Terrorists younger, more violent: Bishop

Terrorists are younger, more violent and more innovative, Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop

During an UN address, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says terrorists are younger and more violent. (AAP)

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has used an address to the United Nations Security Council to paint a terrifying picture of the young, modern day terrorist.

Bishop, who chaired the Security Council meeting on counter-terrorism, said there was no more pressing matter of national and international security for Australia than reducing the threat of terrorism.

"The threat from ISIL, or Daesh, al-Nusra Front and other al-Qaeda affiliated groups is more dangerous, more global and more diversified than ever before," Bishop told the meeting in New York on Wednesday.

"Terrorists are younger, more violent, more innovative and highly interconnected.

"They are masters of social media to terrorise, and to recruit, and are very tech-savvy.

"They incite each other.

"They communicate their propaganda and violence directly into our homes to recruit disaffected young men and women."

Bishop used the example of Melbourne 17-year-old Adam Dahman "who grew up in a typical Australian household and played sport for his local high school" and the three Succarieh brothers from Brisbane.

"Recently he (Dahman) travelled to Iraq and detonated his explosives vest in a suicide bomb attack in a Baghdad market place injuring more than 90 people," Bishop said.

"Young people, like the three brothers from Brisbane.

"One became Australia's first known suicide bomber killing himself and 35 others at a military checkpoint in Syria.

"The second is currently fighting with al-Nusra.

"The third was stopped by Australian authorities before he got on a plane to join them."

Representatives from the 15 Security Council members, including the US, Russia, China, Britain and France, along with other nations such as Saudi Arabia, Syria and Pakistan, took turns in addressing the meeting.

Raimonda Murmokaite, chair of the UN's Counter-Terrorism Committee, told the meeting some states had failed to "adequately criminalise" travel by terrorists who transit through their territories on the way to other countries.

Gaps exist in the international exchange of information between law enforcement and intelligence agencies to bring terrorists to justice and some states do not use Interpol databases at border crossings, Murmokaite said.

Ms Bishop later said other countries were using Australia as a model for how to crack down on foreign fighters.

"I have been asked by other foreign ministers for copies of our legislation so they can consider what to do in their countries," she told reporters.

Australia's ambassador to the UN, Gary Quinlan, also the chair of the UN's al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee, told the meeting Islamic State's seizure of oil fields in Syria and Iraq, and the group's ability to use smuggling routes to sell oil, was earning the terror group revenue ranging from $US846,000 to $US1.645 million ($A1.78 million) a day.

Quinlan's committee also recommended measures to tackle terror groups' ability in Syria and Iraq to raise money from selling looted antiquities.

"A comprehensive approach is needed that properly integrates UN strategies with multilateral and national action," Quinlan said.

Australia this month took up the rotating position of president of the Security Council.

At the beginning of the meeting UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised Australia's leadership.

"Let me begin by recognising the global leadership of Australia which this month successfully chaired the G20 summit in Brisbane where I had the honour of participating and is also presiding over the Security Council this month," Moon said.


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