Following on from our post last week, on February 12 2015, the UN Security Council (“UNSC“) unanimously agreed to adopt Resolution 2199 responding to the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (“ISIL“), as well as the Al Nusra Front (“ANF“) and other groups associated with Al-Qaida (“AQ“). This resolution builds upon UNSC Resolution 2170 (2014), the UNSC’s first major resolution on the ISIL threat that was adopted in August 2014.
The Resolution focuses extensively on terrorist financial support networks, particularly the raising of funds through oil smuggling, antiquities, kidnapping and other illicit activities.
The core elements of Resolution 2199 are:
1. Oil smuggling
• Condemns any direct and indirect trade, in particular of oil and oil products, with ISIL, ANF and AQ-related groups;
• Clarifies that existing UN sanctions prohibit the trade in oil and refined oil products, as well as modular refineries;
• Threatens to impose sanctions on those who engage in any direct or indirect trade with ISIL, ANF and AQ-related groups;
• Emphasises that all states must freeze all assets of ISIL, ANF and AQ-related groups, as well as those of their agents; and
• Requires states to report to the UNSC’s Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee any interdictions of oil, oil products, modular refineries, and related material interdicted en-route to ISIL, ANF and AQ-related groups.
2. Looting of Antiquities
• Condemns the destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq and Syria, including targeted destruction of religious sites and objects;
• Reaffirms an existing ban on the illicit trade of antiquities from Iraq; and
• Imposes a new ban on the illicit trade of antiquities from Syria.
3. Kidnapping for Ransom
• Reaffirms previous calls on states to prevent terrorists from benefiting from ransom payments or political concessions; and
• Reaffirms that UN sanctions prohibit ransom payments to UN-listed groups, including ISIL and ANF.
4. Arms
• Reaffirms existing UN sanctions that requires states not to supply ISIL, ANF and AQ-related groups with arms;
• Calls upon all states to consider measures to prevent the proliferation of all arms.
5. UN Follow-up and Monitoring
• Calls upon states to report to the UNSC’s Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee within 120 days on steps taken to comply with the measures imposed in the Resolution
• Requests the UNSC’s Al-Qaida sanctions Monitoring Team to monitor the impact of the measures and provide an impact assessment in six months.
A full copy of the resolution can be accessed here.
