We must unite to prevent Afghanistan from again becoming 'terrorism hotbed': UN official

UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov has called on the Security Council members to unite to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a "hotbed of terrorism”.

"We must unite to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorism," Voronkov said on Thursday while warning about the danger of Islamic State group affiliate in that country launching attacks abroad.

He made the remarks while briefing the Security Council on Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' report on the threat from Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL).

Voronkov said that the terrorist group's Central Asian affiliate, ISIL-Khorasan, "has improved its financial and logistical capabilities in the past six months".

ISIL, which is also known as Da'aesh from its Arabic acronym and as ISIS, is extending its reach by "tapping into Afghan and Central Asian diasporas for support", he said.

"The activity of Da'esh and other terrorist groups in Afghanistan remains a significant concern. We must unite to prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a hotbed of terrorism," he added.

Efforts by neighbouring countries "to counter and prevent the spread of the threat emanating from Afghanistan is very important", he said.

Da'aesh was emerging as a greater threat in Africa where two of its affiliates have expanded and consolidated their areas of operations, Voronkov said.

"Should these groups extend their influence in northern littoral States, a vast territory stretching from Mali to northern Nigeria could fall under their effective control," he said.

Sierra Leone's Permanent Representative Michael Imran Kanu, who presided over the meeting, said, "We share the concern of the Secretary-General (that) the risk that the continued expansion of terrorist groups will result in an expanding area of instability across West Africa."

He said that it was already in North West Nigeria.

Despite facing "leadership attrition and financial setbacks, Daesh and its affiliates have retained their capacity to conduct terrorist attacks and project threat beyond the areas of operation", he said.

Natalia Gherman, the Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) said that a "one UN approach" of all the member nations and UN agencies and regional and sub-regional groups working together "is crucial in our common endeavours to effectively combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations".

While China has been providing an umbrella from sanctions for some Pakistan-based terrorists like Lashkar-e-Tayiba leader Sajid Mir, its Permanent Representative Geng Shuang spoke out at the meeting against double standards.

He said, "All countries should uphold the concept of common security, abandon ideological bias, eradicate double standards or selectivity in counterterrorism efforts, and effectively respect and protect the security of each and every country."

"Counter-terrorism should not become a tool for major power rivalry, a bargaining chip in geopolitics, or a pretext for interfering in other countries' internal affairs," he added.

The US-Russia rivalry played out in a strange manner when the terrorist attack on the Crocus Music Hall near Moscow in which about 145 people were killed this year came up at the meeting.

Washington's Alternative Representative to the UN Robert Wood said, "The United States shares the Secretary-General's concern regarding ISIS-Khorasan's ability to conduct attacks outside of Afghanistan, as we saw with the horrific terrorist attacks in Kerman (in Iran) on January 3 and Moscow on March 22 that resulted in hundreds of deaths".

However, the charge d'affaires at Russia's UN Mission, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said cryptically that Moscow was against linking the terrorist attack "exclusively to ISIL and its wing 'ISIS-Khorasan' until the official investigation ends".

"Sometimes we get the impression that some people know more about this terrorist attack than those who are investigating it," he said.