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06:24 GMT
WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (KUNA) -- US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen late on Thursday commended the UN Security Council for unanimously adopting a resolution that will help fight terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
"Importantly, the resolution marks a step forward in our efforts to raise global aviation security standards," Nielsen said in a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security. "It will make mandatory the use of airline passenger information and biometric data to detect and disrupt terror suspects traveling internationally by air -- a practice long used by the Department of Homeland Security to safeguard our country.
"We stand ready to assist our foreign partners as they implement today's Security Council resolution, and in particular we urge all nations to act quickly to implement these enhancements to combat terrorist travel," she said. "We also look forward to coordinating with all governments on additional measures to heighten pressure against terrorist groups and raise the baseline of security worldwide."
The newly adopted UN Security Council resolution will help nations detect and counter the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), especially those returning from the conflict zone in Iraq and Syria.
"Building on the positive legacy of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178, which was adopted in 2014 and obliged all states to criminalize FTF-related activities, the Security Council today directed members to take additional steps to address the terrorist threat as it has evolved over the last three years," US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on the matter.
Resolution 2396 requires all UN members to use Passenger Name Record data and Advanced Passenger Information to stop terrorist travel. It also requires members to collect biometric data and develop watch lists of known and suspected terrorists, including FTFs. In addition, the new resolution calls for stricter aviation security standards and urges UN members to share counter-terrorism information with each other.
"We look forward to working with countries, UN bodies, civil society and the private sector to implement this groundbreaking resolution," Tillerson said. (end)
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