G-7 Foreign Ministers' Statement on Joint Action to Fight the Terrorist Organisation ISIL/DAESH
Media Note
Office of the Spokesperson
New York City, NY
September 25, 2014
The text of the following statement was released by the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the
United Kingdom, the United States and High Representative of the European Union:
We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and
the High Representative of the European Union jointly condemn the brutal violence, hatred and intolerance of the
terrorist organisation operating under the name ISIL. It negates basic Islamic and human values and poses a deadly
threat to Iraq and Syria, the broader Middle East and beyond, including our own societies. We reaffirm our commitment to
UN Security Council Resolution 2170 (2014) and demand the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all those who are
kept hostage by ISIL or associated individuals and entities.
Over the last weeks at meetings both regionally and throughout the world leaders have agreed on a comprehensive approach
to fight ISIL and to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. We support this comprehensive and coordinated, long-term effort
to degrade and defeat ISIL. In this context we recognize that military action as taken by the US and other countries
represents an important contribution to helping Iraq to defend itself against ISIL and to deprive ISIL of safe havens.
Humanitarian aid to the internally displaced persons and refugees is paramount as long as they cannot return into their
homes. To make this possible we must tackle the military strength, the access to funds and fighters, and the violent
radicalising and recruiting influence of ISIL. We also need to support moderate forces opposed to ISIL in both Iraq and
Syria. To enhance these efforts we will seek to establish a political dialogue on security and stability within the
region and platforms to enable a more structured exchange with countries willing to make constructive contributions
against terrorism.
We affirm our support for the new Iraqi government and encourage Prime Minister al-Abadi to rapidly develop and
implement his government’s National Program as well as an inclusive policy which unifies the country by representing and
defending the interests of all Iraqi men and women. We call upon all countries in the region which have not yet done so
to add their voice of support and consider specific contributions in order to further stabilise Iraq.
We support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Nikolay Mladenov, to advance an
inclusive political dialogue, national reconciliation, and a regional dialogue. We reaffirm the need for a political
transition in Syria, based on the Geneva communique, which was endorsed by UNSC. We commend the efforts of the UN
Secretary General’s Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, to reopen the prospect of a political solution to the crisis in
Syria.
We are committed to restoring stability and peaceful co-existence of all ethnic and religious groups in Syria and Iraq.
We welcome the unequivocal stance taken by Muslim leaders against ISIL’s message of intolerance, hatred and violence.
We welcome all contributions to improve security, including by means of training and equipment, in order to push back
and defeat ISIL. We commend the national and regional security forces in Iraq and the moderate opposition in Syria who
are confronting ISIL on the ground.
We remain committed to providing assistance to the victims of ISIL terror and to continue our humanitarian aid in close
coordination with the UN and other international organisations. We will make every effort to strengthen the humanitarian
response over the winter season and fully recognise the extraordinary efforts made by host communities within Iraq and
by countries in the region to shelter and accommodate great numbers of internally displaced persons and refugees.
Finally, resolute steps to hamper and prevent the flow of fighters and funds to ISIL are urgent. We welcome the adoption
of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum’s The Hague-Marrakech Memorandum on Good Practices for a More Effective Response
to the Foreign Terrorist Fighters Phenomenon and we welcome the adoption of UNSCR 2178 on threats to international peace
and security caused by terrorist acts. We have also asked the G7 Roma Lyon Group to develop concrete initiatives to
address the flows of foreign terrorist fighters and finance to Iraq and Syria. The international conference on combating
terrorism financing announced by the government of Bahrain is very welcomed in this respect.
ENDS