21 January 2025, UNHQ, New York – The Algerian Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) held a high-level open debate on the theme “African-led and Development-Focused Counter-Terrorism: Strengthening African Leadership and Implementation of Counterterrorism Initiatives”.
The meeting, attended by Amb. Shaukat Fareed, PAM Permanent Observer to the UN in New York, featured several contributions from key speakers: H.E. Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad of Algeria, who also chaired the event; Ms. Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General; Amb. Bankole Adeoye, African Union (AU) Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, and Amb. Said Djinnit, Special Advisor at the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD).
Among the interventions, in his opening remarks, H.E Minister Attaf emphasized Algeria’s commitment to raising awareness of the persistent threat of terrorism in Africa, taking into consideration the alarming increase of terrorist and criminal activities on the continent. He also presented the newly adopted non-binding guiding principles for Member States on preventing, detecting, and disrupting the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes (Algeria Guiding Principles).
Ms. Mohammed emphasized the severe impact of terrorism in the Sahel, now the epicenter of global terrorist activity, accounting for 59% of all terrorism-related deaths worldwide. She underscored the critical need for strengthened regional cooperation, sustainable funding for African-led peace missions, and the prompt implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719.
The Sahel represents the geographical proximity of PAM, and the destabilization of that area has significant repercussions on the Members of the Assembly. Over the last years, the security environment in Africa has also deteriorated due to the involvement of armed foreign actors, further complicating the regional landscape, namely the Russian-mercenary Wagner Group and o the Russian Expeditionary Corps – REK, directly controlled by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Monitoring these developments, PAM researchers have been working on a comprehensive Background Note on the presence and operations of the Wagner Group and REK in the PAM regions and the Sahel, which is available at https://pam.int/pam-note-on-wagner-group-in-the-pam-regions/
PAM works in collaboration with its partners, such as UNOCT, UNSC CTED and UNODC, in combatting terrorism and transnational organized crime in all its forms and manifestations. In recognition of the accomplished work in this regard, in December 2024, the Assembly was also elected to assume the Presidency of the UN Coordination Mechanism for Parliamentary Assemblies on Counter-terrorism//.