Statement of the Political Directors of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS
Copenhagen, Denmark, January 29, 2020
At the invitation of Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Jeppe Kofod, the Political Directors of the
Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Small Group met today in Copenhagen to reaffirm our shared
determination to continue the fight against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to create conditions for
an enduring defeat of the terrorist group through a comprehensive, multifaceted effort. International
law, including international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians and international human
rights law, as well as relevant UN Security Council resolutions, must be upheld under any
circumstances. The Political Directors agreed to strengthen cooperation across all lines of effort in
order to ensure that Daesh/ISIS and its affiliates are unable to reconstitute any territorial enclave or
threaten our homelands, people, and interests.
Daesh/ISIS no longer controls territory and almost 8 million people have been freed from its control
in Iraq and Syria. Nevertheless, Daesh/ISIS is adapting its methods to the situation as it evolves and
hopes to use regional instabilities as an opportunity to conduct attacks and reemerge in Iraq and in
Syria, as well as where Daesh/ISIS branches and networks exist elsewhere. Territorial defeat has
been achieved, but all members of the Coalition acknowledge that the job to ensure a lasting defeat
of ISIS remains. We will continue our efforts until the job is done.
It is critically important to maintain and allocate adequate resources to sustain Coalition efforts
against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, including providing support to legitimate partner forces, to best
safeguard our collective security interests. The Coalition will continue to further develop its support
to and close partnership with the Iraqi government, the Iraqi Security Forces, and our partners in the
region in their ongoing efforts to diminish Daesh/ISIS’s
capabilities and ensure it cannot reemerge.
We must continue to increase our various forms of assistance and stabilization support to liberated
areas. In Iraq, the Coalition remains committed to working with the government and the Iraqi people
to build a safe, stable, and prosperous country in full respect of Iraqi sovereignty. We will continue
the close dialogue with the Iraqi government on appropriate measures to adapt the operational
efficiency and coordination of our collective efforts to defeat Daesh/ISIS. In Syria, the Coalition
stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlement based on UN Security Council
Resolution 2254. The Coalition must continue to be vigilant against the threats of terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations, to maintain the progress achieved by the Global Coalition to defeat
Daesh/ISIS, to act together against any threats to this outcome and avoid security vacuums in the
region that Daesh/ISIS may exploit. The Coalition must be prepared for the challenges posed by
Daesh/ISIS, which will include plans for a meeting focused on how to support ongoing international
efforts in West Africa and the Sahel in 2020. In this context, the Global Coalition must remain vigilant
and work against the threat of Daesh/ISIS around the world, upon the request or prior consent of the
country or state in which a Daesh/ISIS branch or network exists, and while fully respecting
international law.
The Political Directors reaffirmed their belief that this comprehensive effort is necessary to achieve
a full and enduring defeat of Daesh/ISIS worldwide. The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS has
proven that it is a cohesive, adaptable vehicle that has sustained this important endeavor through
stabilization, political, military and law enforcement
lines of effort. The Coalition’s members, its four
working groups, the political-military consultations, and Coalition implementing platforms have put
together a unique mix of military and civilian expertise focused on ensuring the enduring defeat of
Daesh/ISIS and will continue its efforts to limit the threat of Daesh/ISIS and its branches and
networks. The Political Directors also welcomed the announcement that the next meeting of the
foreign ministers of the entire Global Coalition will take place in Italy this spring.