UN Warns of Growing and More Complex ISIS Threat

The United Nations Security Council has been told that the threat posed by ISIL (also known as ISIS or Da’esh) is intensifying despite sustained counter-terrorism efforts.

Presenting the latest report from the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism, Acting Under Secretary-General Alexandre Zouev said the group has shown continued resilience, with the threat increasing steadily since the previous update in August. He described ISIL as increasingly multi-polar and complex.

According to the report, ISIL and its affiliates continue to recruit foreign fighters, exploit new and emerging technologies, and maintain access to funding through activities such as unlawful taxation and kidnapping for ransom.

The group is also expanding its footprint in parts of Africa, particularly in West Africa and the Sahel, where ISIL-linked groups in the Lake Chad basin are gaining prominence. Zouev warned that their growing territorial control is worsening regional instability and undermining national capacities to address interconnected security, human rights, and development challenges.

He urged UN member states, especially in Africa, to strengthen political ownership and pursue unified, nationally driven, and inclusive prevention strategies, stressing the need for sustained global cooperation to counter the evolving threat.

Briefing the Council separately, Nathalia Gherman, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, said ISIL continues to carry out and inspire terrorist attacks worldwide. She noted that Cameroon, Chad, and Somalia are among seven countries scheduled for Counter-Terrorism Committee assessment visits in 2025, aimed at providing tailored recommendations and identifying technical assistance needs.