are moving fast, and so is the threat they can enable. Terrorist groups have demonstrated an acute ability to exploit digital platforms for propaganda, radicalization, recruitment, communication, operational planning, and financing. Artificial intelligence has the potential to amplify these capabilities by increasing the speed, scale, and sophistication of terrorist content. Yet, Emerging technologies can provide important tools for counterterrorism, including in analysis, detection, investigation, and the preservation and sharing of information and evidence. Mr. President, in this context, we recognize the key roles played by the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, the Counterterrorism Committee Executive Directorate, and the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team. We encourage continued close coordination with all partners across the UN counterterrorism architecture, as well as with relevant international and regional organizations to strengthen a coherent and effective response to the evolving terrorist threat. Finally, information sharing must remain at the center of our collective efforts. We should strengthen the timely and secure exchange of information concerning terrorist travel, financing, recruitment, propaganda, weapons procurement, the misuse of emerging technologies, and links between terrorists and organized criminal networks. We should also make full use of existing international and regional mechanisms while addressing the legal, institutional, and technical barriers that can prevent relevant information from reaching competent authorities and other relevant actors promptly and through appropriate channels. Above all, our response must be coordinated, comprehensive, and forward-looking, combining effective security and law enforcement measures with prevention, resilience, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.

Mr. President, 25 Twenty-five years after 11 September, the face of terrorism has changed. However, our collective determination has not weakened in any way. Let us ensure that the lessons of this tragedy continue to guide us towards a multilateral response to terrorism that is ever stronger, ever more united and ever more effective.

I thank the representative of Greece for this statement. floor to the representative of Liberia.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. President. Liberia commends the French presidency for convening this solemn, necessary briefing. We express our gratitude to the representatives of CETA, UNOCT, and civil society for their clear-eyed assessments. On September 11, 2001, the world watched in horror as terror struck this host city, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, claiming nearly 3,000 innocent lives. Liberia bowed its head in mourning then, and we bow our heads today. We stand in solidarity with the survivors, the families of the victims, and all men, women, and children across every continent who have suffered at the hands of violent extremists. In the immediate wake of that tragedy, this Council, as we have heard, acted with decisive clarity. Resolutions 1368 and 1373 laid the bedrock of our multilateral architecture, mandating that nations close financial pipelines, dismantle safe havens, and cooperate without reservation. In the quarter century since, resolutions 2178, 2396, 2462, and 2482 expanded our legal arsenal against foreign fighters, illicit finance, and organized crime. Yet, As we gather today, we must confront an uncomfortable truth. Terrorism did not remain frozen in 2001. While our diplomatic architecture has deliberated, terror, as we have heard, has industrialized. It has evolved from isolated cells into decentralized digitally native networks. Terrorist actors now recruit through algorithmic echo chambers, move capital across borderless digital ledgers, exploit artificial intelligence, and weaponized commercial unmanned aerial vehicles. Terror now crosses sovereign borders with far greater agility than the victims fleeing from its wake. Mr. President, nowhere is the cost of this evolution felt more acutely than on the African continent. Today, Africa bears the epicenter of global terrorism. In recent years, the Sahel and its surrounding basins have accounted for more than half of all global deaths attributed to violent terrorism, while across West Africa and the Sahel, Over 5 million of our fellow human beings have been forcibly displaced from their ancestral homes. This is not a distant abstraction for my country. It is an immediate existential reality. Instability in the central Sahel is aggressively pressing southward toward the Gulf of Guinea. Illicit small arms, terror financing, transnational criminal syndicates, and radicalized networks test our frontiers daily. Let this Council take note. Geography grants no diplomatic immunity. When the Sahel is engulfed in flames, coastal West Africa cannot expect the smoke to respect national borders. Liberia, therefore, urges this Council to advance three principled priorities. First, close the implementation gap between council resolutions and operational realities. For smaller and developing states, international obligations cannot become unfunded mandates. Seated assessments must be directly tied to sustained, predictable, and demand-driven capacity building. You cannot intercept encrypted illicit flows or secure remote borders with paper instruments. We must invest heavily in judicial integrity, border technology, digital forensics, and financial intelligence units across frontline and transit nations. Second, govern emerging technologies to prevent their exploitation. We must strip violent extremists of their asymmetrical technological advantages. We call for deepened public-private partnerships among member states, the UN, Interpol, and responsible technology firms to interdict terrorist recruitment and illicit digital financing. Yet, our vigilance must remain tethered to our principles. Counterterrorism measures must never become an excuse to curb civic space. They must remain necessary, proportionate and firmly grounded in international human rights and the rule of law. A state that discards human rights in pursuit of security may temporarily win a checkpoint, but it inevitably loses the peace. Third, Genuinely resource African regional frameworks. Liberia stands resolute behind the African Union's Malabo Declaration, the OAU Convention on Combating Terrorism, and the Agenda 2063 vision to silence the guns. Within our sub-region, we champion ECOWAS frameworks, notably our regional counter-terrorism strategy, ECOWAS early warning architecture, and GABAS anti-money laundering mechanisms. Regional institutions provide proximity, cultural literacy, and rapid responsiveness. UN multilateralism and African regionalism, therefore, are not competitors. They are, must be seen to be, and reacted to as indivisible partners. Finally, we must remember that terrorism is fundamentally a parasite. It educates no child. It cures no disease. And it builds no infrastructure. It survives solely by feeding upon localized grievances, economic desperation, and ungoverned spaces. Therefore, kinetic force alone will fail. Genuine prevention demands placing women, young people, and local communities at the center of our strategy. In Liberia's own journey from conflict to sustained peace, it was women who built social cohesion and bridged divides. Our youth must be met with education, digital literacy, and dignified economic opportunity, not treated with institutional suspicion. Mr. President, colleagues, on this 25th commemoration of September 11, our tribute to the fallen will not be measured by the eloquence of our speeches, but by the spine of our collective resolve. Liberia calls on this Council to move from reactive condemnation to proactive resilience. Let us resolve together that terrorism shall find no sanctuary, no illicit dollar, no technological corridor and no abandoned community left to exploit. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Liberia for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Denmark.

Mr. President, and thank you also to all our briefers for their presentations. Colleagues, today we remember. We remember that 25 years ago, on a beautiful September morning, an act of terrorism took nearly 3,000 lives from more than 90 countries in New York, the Washington, D.C. area, and Pennsylvania. It was an act unparalleled in its destruction, unprecedented in its method, on a scale not seen since. Thousands of families live today with its loss. Denmark pays tribute to them and to all other victims of terrorism. The consequences of the 9/11 attacks were numerous, and in many ways, we still live with them today. The attacks also had a profound impact on this Council, in the work we do, the resolutions we adopt, and the responsibilities we carry. Today is a fitting moment to ask, honestly, where we stand. And despite decades of international efforts, terrorism has not been defeated. It has evolved. Sustained pressure has weakened terrorist groups such as ISIL, al-Qaeda, and their affiliates. But these networks persist and adapt. from the Sahel to the Horn of Africa, from Syria to Afghanistan. The threat today looks different from 2001, but it is no less real and no less urgent. Allow me to raise three points. First, Denmark supports stronger focus on implementation. As others have noted, this year marks 25 years since the adoption of the landmark Resolution 1375 on counter-terrorism. 25 years of subsequent resolutions and frameworks have given us the tools. What we need now is to use them fully. The Counter-Terrorism Committee is central to that effort. Denmark reaffirms its full support for the Committee's mandates and CTAT's work in identifying gaps and delivering assistance. Second, Mr. President, on the evolving threat from terrorism. Terrorist groups have adapted faster than many of our institutions and their increasing misuse of technology is alarming. They recruit online. They're financed through cryptocurrencies. They fly drones. They exploit AI to spread propaganda and plan attacks. If they can adapt this quickly, so must we. Denmark calls for the counterterrorism tools that keep pace, including sanctions, financial safeguards, and digital cooperation. This is not a technical footnote. It is central to the effectiveness of our response. This applies equally to this Council. Denmark underscores the importance of a 1267 sanctions regime that reflects reality on the ground, including through increased listings, so that the ISIL and al-Qaeda sanctions list tracks today's terrorist leaderships, not yesterday's. A listing regime that falls behind the threat loses its effect. Keeping it current evidence-based, and fairly applied, is itself part of a holistic response. Third, on our approach, Denmark's stance is clear. An effective response against terrorism must go beyond security measures. The rule of law, inclusive and meaningful participation of all stakeholders, and human rights are not obstacles to counterterrorism. They are its very foundation. A comprehensive approach pairs strong security measures with prevention, within institutions that promote justice and accountability. Meaningful cooperation with local actors, youth and civil society are vital to sustainable success. Mr. President, in closing, 25 years is long enough to know that terrorism will keep adapting. It is also long enough to learn which approaches are effective. Implementation over declaration, principle alongside security, people at the center of both. The promise this Council made after 9/11 was not only to fight terrorism. It was to do it in a way that protects the right and dignity we were defending in the first place. That promise still holds today. It is our responsibility to keep it. And by that, we honor the victims of that haunted September morning. We will never forget. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Denmark for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Somalia.

Mr. President, I thank France for bringing us together on this day of reflection and resolve. I also want to thank Ms. German, Mr. Omeish, and Ms. Jaudy Fink for their comprehensive briefings. As we mark the 25th anniversary of September 11 attack, Somalia stands with the people of the United States in remembering the innocent lives lost on September 11. Somali government honors the memories of those who lost their lives, recognizes the brave actions of first emergency responders, and pays tribute to the families left behind. Mr. President, on this day of reflection, Somalia wishes to offer a few points for the Council's consideration, drawn from our own hard-won lessons and realities we face. First, national ownership is not just a slogan. In Somalia, we have seen that real progress against terrorism depends on empowering our own institutions, supporting our justice and security sectors, and trusting communities as the first and the best line of defense. Thanks to this approach and with international support, Somalia has significantly degraded the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and Daesh. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to the sacrifices made by the Somali National Army over the past two decades in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. The fight may not be over, but the national ownership is the foundation for lasting peace. Second, the threat itself is always shifting. Terrorist groups move quickly to exploit new technologies, using social media to recruit, encrypted apps to plan, and even artificial intelligence and drones to carry out attacks that would have seemed impossible a decade ago. We cannot afford to stand still. Our counterterrorism strategies must keep pace or risk falling behind. Third, technology itself is neither a friend nor a foe. It depends on how we use it. If we invest in the right tools, share the expertise, and set clear ethical standards, we can stay ahead of those who wish us harm. But we must never lose sight of our values. Every action we take must respect human rights and the rule of law. Fourth, we cannot defeat terrorism by force alone. We must tackle the root causes that give the violent ideologies room to grow: poverty, marginalization, lack of opportunity, and toxic spread of hate. Prevention, Inclusion and hope have to be at the heart of our response. Fifth, we must place the needs and rights of victims of terrorism at the center of our efforts. Behind every attack, our lives forever change. Families, communities, and survivors will deserve justice, recognition, and support. Somalia believes that supporting victims is not only a moral duty, but a crucial step in building a resilient societies that reject violence and refuse to let fear take a root. Sixth, we must put youth at the center of our counterterrorism efforts. Young people are often the primary targets of recruitment by violent extremist groups, but they are also our greatest source for energy, creativity, and hope. By investing in education, opportunity, and a meaningful engagement for youth, we can empower the next generations to build communities that are more resilient to radicalization and more committed to peace. Finally, Somalia acknowledges the values placed on cooperation among nations to address global challenges to security. On this anniversary, affirms its commitment to peace and stability through dialogue and respect of human life and human dignity. Somalia stands with all nations in remembering the victims of September 11 and all other victims who have suffered from terrorism around the world. The fight is not just against violence, but for a future where our people, especially our youth and our future generations, live in peace, dignity, and hope. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Somalia for their statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Mr. President. And I commend the French delegation for skillful presidency of the Council this month and for your initiative to convene this important briefing. And I would like to thank the briefers this afternoon. Today, on September 11, we gather in this chamber to express our solidarity with the Government and people of the United States in memory of the precious lives lost in the horrific and appalling terrorist attacks of 9/11, including in New York City. And earlier this month, Ambassador Mike Waltz took the council members to the 9/11 Memorial. It served as a powerful reminder of the horrors that befell the city on that fateful day. And as a solemn remembrance of the tragedy faced by innocent victims from around the world, including seven Pakistanis, we saw their pictures there, and the bravery displayed by the first responders on that day. May the souls of those who perished on that tragic day rest in eternal peace. And we take this opportunity to also remember all the victims of terrorism all around the world. President, it has been 25 years since the 9/11 calamity shook the world's conscience. A tragedy that is a stark reminder of the devastating cost of human lives lost to despicable terrorist acts and the imperative of sustained and collective international action to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. And as it has been recalled by the briefers, the events of 9/11 led to swift action by this Council. to develop the UN's counterterrorism architecture with the adoption of Resolution 1373, a normative framework that continues to shape the measures in place today for addressing the scourge of terrorism. And subsequent changes in the counterterrorism domain strengthened global cooperation and led to numerous advances in the CT landscape. including efforts to counter terrorism on ground. And Pakistan itself played a key role as a frontline state in this global counterterrorism endeavor. Let me recall that most notable successes in the international campaign against al-Qaeda were achieved through Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts and active cooperation. That included close coordination with our partners, including intelligence sharing and security cooperation. And that, in fact, broke the back of al-Qaeda, significantly degrading its capabilities. But we must also remember that this came with immense sacrifice. and we continue to confront the challenges in our region. Over 90,000 Pakistanis, including our brave security forces, law enforcement personnel, and innocent civilians, have lost their lives since the turn of the century, besides sustained economic damage as a direct result of terrorist violence. The Security Council acted with urgency, unity and resolve, commensurate to the enormity of the challenge 25 years ago. The terrorism landscape has since evolved and mutated. New threats have emerged. The Council's current sanctions regimes are proving insufficient to combat terrorism in all its dimensions. and forms and manifestations, and the various groups that are there. And I agree with the comments made by the permanent representative of Denmark in this regard. So those gaps must be addressed with equal effectiveness to eradicate the growing global counterterrorism threat. And I would like to emphasize the following in this regard. First, it should be a cause of concern for this council and the wider UN membership to witness the alarming rise in far-right extremist movements world over, responsible for some of the most heinous terrorist attacks in recent years, targeting communities based on xenophobia, racism, and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief. Second, the terrorism threat in various geographical regions, such as in Africa, this was described in detail by my colleague from Liberia, in the Middle East, and in our own neighborhood in Afghanistan, is deeply worrying. More than 4,700 innocent Pakistanis have lost their lives to terrorism emanating from Afghanistan over the last three years. We have faced some of the most callous terrorist attacks carried out by savage entities like TTP, the BLA and its Mujib Brigade, which continue to operate with impunity from sanctuaries in Afghanistan with significant external support. And entities like the BLA are operating freely in the absence of restrictive measures and sanctions by this Council that would have contained their activities despite earnest attempts to designate this terrorist group under the Council's sanctions regime. And other groups, including ETIM and ISIL, also need to be effectively countered. Third, we share the concerns about the growing use of modern information and communication technologies for terrorist activities. such as propaganda, disinformation, hate speech, online radicalization, recruitment, and use of dark web for networking and terrorist financing, including transactions through use of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies. Absent regulation, this threat will definitely multiply. Fourth, It has become more than evident over the years that in order to be effective, the international community must take a comprehensive approach to counterterrorism. Overemphasis on any one dimension while ignoring the rest would not help in achieving a common goal of combating and eradicating terrorism. It is therefore imperative to implement all four pillars of the global counterterrorism strategy in a balanced manner, focusing also on the root causes and elimination of conditions conducive to terrorism. And last but not the least, when we talk about terrorism, we must not ignore the perpetration of state terrorism in situations of foreign occupation. The Council must ensure that the occupying powers are held to account and not allowed to operate with impunity to suppress the legitimate struggles of people for exercising their right to self-determination. President, international response to terrorism must be up to speed. In fact, ahead of the rapidly evolving threat, As we commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we must reflect on the contemporary needs and challenges in the CT domain in order to address the gaps in the CT architecture, the global strategy, and sanctions regimes in a comprehensive manner. The Council must shoulder its due responsibility. The perpetrators of terrorism must be brought to justice. But eventually, if we are going to succeed in our common objective of counterterrorism. That would require active and effective international cooperation and regional synergies for a united, collective front to this global threat. I thank you.

I thank the representative of Pakistan for that statement. I give the floor to the representative of Panama.

President, Ambassador Walls has suggested that many can recall where they were and what they were doing when they learned the news of that tragic day. I certainly do. I remember vividly being in Hong Kong that evening, Hong Kong time, for a meeting of the board of directors of the Panama Canal Authority, of which I was a member, that was to be held jointly the next morning with members of the advisory board to the board of directors. Several distinguished members of various nationalities and industry representatives served on that board. One of them was Lillian Barone, CEO of the Port of New York, New Jersey Port Authority. At the meeting on the next morning, September 12, she informed us that her assistant had perished at the towers. Seven Panamanians also lost their lives there. Among them was a 28-year-old, Dianella Mena, who worked in an office in a high floor of the North Tower. She was at the phone with her mother who was in Panama, she was shaken by the blast. She told her mother that she would find out and would call her back. Her mother waited, but that call never came.

Mr. President, we are grateful for the briefings from Ms. Natalia German, Executive Director of the CTC, Executive Director seated, debriefing from Mr. Eabai Omash. Director for Policy and Coordination at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and for the briefing of Ms. Noreen Chowdhury-Fink, Executive Director of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. We are also grateful to the French Presidency for leading efforts on the presidential statement adopted today. We are also grateful to members of this Council for their support. That support reaffirms our collective commitment to the fight against terrorism. The attack on the Twin Towers and their collapse moved the world, as the world was able to see live and direct on their screens the spine-chilling broadcast of a real, cruel, devastating and unjustifiable terrorist attack. This act left no trace of doubt whatsoever regarding the need to understand it and tackle it so that never again would it happen. The world was terrified, dazed, and understood just that. This council reacted 25 years after the September 11th attacks. The pain of that tragedy continues to sear survivors, some of whom continue to face grave consequences. The wound remains present in the families of victims and in the collective memory of the international community. Today, we remember an abhorrent act, one which deeply transformed the way that we understood international security, and we express our condolences and solidarity to all those affected. when the attacks occurred. Within the General Assembly, we expressed our unequivocal support for the Counter-Terrorism Committee established pursuant to Security Council Resolution 1373. Today, from this Council chamber, we reaffirm that same commitment and the conviction that international cooperation remains our most effective tool with which to address this threat. As we reflect, we must ask ourselves a question: Are our tools ready to address the evolution of this threat? The evidence compiled by manifold international institutions, including the United Nations, clearly portrays that Terrorism over the last 25 years has been able to adapt. Terrorist groups have mushroomed. They have broadened their influence, and they have developed flexible and decentralized structures, which at the same time are able to work in synergy across regions. Terrorist groups have availed themselves of governance and institutional vacuums. They have diversified their sources of financing and their recruitment methods. Moreover, they have made use of emerging technologies at a speed which compels us to examine our own capacity to respond. President, we know that terrorist groups radicalize and recruit people and communities that are in vulnerable situations. They do so through the misuse of artificial intelligence. Moreover, they exploit digital platforms and social media, and they use satellite communications, virtual assets, and drones as part of their operations. This effort on their part means that we must interact more extensively with the private sector, tech companies, digital platforms that develop language models and AI. Financial and digital infrastructure service providers are all partners that have responsibilities when it comes to preventing the undue use of their technologies and services. However, neither can our strategy simply be limited to emerging technologies. We must strengthen the tools which have already yielded tangible results down the years. These include the timely exchange of information and intelligence, technical assistance, judicial cooperation, and the strengthening of national capacity. Consequently, the Security Council and the multilateral counterterrorism architecture, that is the CTC created through 1373, its executive director at the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism, the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team as the whole, all of these partners can and must act with Member States in a coordinated, efficient and results-oriented fashion. President, Panama has placed particular emphasis on countering terrorist financing. This approach is underpinned by a robust technical rationale. Terrorist groups cannot function without money. Tracking that money remains one of the most effective ways of weakening these groups. Hampering their access to financial vehicles as well as to sources of financing means that we must bolster national legislation and prevent the misuse of the financial system. Achieving this goal means complying with relevant international standards, understanding new financing mechanisms and adapting our response to the operations of virtual assets. Moreover, we must strengthen the exchange of information and intelligence with Interpol and with other regional authorities so that we can combat the proliferation of transnational criminal networks and kidnapping for ransom. Panama is a the key transit hub of our region. And as such, we have wholeheartedly embraced our responsibility to protect our logistical and financial platform from terrorist financing. We have spearheaded the wholesale transformation of our institutional architecture that is a result of sustained effort and important sacrifices. These all reflect our determination to ensure that Panama's role as a global trade corridor is always underpinned by transparency and the law. We cannot let our guard down. Twenty-five years ago, the Council responded to attacks which transformed our understanding of the terrorist threat. Today, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the tools built then are tailored to the reality that we now face and that which is to come. As a country which exists to serve peace and the integrity of the international system, Panama reaffirms its commitment to a world free of terrorism. The great lesson learned from that tragic and fateful 11th of September is as conclusive as it is simple. No type of terrorism, anywhere, under any circumstances, is justifiable. Thank you.

I thank the representative of Panama for that statement. I give the floor to the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Thank you, Mr. President. The Democratic Republic of the Congo thanks France for organizing this meeting devoted to the fight against terrorism. We also would like to thank all of the briefers. Thank them for their presentations. Holding the meeting on this day of remembrance of the attacks of September 11, 2001, reminds us of the heavy toll that terrorism has placed on humanity in recent decades. Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragedy, as well as with all those who around the world have fell victim to terrorist barbarism. And this memory compels us to look at the threat as it presents itself today. Terrorism has not receded. It has moved. It become fragmented and adapted, finding in protracted conflicts, in weak institutions, cross-border trafficking, and criminal economies, new spaces to prosper. And Africa is today paying a particularly heavy price for that. From the Sahel to the Lake Chad Basin, from the Horn of Africa to Central Africa, terrorist groups and their affiliates continue to expand their reach to cross borders and exploit the vulnerabilities of states and communities. And their first victims remain the civilians. Other hotbeds also continue to present this threat internationally. In the Middle East, as in parts of Asia, terrorist groups continue to take advantage of protracted conflicts, instability, and institutional fragilities to preserve their capacities, to rebuild their networks, and to expand their influence. And this shifting geography reflects a profoundly cross-border threat, which can regroup itself and shift its resources and modes of action as circumstances change. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is also experiencing this reality. In the east of our country, the Allied Democratic Forces, the ADF, continue to sow death and destruction amongst the civilians. Murders, kidnappings, violence against women and children, and forced displacements bear witness to a threat for which our people continue to pay the price. The African experience, therefore, teaches us one essential thing. It is that no national response, no matter how determined, can suffice in the face of networks which ignore all borders, which move their fighters and resources, and take advantage of regional fragilities. The fight against terrorism calls for international solidarity and cooperation commensurate with the threat. Mr. President, this collective action also means that we should be able to agree on what it is that we're fighting. However, despite decades of efforts spent on this, the international community still does not have a universally accepted definition of terrorism. This lack of consensus complicates international cooperation and undermines the coherence of our action. The Democratic Republic of the Congo believes that it's important to continue efforts to reach a consensus that will make it possible to fight terrorism with the necessary firmness, without ambiguity, and in accordance with international law. But defining the threat is not enough. It is also necessary to dry up the resources that allow it to prosper. My country's experience shows how terrorism can take advantage of situations of conflict and instability, of illicit trafficking, circulation of weapons, the illegal exploitation of natural resources, and transnational criminal networks. Resolution 2462 reminds us of the need to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorism. And this requires, inter alia, better traceability of natural resources, greater transparency in supply chains, increased control of financial flows, and enhanced cooperation against money laundering and criminal economies that sustain violence. For the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the principle here is simple. Our natural resources must finance the development of our peoples, not the destruction of our communities. And the same applies to access to weapons. Resolution 2370 calls on states to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of terrorist groups. And this commitment must be implemented fully, rigorously, and without selectivity. Mr. President, the terrorist threat also evolves with the times. Terrorist groups are now exploiting digital technologies, social networks, drones, and increasingly new artificial intelligence tools for propaganda purposes, recruitment, or action. And our ability to combat them must evolve at the same pace. It's up to us to prevent these technologies from becoming multipliers of violence, while mobilizing their potential for prevention and protection of populations. This adaptation must remain fully in line with international law, with human rights, and where applicable, with international humanitarian law. Mr. President. Experience reminds us, finally, of the following obvious thing: the fight against terrorism cannot be won by military means alone. The security response can be essential in the face of an immediate threat. However, it cannot by itself eliminate the conditions in which violence takes root and regenerates. Security must therefore go hand in hand with justice, prevention, development and institution building. It is also in education, the prospects offered to young people and the resilience of communities that a long-term response to terrorism is built. In the face of a threat that knows no borders, our response cannot be fragmented. It calls for states capable of protecting their populations, better supported regional mechanisms and international cooperation that leaves no region alone in the face of the spread of terrorism. The Democratic Republic of the Congo reaffirms its readiness to work alongside the members of this Council and all of its partners in order to strengthen a collective united and resolute response that addresses both the manifestations of terrorism and the resources and the fragilities that enable it to prosper. Because in the face of terrorism, our collective responsibility is measured not only by our ability to respond to violence when it strikes, but also by our determination to prevent it from finding the conditions for its entrenchment elsewhere. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for the statement, and now give the floor to the representative of Colombia.

Thank you, Mr. President. Colombia thanks you for your efforts to issue this presidential statement against terrorism. This phenomenon is well known to the world, but particularly to our country. September 11 was an unforgettable date, but it is also a date which will go down in our collective memory as humankind. Indeed, is it etched on that memory?

90 countries lost citizens in the attacks of 9/11. It is a date that also is remembering the victims of all those countries, and of course, of the United States of America. Colombia stands close to United States in this date and regrets what happened in the country and the city that nowadays host all of us. Mr. President, Colombia is now facing, as many other countries as we have here today, a different form of terrorism. It evolves. Therefore, and that explains in a great, great way why it's so difficult to find a common definition. But we should not be in the wrong side of history, given the difficulties, the particularities that each of one of us face. It is not impossible to get there. What happened is that terrorism works differently and actually uses the failures of the systems to evolve. It's combined and of course, is as well international. In the case of Colombia, the most recent phenomenon is the illegal mining. an activity that appears in other countries legal, in our country is used to foster the financial resources for terrorist groups in our country. It's also an activity that is combined now with drug trafficking. The combination of the two is lethal. Colombia is facing a great challenge and our government is fighting with all that we have and must within the law, within our constitution, and within the international law to defeat a problem that uses terrorism to destroy generations and the future of our country and many others. There are also human rights consequences of terrorism. After 9/11, 141 countries changed all their national security laws. It was a trend, and of course, it followed by the terrorist attacks across the planet. Yet, we don't have a singular, definition of what terrorism is about, and we think that this is truly the issue at stake, when actually it's not. Colombia presents to you a basic proposal, otherwise we will not reach that consensus. It seems that we have different scopes to define terrorism. We should select those that are common to all of us, to our history, to our cultures, to our reality, to our geopolitics. And what appears common was given here to us in 9/11. We have always learned about the stories of those that did the unimaginable, but also must remember the force of the victims that exhibited the greatest bravery that we have remembered. It was an equation of those that were brave against those that are cowards. Cowardice is a characteristic that is common. Terrorism is a vehicle in and of itself and can be and must be stopped. The only way to get to this common definition is to recognize the core elements of terrorism as the central legal equation to define what is simply clear to all of us unacceptable. We can define by degrees and assign accountability, but the relationships that go to the core of terrorism, the financing, of course, the technology. Colombia, press on you the urgency to pay close attention to one of the greatest challenge, which is not AI, but is what is known as the final core. We are arriving in a time that quantum technology and AI meet. Ineluctably, the design of the algorithm will define nothing else than humanity. And terrorism uses not the capabilities but the failures and the weaknesses of the system. And when it comes to technology, the world is about to know other type of terrorism. And this time, we cannot be in the wrong side of history. We call upon the United Nations Security Council to advance further with the resolutions 2462, 1568, and build at least an approach by scopes of terrorism that integrates different realities and allow us to strike directly where the world needs. Mr. President.

For my country, for Latin America as a region, what occurred on the 11th of September in the USA has a clear ideological structure underpinning it, but it also had undeniable consequences. the United States of America and the peoples of Latin America have historic ties and many Latin American people lived or continue to live and they are still here indeed in the United States of America. We lost many of them, however. For our region, for Colombia, It is crucial for us to act, for us to use, leverage the sanctions regime. We can show the world that this is a problem where there is common ground. The scope of the phenomenon can vary, as can our approaches. However, we can return to crucial common ground. What we cannot do is hesitate. We cannot balk. We must act with resolve.

Technology goes really fast, and we must act as well in the same direction with the same pace.

It is vital for the future of humankind that we act that we reach consensus at least, and this is the key appeal of the Republic of Colombia to you. Colombia as a country that has lost thousands and thousands of people over the last 40, 50 years in which it has fought against terrorism. We fought against guerrillas, paramilitaries, drug dealers. We are doing our part. and we will do everything we can, everything in our power, but we need the assistance of the United Nations and of the Security Council, just as many other countries do, just as many other people do. We must do everything we can. We owe that to future generations, but also to victims. We appeal to you all for us to continue these efforts in spite of our differences. We must understand that together we can garner consensus. We must start by defining terrorism, its thresholds, its levels, its consequences, and the degrees of responsibility that people must shoulder. Thank you, President.

Thank you. to the representative of Colombia. I now give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Mr. President, with a thank you briefest today. It's been 25 years today since the monstrous terrorist attacks in the United States that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 innocent people. We would like to once again, would like to express our sincere condolences to the people of the United States of America, as well as to the relatives and loved ones of those who perished. Among them were citizens of dozens of states, including Russians. The tragedy of the September 11th showed very clearly that terrorism knows no borders, does not distinguish its victims by nationality, religion, or citizenship. And our country has more than once become a target of terrorists in Beslan, in Nordost, the bombings in the Moscow Metro, and the attack on Crocus City Hall. have left deep wounds in the memory of the Russian people. And behind each of these crimes are those who were killed and injured, shattered lives, and families for whom lives changed forever. We understand well what terrorists are seeking to achieve. Their goal is not only to take human lives, but also to sow fear, to divide societies, and to drive states apart. In September 2001, this calculation failed. The international community was able to unite in the face of a common tragedy. The Security Council responded swiftly and decisively. On the 20th of September 2001, already, the landmark resolution 1373 was adopted unanimously, which established the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee. This document became one of the cornerstones of the modern international counter-terrorism architecture. Russia supported this and other key Security Council decisions in response to the terrorist attacks and joined the practical cooperation in the field of counterterrorism. Over the following quarter century, the international architecture created at that time underwent significant developments. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate was established. Mechanisms were formed for assessing States' implementation of their obligations and identifying their needs for technical assistance. Mechanisms were created for countering the financing of terrorism and the cross-border movement of foreign terrorist fighters. Efforts against extremist ideology were strengthened. The sanctions regime against ISIL and al-Qaeda continue to be improved. In 2006, the United Nations Global Counterterrorism Strategy was adopted by consensus, and in 2017, the United Nations Office of Counterterrorism was established, and it was assigned the leading role in coordinating the counterterrorism efforts of the UN system and providing relevant technical assistance to states. These instruments remain in demand today because the terrorist threat has not disappeared. Quite to the contrary, it is becoming increasingly complex and adaptive. ISIL and affiliated structures remain active in the Middle East and are expanding their presence in some areas of Africa. ISIL-Khorasan in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious danger. And the problem of foreign terrorist fighters, capable of transferring the combat experience they have acquired from one region to another, has not lost its relevance. At the same time, the terrorist toolkit is changing. Modern technologies enable them to recruit supporters, to disseminate propaganda, raise funds, coordinate their actions, and prepare attacks while being thousands of kilometers apart. Terrorist groups are making ever greater use of digital financial instruments, drones, AI, and new means of communication. All of these threats are transboundary in nature and require a coordinated international response. No state, regardless of the capabilities at its disposal, is able effectively to counter terrorism on its own. Mr. President, Against this background, particular concern is caused by the continuing obstacles to full-fledged international counterterrorism cooperation. In a number of key areas, cooperation today is not being strengthened, but, to the contrary, is encountering additional difficulties. And we see this especially clearly in the sphere of information sharing, coordination amongst competent authorities, and the practical application of mutual legal assistance mechanisms. This is not an abstract problem. Any delay in transmitting information, disruption of work contacts, or inability to obtain necessary data in a timely manner creates vulnerabilities that terrorist structures can exploit. Terrorists long ago learned to operate at the intersection of jurisdictions and to exploit differences in national legislation, financial systems, and approaches to law enforcement cooperation. the weaker the interaction among states, the broader the opportunities for militants. Today, international relations are going through a difficult period. On many issues, states' positions differ significantly. However, the fight against terrorism must not become a hostage to geopolitical confrontation. The price of weakened cooperation in this sphere is measured not in political costs, but in human lives. Mr. President, September 11, is not only a day of remembrance of those who perished. It's also a reminder of how important unity and coordinated action by states are in the face of a common threat. Since 2001, we have succeeded in building an effective system of counterterrorism cooperation. Today, it is important not only to preserve the effectiveness of this system, but also to increase its resilience to political turbulence. and its ability to respond in a timely manner to new forms and manifestations of the terrorist threat. Russia consistently advocates professional and depoliticized counterterrorism cooperation on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. Priorities. must remain the timely and uninterrupted exchange of information, mutual legal assistance, working contacts among competent authorities, and the joint development of responses to evolving methods of terrorist activity. Terrorists always seek to exploit division, mistrust, and lack of coordination among states. Our response must be exactly the opposite: unity of approaches, mutual trust, and readiness to act together where the protection of human lives and common security is concerned. And this is one of the principal lessons of September 11th and our duty to those whom we remember today. I thank you.

I thank the representative of the Russian Federation and I give the floor to the representative of the Russian Federation.

Thank you, President. At the outset, I would like to thank Ms. Gurman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. and to Mr. Ihab Ameish, Director for Policy and Coordination at the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, and to Ms. Noreen Fink, the Executive Director of GIFCT. I thank them for their valuable briefings. Mr. President, we meet today on a solemn occasion. As we mark the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11, we remember their innocent victims, as well as all victims of terrorism around the world. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, the Security Council adopted a number of resolutions, including Resolution 1373, which laid the foundation for the international counter-terrorism architecture and established obligations for all Member States alike to combat and suppress terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We have recently reached an important milestone. as this year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Global Counter-Strategy Terrorism. This strategy sent a clear message against terrorism and serves as a global reference and a comprehensive framework for preventing and combating terrorism in all its forms. Mr. President, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the countries of the region have recently been subjected to terrorist attacks targeting their territories and civilian and vital facilities, within the context of Iran's practices that threaten Bahrain's security and the stability of the region. These acts constitute a serious escalation that requires a collective response, reflecting the priority the Council places on the maintenance of international peace and security. Accordingly, the Kingdom of Bahrain reiterates the need for Iran to fully comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly resolution 2817, and to cease all attacks hostile acts and threats affecting the security of the countries of the region and undermining de-escalation efforts. Iran should also respect the sovereignty of states and adhere to the principles of good neighborliness and to refrain from any practices that could undermine regional security and stability. Mr. President, terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to international peace and security. Despite ongoing efforts to combat terrorism, the terrorist threat persists, and it continues to evolve, taking new forms and methods, while exploiting technological advances and emerging environments. In this regard, I would like to focus on the following points. First, The security environment is undergoing rapid changes driven by new and emerging technologies, particularly in the fields of artificial intelligence, drones, cryptocurrencies, and virtual assets. The Kingdom of Bahrain expresses its concern over the use of digital platforms for the dissemination of extremist propaganda, recruitment, incitement, fundraising, and the planning of terrorist operations. We therefore call for a continued examination of these challenges, while at the same time harnessing modern technologies to strengthen efforts to prevent and combat terrorism. We emphasize the importance of a greater engagement by the Council on these issues. Second, the Kingdom of Bahrain stresses the need to work seriously to deny terrorists access to sources of financing and to strengthen efforts aimed at combating terrorist financing, including the misuse of digital wallets, virtual assets and cryptocurrencies to conceal the identities of beneficial owners. The Kingdom also emphasizes the importance of the effective implementation of the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, as well as strengthening financial intelligence capabilities, cooperation and information sharing among states. Third, the Kingdom of Bahrain emphasizes the need to take practical and concrete steps to enhance international cooperation, information sharing and capacity building. while ensuring the full and effective implementation of the Council's sanctions regimes and the regular updating of sanctions lists in order to keep pace with the evolving terrorist threats. In conclusion, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its steadfast commitment to preventing and combating terrorism, implementing relevant Security Council resolutions, and continuing to work with all partners to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, to dry up its sources of financing, and to address the threat it poses to international peace and security. Thank you, President.

I thank the representative of Bahrain for the statement. I now give the floor to the representative of Latvia.

Thank you, Mr. President. First, I would like to commend France for convening the Council today, just like the French Presidency did it 25 years ago in September. And I also wish to thank our briefers for their contributions. 25 years have passed since the tragic morning of September 11, 2001. And yet, for so many, September 11 does not feel like history. It remains a date marked by absence, by families who still carry an empty place at the table, by the first responders who never came home, and by a world that on that day came to realize with painful clarity how terrorism can profoundly threaten human life, trust, international peace and security. Today, we stand with the people of the United States. We remember nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in New York, Washington, DC, Arlington, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Not as statistics, but as mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, colleagues, friends, and citizens of a world that believed it was safe. We also remember all those affected by terrorism in the years since, in cities and communities across the world. Their suffering reminds that terrorism knows no borders and respects no nationality. For Latvia, like many other nations, 9/11 became a moment of assuming collective responsibility for terrorism's threat to international peace and security. In the aftermath of the attacks, we joined the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan as part of this Council's mandated effort. And also, our contribution came at a cost. Latvian soldiers served far from home, alongside our allies, and some of them never returned. Today, Latvia also remembers them. Today, we remember that behind every international commitment are human beings who are willing to stand in harm's way in the hope that others may live in greater security. The United Nations, too, was changed by September 11. Within weeks, Also under the French presidency, this Council unanimously adopted resolution 1373, establishing a comprehensive international framework for combating terrorism, creating the Counter-Terrorism Committee and 1267 sanctions regime. Since then, the United Nations counter-terrorism mechanisms have continued to strengthen international cooperation and support national capacity building to prevent terrorism financing, curb movement of foreign terrorist fighters, improve border security, and counter radicalization. 25 years on, the fight against terrorism is far from over. The threat landscape has changed and evolved. A wealth of new technology, accessible and affordable worldwide, has changed and in many ways eased the way terrorists operate. Terrorist groups in remote areas of the world can use commercial satellites, digital financial tools, use encrypted messages to coordinate attacks, order parts of UAVs online, or use AI to reach communities in any language to spread propaganda and recruit new members. And while we are discussing emerging use of new technologies, in fact, artificial intelligence, commercial satellites, virtual currencies, crypto assets, UAVs are enthusiastically and widely embraced by individual terrorists and terrorist groups. So we call for a clear, direct approach that recognizes these challenges while exploring ways to harness technology in compliance with international law to counter terrorism. 25 years after 9/11, the greatest tribute we can offer to victims and survivors of terrorist attacks worldwide are to remember the unity in which we came together after the Twin Towers came down. In our conviction to never let this happen again, we came together to design a robust international normative framework and tools required to take on new challenges as they emerge on the counterterrorism landscape. So this Council needs to recognize that the new age of technology is already upon us. and that we need to take action to strengthen the collective response to terrorism. So we commend France for focusing this meeting not only on commemoration, but looking ahead to the future and setting the pace for resolute Council action against the fast-evolving threat of terrorism worldwide.

I thank you. I thank the representative of Latvia for the statement. I shall now make a statement in my capacity as a representative for France.

I first of all wish to thank the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Ms. Natalia German, as well as the Director for Policy and Coordination at the UN OCT, Mr. Ayoub Maish, and the Executive Director of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, Ms. Chowdhury Fink. I thank them all for briefings which illustrate both the persistent nature and evolution of the threat. They also pave the way towards an effective response. Everyone remembers where he was on the 11th of September 2001, when the Twin Towers were struck by an unprecedented terrorist attack. More than 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Today, we pay tribute to the victims, to their families, to the city of New York, and to the United States and the American people, indeed, 25 years after this deadly attack. France has not been spared by terrorism. We do not forget the victims of the Bataclan, Saint-Denis, Charlie Hebdo, Nice and so many other attacks elsewhere. Very few countries have not fallen victim to terrorism. The memory of 11 September, as well as that of all terrorist attacks throughout the world, must remind us of our responsibility and that of this Council to fight collectively against the terrorist threat. Yes, the fight against terrorism is at the heart of the Security Council's mission. In 2001, the Council proved able to act quickly and with resolve. Indeed, the day after the attacks, the Security Council adopted resolution 1368, condemning the attack and committing to take necessary measures against this scourge. This commitment was upheld by resolution 1373, which was also adopted unanimously on the 28th of September 2001. It enshrines all states' obligation to suppress terrorism and creates dedicated mechanism for international cooperation in this regard, the CTC. In 25 years, the Security Council has established a robust normative framework to dry up terrorist financing, to restrict terrorist movements, to thwart their recruitment strategies. These norms scrupulously respect human rights and the rule of law. and go hand in hand with actions on the root causes of terrorism, actions to prevent violent extremism and actions to counter radicalization. France is fully committed to the fight against terrorism. We participated in the coalition in Afghanistan from 2001 onwards. We've fought subsidiaries of al-Qaeda in the Sahel and we remain mobilised within the international coalition against Daesh in the Middle East. I wish to pay tribute to soldiers who have perished in all operations against terrorism. Our fight is far from over. Terrorism goes hand in hand with our society's progress because it weaponises our own innovations against us. Daesh, al-Qaeda and their affiliates continue to expand their presence and conduct cross-border attacks far from their bases. Daesh is strengthening its foothold in the African continent, the Sahel, in the DRC and in East Africa. In the Middle East, terrorist groups seize the slightest opportunity to carve out a safe haven. In Afghanistan, Daesh-Khorasan is one of the most active branches of the organization. Terrorists have changed their modus operandi. They instrumentalize and divert new technologies, drones, commercial satellites, artificial intelligence, to conduct more targeted and more deadly attacks. They hone professional propaganda methods. They attract ever younger recruits. And they fully harness new finance technologies. The Council's action over the last 25 years has served to unite the international community against terrorism. we must once again play this role as a driver. This involves putting in place an effective system to fight against the use of new technologies by terrorism. The presidential statement that we will adopt today is an expression of the Council in this regard. It is incumbent upon all of us collectively to ensure that a tragedy such as that of September the 11th never again occurs. I thank you. I now resume my function as President of the Council. The Council has the text before it of a presidential statement. It was the text of a statement by the President on behalf of the Council on the subject of today's meeting. I thank Council members for their valuable contributions to this statement. In accordance with the understanding reached among members of the Council, shall I take it that members of the Security Council agree to the statement, which will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1200. There are no more speakers on my list. I wish to thank our briefers, and the meeting is adjourned.