[JURIST] The United Nations Security Council [official website] on Friday unanimously adopted [press release] a new resolution [draft, PDF] calling on all member states to fight to eradicate the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) [JURIST backgrounder]. Introduced by France in the wake of ISIL attacks that claimed 129 lives French lives, the resolution asks states to do what they can to destroy ISIL safe havens in Syria and Iraq. Characterizing ISIL as “a global and unprecedented threat to international peace and security,” the Security Council warned that further attacks are expected, in much the same way ISIL perpetrated recent attacks in Tunisia, Turkey, over Egypt with the downing of a Russian plane, and in Beirut and Paris. By a 15-0 vote in favor, the Security Council pledged to attack all terror organizations in the Iraq and Syria region, including Al-Nusrah Front [BBC backgrounder], both with physical force and by working to crack down on foreign fighters joining the cause and by blocking financing.

The Islamic State has perpetrated multiple terror attacks in the recent past, including last week’s attacks in France and an attack on the capital city of Lebanon [JURIST reports] the week before. Immediately following the attacks in France, French President François Hollande vowed that the French “will lead the fight, and we will be ruthless.” Subsequently, the French National Assembly voted on Thursday to extend [JURIST report] the state of emergency in France for an additional three months, fearing further attack. Although it is yet unknown [JURIST op-ed] if France will invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty to call on allies to fight ISIL, as the US did following 9/11, France has waged attacks [JURIST report] on ISIL since September.