Mishall RehmanAbove image: Left, Global Coalition against the designated terrorist members met in Washington D.C. Right, U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. Images courtesy of U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken Twitter.
Amidst Daesh’s growing influence in Africa and Central Asia, the Global Coalition against the designated terrorist organization met in Washington D.C. and marked its 10th year.
The meeting, chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, convened 37 countries from around the world that have been working together for the last decade to fight Daesh. Canada was included through the participation of Minister of National Defence Bill Blair.
“Canada remains a reliable partner in multinational efforts to mobilize against the threat of Daesh. We will continue to provide training, advice and assistance to Iraqi security forces, and support the Global Coalition and NATO through Operation IMPACT.
“As we mark the Coalition’s tenth anniversary, we honour the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in Iraq and Syria to liberate territories from Daesh. We must strengthen our cooperation with partners to counter the spread of Daesh and ensure its enduring defeat,” said Minister Blinken in a statement.
In the meeting, ministers came up with combined and innovative solutions to fight Daesh in different countries. They also discussed upholding civilian protection, international law, humanitarian and human rights laws and UN Security Council resolutions.
The meeting took place on Sept. 30.
Affirming Canada’s Commitment
During the meeting, Minister Blair ensured coalition members of Canada’s continued commitment. According to the Department of National Defence, this means contributions in the fields of military, security, stabilization, humanitarian and development assistance.
He also announced a $38.3 million contribution to support nine new and expanded counter-terrorism capacity-building projects and six peace and stabilization projects in Syria and Iraq.
“These civilian-led initiatives work to counter and respond to the evolving global threat posed by Daesh, while establishing the conditions necessary for lasting stability and social cohesion,” stated a release from DND.
Joint Release
After the meeting, the attending ministers released a joint communique outlining their top priorities.
These priorities include:
- supporting the Government of Iraq in keeping its country safe and secure and ensuring development for its people,
- supporting the Coalition Stabilization Working Group and
- raising $394 million to develop areas of Iraq and Syria.
Other priorities listed in the statement include stopping the spread of Daesh in Africa, and Central and Southeast Asia, which includes tactics such as freedom of movement, restricting access to financing, and supporting regional stability.
Other priorities include “preventing terrorists from dominating public narratives across traditional media, social media and encrypted messaging applications.” While also working on solidifying counter-terrorism efforts.
A Decade-Long Alliance
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and in turn, the Canadian government, have supported the Global Coalition against Daesh since 2014. The CAF still provides training, advice and assistance to Iraqi security forces under Operation IMPACT.
The wider breadth of Canada’s military contribution to the Global Coalition includes NATO Mission Iraq, which built military capabilities in Iraq, Jordan, and Lebanon. Canada commanded the NATO Mission Iraq from 2018 to 2020.
Canada also contributes by deploying three Griffon helicopters for in-theatre tactical support and casualty evacuations.
