NEW YORK // The UN Security Council has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at choking off millions of dollars in earnings to ISIL from oil smuggling, antiquities trafficking and ransom payments.
The measure, adopted on Thursday, was co-sponsored by more than 35 countries in a show of international resolve against the extremists who last year overran huge swathes of Syria and Iraq.
The resolution calls for sanctions against individuals and entities that trade in oil with ISIL and Al Qaeda affiliates such as the Al Nusra Front in Syria.
It also urges all 193 countries of the United Nations to take “appropriate steps” to prevent the trade in cultural property from Iraq and Syria, and reminds governments worldwide that they must “prevent terrorists from benefiting directly or indirectly from ransom payments or political concessions” to secure the release of hostages.
This latter provision was directed at European governments who have found ways of circumventing the ban on paying ransoms in exchange for the freeing of captives.
The resolution is drafted under chapter 7 of the UN charter, and can be enforced through sanctions or use of force, although the text does not authorise military force.
It specifies that all governments must report on the measures they are taking to clamp down on ISIL financing within 120 days.
Russia drafted the initial text which focused heavily on oil smuggling, but the scope of the measure was broadened following discussions to include other revenue streams.
US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, described Thursday’s resolution as “robust” in providing governments worldwide with “clear practical instructions” on preventing oil smuggling.
But she lamented that the 15-nation security council had not been able to show the same unity on attempting to bring an end to the four-year civil war in Syria, blaming the conflict on the rise of ISIL.
“Just as we condemn the monstrosities perpetrated by [ISIL] we must also continue to condemn the brutality of [Syrian president Bashar Al Assad’s] regime, which has long since lost the legitimacy to lead,” Ms Power said.
She rejected claims that the United States needed to partner with the Syrian government to confront violent extremists.
The council has long been deadlocked on Syria with Mr Al Assad’s ally Russia, backed by China, vetoing several resolutions on the Syrian conflict.
A report by the UN’s Al Qaeda monitoring team released in November estimated that ISIL earns US$850,000 (Dh3.1m) to $1.65 million per day from oil sales.
US officials now say, however, that oil is no longer the group’s main source of revenue. This is due to air strikes on oil installations and a global plunge in oil prices that has also affected black market prices.
Thursday’s resolution builds on previous efforts to target ISIL oil sales, urging states to stop vehicles leaving or entering ISIL and Nusra Front territory that could be smuggling oil, metals, grain, livestock, electronics, and cigarettes for international sale or to barter for weapons.
Turkey, in particular, is seen as a transit point for oil deliveries, with lorries often returning to Iraq or Syria with refined products.
In addition to a new ban on trade in Syria antiquities, this latest resolution also reaffirmed a ban on Iraqi sales from about a decade ago.
It expressed concern that ISIL and others “are generating income from engaging directly or indirectly in the looting and smuggling of cultural heritage items ... to support their recruitment efforts and strengthen their operational capability to organise and carry out terrorist attacks.”
According to the UN report from November, however, it has been very difficult to estimate how much money ISIL is generating from the looting and trade in Syrian and Iraqi antiquities.
The report also said ISIL was raising about $96,000 to $123,000 per day from ransom payments.
* Agence France-Presse and Reuters
