UNSC Adopts Resolution Preventing Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons

NEW YORK, (ST)- The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously adopt a resolution, the draft of which was submitted to the council by Egypt, on preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons.

Egypt’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations Amr Abo El-Ata said that the Resolution No. 2370 for 2017 is the first of its kind in terms of dealing in details with the issue of preventing terrorists from getting weapons.

 According to Abo El-Ata, the resolution affirms the commitment of all countries to prevent arms supplies to terrorists and implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. He said the Security Council should act in case these resolutions are not implemented.

The resolution stresses the need to prevent and avoid arms smuggling to terrorists in areas of conflict and to enhance cooperation in order to prevent the terrorists from getting weapons through internet and social media. It also reiterates the importance of international judicial cooperation as to enforce the law that prevents terrorists from acquiring arms.

 On his part, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said that the terrorists in Syria and Iraq are getting weapons and ammunitions despite all international community’s efforts to confront this phenomenon, clarifying that there are some organizations and establishments in some countries that continue to provide terrorists with weapons.

“Some countries are facilitating the terrorists’ acquiring of weapons and we have documented information showing that some organizations are also delivering weapons to the terrorists under intelligence bodies supervision, so there is a need to confront these practices and adopt necessary measures to block the arrival of these weapons to the terrorists,” said Nebenzia.

He pointed out that “the terrorist mortar attack on the Russian Embassy in Damascus wouldn’t have occurred if the terrorists hadn’t get weapons.”  

Hamda Mustafa