Finance ministers from the 15 nations on the UN Security Council will meet Thursday, December 17 to adopt a resolution aimed at disrupting the outside revenue that the Islamic State extremist group gets from selling oil and antiquities, from ransom payments and other criminal activities.

The Islamic State group is already subject to UN sanctions under resolutions dealing with al-Qaida. But the proposed resolution, sponsored by the United States and Russia, elevates IS to the same level as al-Qaida, reflecting its split from al-Qaida and the growing threat it poses especially in the Mideast and North Africa.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who will chair Thursday's meeting, said when the meeting was announced earlier this month that disrupting the Islamic State group's financing and cutting it off from the international financial system "are critical to effectively combating this violent terrorist group."

U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power told reporters Wednesday that the meeting is an unprecedented chance to bring together the people with the technical abilities to track and cut off funds to "starve" the Islamic State group of resources