Security Council meeting 5886

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Australia, Cuba, India, Israel, Japan, Qatar, Slovenia, the Syrian Arab Republic and Venezuela, in which they request to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council's agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite those representatives to participate in the consideration of the item, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council's provisional rules of procedure.

There being no objection, it is so decided.

The President

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations.

At this meeting, we will hear briefings by His Excellency Mr. Neven Jurica, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism; His Excellency Mr. Johan Verbeke, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities; and His Excellency Mr. Jorge Urbina, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Neven Jurica.

Mr. Jurica (Croatia)

I shall first make a joint statement on behalf of the Chairmen of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees, followed by my own statement in my capacity as the Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).

On behalf of the Chairmen of the three subsidiary bodies of the Security Council established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004), I would like to make some introductory remarks on the cooperation between those Committees.

As requested by the Security Council in all its recent resolutions pertaining to the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1540 Committee -- and more specifically in resolutions 1735 (2006), 1805 (2008) and 1810 (2008) -- we have worked on enhancing the ongoing cooperation between our three Committees, mostly through our expert groups.

Over the past few months, the three expert groups have continued to jointly implement their common strategy approved by the three Committees in 2007 to assist non- and late-reporting States. After the first regional workshop -- which was held in Dakar at the end of September 2007 for West and Central African States -- a second one, still in cooperation with the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, was organized on 29 and 30 November 2007 in Gaborone for Southern African States. As was done after the Dakar workshop, a post-workshop briefing for all African Union missions in New York was held on 18 December 2007. The third subregional workshop, for Northern and Eastern African States, is envisaged to take place in November 2008.

Those workshops provided an opportunity for the experts of the three Committees to jointly interact with the officials in charge of the implementation of the measures decided by the Council, and therefore to update them on the work of the Committees. They also enhanced the understanding of Member States of the different mandates and roles of the three Committees. Progress has already been achieved as new reports and additional information on States' implementation have been submitted to the three Committees.

Another concrete example of such cooperation is the visits to Member States carried out jointly by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the experts of the 1267 Committee's Monitoring Team. So far, nine such visits have taken place, the most recent one to Saudi Arabia from 22 to 29 March 2008. In order to derive common benefit from the CTC's visit to Niger last February and from the mission led by the Chairman of the 1267 Committee to Mauritania, Senegal and Mali, each provided input and questions to the other prior to the trips and information was subsequently exchanged between the Committees and expert groups.

We continue to encourage our three expert groups to share, as appropriate, information and their analyses of the efforts by Member States to implement their obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions. That exchange of information also includes requests for technical assistance and other requests made by States. Since the last briefing to the Security Council, the Monitoring Team, CTED and the 1540 expert group have continued their regular contacts in order to maximize the exchange of information and the sharing of resources, as well as to avoid duplication. We also encourage our experts to work closely together as they develop their relationships with other relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, which could possibly be an avenue for even closer cooperation.

The three expert groups are also cooperating within the framework of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which was established to ensure overall coordination and coherence in the counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system in the context of the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

That cooperation is not only crucial for the effectiveness of the work of our respective Committees; it is also essential for the coherence of the important contribution of the Council in countering these threats. Avoiding duplication of efforts is of paramount importance. To that end, together with our expert groups, a comparative table has been developed to highlight the main aspects of the respective mandates and areas of competence of the three Committees and of their expert groups. We are of the view that that will be a useful tool for Member States to better understand the specificities and complementarities of our work. The table will be issued today in a press release and will be posted on our respective websites. It will also be used in our various outreach activities and interactions with Member States, with which rests the primary responsibility to implement the obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions.

Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction pose a threat to international peace and security, and cooperation by all remains crucial. The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), as well as their respective expert groups, remain committed, within their respective mandates, to their work to contribute to the overall United Nations and international efforts to assist States to fully implement the respective resolutions. In that context, the three Committees look forward to further guidance from the Council on areas of common interest in order better to coordinate their efforts, as indicated in resolutions 1805 (2008) and 1810 (2008).

In my capacity as the Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), known as the Counter-Terrorism Committee, it is my honour to brief the Security Council and the wider membership on the work of the Committee in the past six months.

As terrorism remains one of the major threats to international peace and security, the Committee is a crucial instrument of the international community to address that global scourge. As the Chairman of the Committee, I intend to abide by its guiding principles and focus on concrete results and achieving realistic objectives. I believe that the Committee should adopt a pragmatic approach in order to fulfil obligations entrusted to it by resolution 1373 (2001).

Before entering into the core of this presentation, I would like to extend the Committee's gratitude to Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), and his team for their valuable assistance. I also appreciate the constructive atmosphere in the Committee, which greatly contributes to fulfilling its mandate.

Transparency is one of the basic principles in our work and therefore, together with the Executive Director, I briefed the States Member of the United Nations on the work of the Committee and CTED on 29 April, and we intend to continue with that practice in the future.

At the outset, I am pleased to report that, since the last briefing in November 2007, the Committee has initiated or accomplished several key initiatives that have established a sound basis for our future work.

The first accomplishment is the adoption of the new organizational plan of CTED. The Security Council heard a detailed presentation of the plan by the Executive Director at its meeting on 19 March. Without unnecessary repetition, for the purposes of this briefing I would like to reiterate its main elements.

The adjustments to CTED's organization and methods of work will have the effect of improving the quality and consistency of its technical judgments and will enhance the ongoing dialogue between CTED and the Member States. It will also strengthen CTED's cooperation with relevant international, regional and subregional organizations.

The plan further envisages an addition to the existing practice of conducting full-scale assessment missions by organizing more flexible visits tailored to the specific circumstances and the nature of the terrorist threat in countries belonging to all regions. The increased flexibility should make the work of CTED more efficient and allow it to focus on issues of the highest priority to the Committee and to the visited country. The organizational plan also gives greater priority to engaging donors and matching their capacities with the needs of recipient countries, as well as to implementing a more proactive communications strategy and strengthening collaboration among Security Council expert bodies active in the counter-terrorism field.

The plan charted the way forward for CTED, and was affirmed in Security Council resolution 1805 (2008), adopted on 20 March. The resolution extended the mandate of CTED until the end of 2010, but also set the direction for the Committee in the next few years. The resolution contains a provision for an interim review by 30 June 2009 and a comprehensive consideration of CTED's work prior to the expiration of its mandate.

The second major initiative is the adoption of Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs), which are basically tools geared towards intensifying dialogue with Member States on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). By the end of last year, 158 PIAs had been adopted, and since then the Committee has continued to analyse, through its subcommittees chaired by France, the Russian Federation and Viet Nam, and adopt the remaining documents. Thus far, the Committee has adopted some 167 PIAs, and the rest should be formally approved by the Committee in the coming months. One of the goals of the current chairmanship is to make sure that every Member State receives a copy of its preliminary assessment.

The Committee adopted its work programme for the period 1 January to 30 June, and divided its activities into several main categories. Within the first category, monitoring and promoting the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), besides adopting the PIAs, the Committee has commenced its consideration of a revised version of a document entitled "Survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) by Member States". That document was first discussed in the Committee in May 2007 and was subsequently revised on the basis of the views of Committee members and the updated evaluations of implementation contained in the PIAs. The survey examines the implementation of counter-terrorism efforts in all regions and subregions, pinpoints areas for further improvements and identifies shortfalls and vulnerabilities that need to be addressed either in particular regions or at the global level.

In that context, let me remind the Council that resolution 1805 (2008) directs the Committee to submit an annual report on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). While the decision on the status of the survey is still being discussed, many delegations have stated that the document could serve as a useful tool for the Committee to define its priorities in its future programmes of work.

Another important activity of the Committee is organizing visits to Member States. Throughout this year, the Committee is performing visits that were approved at the end of 2006. Those visits, which are carried out with the consent of the countries involved, constitute a fundamental component in effectively monitoring and promoting the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) and allow CTED to gain first-hand experience on the ground. Since our last briefing, the Committee has concluded successful full-fledged on-site visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Niger and Saudi Arabia; as we speak the Committee is in Cambodia, and will later visit the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The visits typically include experts from CTED and other international and regional organizations, and result in a comprehensive assessment of all counter-terrorism measures. That not only enhances the Committee's understanding of the counter-terrorism measures in place, including challenges, best practices and technical assistance needs or programmes, but also strengthens its cooperation with the other international organizations involved. Furthermore, following the proposal in the organizational plan to conduct flexible visits, the Committee conducted a fact-finding mission to Jamaica.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Governments of those Member States for their valuable cooperation in the preparations for the Committee's visits. In addition, the Committee will continue encouraging Member States to become party to and implement the 16 international counter-terrorism instruments.

Regarding the second category, facilitation of technical assistance, the Committee and CTED in particular are engaged in continuous dialogue with Member States, and their role in facilitating technical assistance is growing in importance. With that in mind, as part of its reorganization, CTED is reviewing the existing strategies and mechanisms for facilitating technical assistance and for refining them with a view to strengthening the Committee's contribution and recording its impact in the technical assistance field. The challenge in the forthcoming period will be to devise more creative approaches so that the Committee, through CTED, can exercise its brokering role as effectively as possible.

In its dialogue with Member States, the Committee continued reminding them that they must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

The Committee also posted on its website two helpful tools: the technical assistance matrix, which is targeted at donors to help them guide their assistance programmes and decision-making, and a directory of assistance, enabling recipients to view and identify the programmes that best suit their needs.

With respect to the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005), the Committee submitted to the Council its second report regarding progress made by Member States in its implementation. Likewise, in its work programme, the Committee has agreed to initiate discussions to explore the technical assistance needs of States to implement the resolution, as well as to facilitate the provision of such assistance, while encouraging those States that have not yet reported to do so.

The Committee continues to play its part in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, and CTED is participating actively in the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. The Committee is also assisting Member States in implementing those provisions of the Strategy that fall within its mandate. The Committee has included in its work programme a discussion of its contribution to the implementation of the Strategy.

The Committee continued to cooperate with other relevant parts of the United Nations system and specialized bodies, and in particular with the two other Security Council committees that deal with counter-terrorism, as requested by the Council in its resolution 1805 (2008). Furthermore, as the Council has just heard in the joint message, the second workshop in the framework of the common strategy by the three Security Council Committees for non-reporting and late-reporting States was organized for States of the Southern African Development Community on 29 and 30 November 2007 in Gaborone.

Finally, as part of its cooperation and exchange of information with counter-terrorism partners during its meetings in New York, the Committee heard several briefings by representatives of relevant organizations and United Nations bodies.

The President

I thank Ambassador Jurica for his briefing. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Johan Verbeke.

Mr. Verbeke (Belgium)

Allow me to simply highlight the main elements contained in my more comprehensive report prepared for the Council. That comprehensive version has been distributed and will be posted on the Committee's website.

At the outset, I would like to underline that the sanctions regime established under resolution 1267 (1999) is a powerful tool in the fight against Al-Qaida-and Taliban-related terrorism. The measures taken against individuals and entities on the consolidated list are universal in nature and hence can complement measures taken at the national, regional and subregional levels.

Improving the quality of the consolidated list continues to be at the core of the Committee's work. In that regard, I would like to stress that the Committee relies on the information provided by Member States. Let me take this opportunity to emphasize that it is the prerogative, but also the collective responsibility, of all of us to bring to the Committee's attention any information that one believes should be included in or deleted from the list. Our common objective should be to have a dynamic list reflecting the evolution of the threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. In this respect, and given the increasingly strong links between terrorism activities and illicit drugs, I would like to underline once again the possibility to submit for listing the names of drug traffickers involved in the financing of Al-Qaida and the Taliban, as provided for in paragraph 12 of resolution 1735 (2006).

During the last six months, most of the Committee's activities have been derived from its consideration of the seventh report of the Monitoring Team and the follow-up thereto. Different discussions were held on the issues related to the three sanctions measures: assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo. The Committee has also been exploring ways to further improve its procedures. As a result, a standard form for de-listing has been developed and is now available in the de-listing section of the Committee's website. The Committee is also examining the procedures for removing the names of deceased individuals and considering the further revision of its guidelines with regard to exemptions to the assets freeze and to the travel ban, with a view to providing further guidance to Member States.

Pursuant to paragraph 21 of resolution 1735 (2006), the Committee continued its discussion on the identification of possible cases of non-compliance with the sanctions measures. With the objective of improving the effectiveness and implementation of the sanctions regime, the Committee first discussed each possible case of non-compliance mentioned by the Monitoring Team and, secondly, derived horizontal recommendations from this empirical analysis, aimed at preventing the occurrence of such cases. I reported to the Council on the Committee's consideration of this matter in a briefing held on 24 April 2008. Identifying possible cases of non-compliance constitutes an ongoing exercise, and the Committee will continuously follow up on that.

The Committee further considered the issue of the criminal misuse of the Internet for terrorist purposes. The Committee shares the concerns expressed over the fact that the Internet constitutes a powerful medium and instrument for Al-Qaida, the Taliban and their associates. Although this is a complex issue, of which certain aspects clearly go beyond the Committee's mandate, it was agreed to continue the discussion in the future.

This week, the Committee is starting its consideration of the eighth report of the Monitoring Team, submitted to the Committee in accordance with resolution 1735 (2006). The report will shortly be transmitted to the Council, and the Committee intends to prepare a report reflecting its position on the recommendations contained therein.

Further enhancing the dialogue with Member States and increasing the transparency of its work remain one of the primary concerns of the Committee. To that end, I gave an open briefing to all interested Member States on 18 December 2007.

Country visits are another way to interact with Member States. As Chairman, I recently visited Mauritania, Senegal and Mali. Several incidents that occurred in their region during the months prior to the trip had underlined once more that the terrorist threat in the Sahel region is real. Whereas all three countries had a good understanding of the sanctions regime and demonstrated their strong commitment in the common efforts to counter terrorism, authorities also clearly expressed their need for assistance to further strengthen their capacities.

Pursuant to paragraph 29 of resolution 1735 (2006), the Committee met yesterday with representatives of Denmark, Liechtenstein, Sweden and Switzerland for an in-depth discussion on relevant issues. This exchange of views has been, I think, of mutual benefit. I would like to take advantage of today's briefing to encourage all other interested Member States to meet with the Committee.

I would also use this opportunity to sincerely thank the experts of the Monitoring Team for their invaluable support and contribution to the work of the Committee. In addition to their visits and various outreach activities, their input and proposals for all issues on the Committee's agenda have been highly appreciated and have undoubtedly contributed to the progress made so far.

It is clear from events in past months that the threat from Al-Qaida and the Taliban has not diminished. Within the United Nations efforts, the Committee is committed to continuing, in cooperation with Member States, to assume its share of responsibility in this global endeavour. To this end, the Committee looks forward to further guidance from the Security Council, inter alia, through the resolution to be adopted in June.

The President

I thank Ambassador Verbeke for his briefing and, in particular, for taking the trouble to prepare a summary of the full report for the Council's deliberations. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Jorge Urbina.

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

As Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), I am presenting to the Security Council and the membership of the Organization the report covering the six months since the presentation of the most recent joint report to the Security Council, which took place on 14 November 2007. The report summarizes the activities that culminated in the approval of resolution 1810 (2008), relative to the continued implementation of provisions in resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1673 (2006).

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

Resolution 1673 (2006) called upon States not yet reporting on progress made to implement resolution 1540 (2004) to do so without delay, and also encouraged all previously reporting States to submit additional information on progress made as well.

Six months before the deadline for submission of its biennial report to the Security Council, the Committee decided to make a special effort to encourage States to meet the reporting requirements. By mid-November 2007, the matrices of all Member States-based on previously submitted information or, in the case of non-reporting States, compiled from official websites of Governments and international organizations -- were sent to all Member States to be checked for accuracy and to provide a first report or additional information on relevant measures taken or planned to be taken.

As of 27 April 2008, more than half the Member States have responded to the Committee's request for more information, bringing the number of States that have submitted at least one report since 2004 to over 150. Within this group, the number of States submitting additional information at least once has now reached 100. The Committee takes this opportunity to thank all the States that have responded promptly and to encourage the remaining States that have not yet reported to do so as soon as possible.

The Committee has continued to rely on outreach activities to promote full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Since mid-November 2007, the Chairman or some members of the Committee, officially representing the Committee, and its experts participated in 11 outreach conferences, seminars and workshops. The purposes of that participation ranged from raising awareness about the requirements to achieve full implementation of the resolution and encouraging States to submit reports on the status of their implementation efforts to sharing experiences and lessons learned and engaging in dialogue with participating officials from Governments and organizations particularly interested in the work of the Committee.

The Committee has been engaged in three types of outreach activities.

First, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs has organized workshops on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). A workshop on the reporting requirements and assistance needs was organized in Botswana on 27 and 28 November 2007 for participants from 22 African countries.

Secondly, we have held common-strategy workshops to encourage non-responding States to submit reports. With sponsorship by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), another workshop was held in Botswana on 29 and 30 November 2007, an event organized jointly with the 1540 Committee's experts, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Monitoring Team of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. The Committee appreciates the cooperation extended by the UNODC in this regard.

Thirdly, we have also organized other outreach events. Upon invitation by other bodies, the Committee's Chairman or some of its members, officially representing the Committee, and several of its experts participated in relevant meetings on subjects ranging from the implementation of the universal conventions against terrorism and of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to the legal aspects of international instruments countering terrorist acts in the nuclear, chemical or biological fields and other specific subjects such as proliferation, financing and illicit trafficking in nuclear materials.

The Committee expresses its appreciation to the Governments of Andorra, Belarus, Botswana, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Norway, Slovakia and the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and UNODA for their sponsorship and organization of the different activities, and the European Union for its ongoing support of the Committee's outreach activities.

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

The Committee continued to operate as an information exchange centre on issues relating to assistance through formal and informal contacts and dialogue with States that might be interested in requesting assistance and those that might be in a position to offer it. To this end, it organized a dialogue with participants in the outreach activities. In December 2007, it put the final touches on a model request for assistance adapted to each case and, taking into account its centralizing role, sent it to all Member States in order to better understand their needs in specific areas and to match their requests with offers of assistance from other States.

Since the jointly drafted common strategy paper was presented to the Security Council in November 2007, the 1540 Committee has continued to work closely with the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the 1267 Committee. Moreover, the groups of experts that assist the three Committees have increased their collaboration, as was seen in the subregional African workshop mentioned previously. One important aspect of those joint activities is the Committee's interaction with delegations of national officials from each of the concerned countries, representing two or three different competent ministries, with a view to promoting coordination and alleviating the task of responding to so many requests for information.

Efforts to further strengthen cooperation with the competent regional and international organizations and machinery continue. The exchange of information and the reciprocal participation in outreach activities have facilitated progress in this area. In December 2007, the Committee sent letters to the heads of more than 30 international, regional and subregional organizations and to authorities of the export control regimes and other mechanisms, requesting them to draw to the attention of their member States to the important links between the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1540 (2004) and the objectives of their respective institutions. By April 2008, the Security Council had received 12 positive replies from these organizations.

Since January 2008, the subcommittees of the 1540 Committee have concentrated their work on examining the information that is in the matrices of Member States, as reviewed by experts, on the basis of new information coming from the States and other data from official sources. The information has provided the factual data used as a basis for preparing the report of the 1540 Committee that will be submitted to the Security Council, covering the period starting on 28 April 2006. The report will be presented to Council as soon as possible, or by 31 July 2008 at the latest.

On 25 April 2008, the Security Council adopted resolution 1810 (2008), by which it extended the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a three-year period and, among other provisions, decided that the Committee would continue to intensify its efforts to promote complete implementation by all States of resolution 1540 (2004).

The President

I thank Mr. Urbina for his briefing.

In accordance with the understanding reached among Council members, I wish to remind all speakers from now on to limit their statements to no more than five minutes in order to enable the Council to carry out its work expeditiously. Delegations with lengthy statements are kindly requested to circulate their texts in writing and to deliver a condensed version when speaking in the Chamber.

Mr. Churkin (Russia)

First of all, I would like to thank Ambassadors Jurica, Verbeke and Urbina for their substantive briefings as Chairmen of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), respectively.

In highlighting the struggle with the threat of international terrorism as one of the most important tasks confronting the United Nations and its Security Council, Russia is giving a positive assessment of the results of the activity of those Committees during the six-month period just passed and is taking note of the substantive contribution that each of them, in accordance with its mandate, is making to the efforts of the Council to enhance the effectiveness of international counter-terrorism cooperation.

We welcome the joint steps in favour of interaction and coordination among the three Committees and, above all, their expert groups, within the framework of the ongoing dialogue with Member States.

The Russian Federation has taken an active part in drawing up and reaching agreement on resolution 1805 (2008), which not only extended the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to the end of 2010, but also made specific adjustments to the organizational structure and methods of work of that body.

We have already expressed our assessments regarding the reform of the work of the CTED within the framework of the broad discussion of this issue that took place in March of this year. Without repeating these issues, I should like to note the most important thing: the CTC now has received additional significant possibilities not only to monitor the implementation by States of the fundamental anti-terrorist resolution 1373 (2001) but also to play a more active role in the support required for their multifaceted efforts in coping with the threat of terrorism.

We welcome the readiness of the CTC, acting through the CTED, to devote priority attention to the coordination of technical assistance and to expand direct contact with potential donors and interested States. We view that as an important factor in strengthening the entire system of international anti-terrorist cooperation and reaffirming the central coordinating role of the United Nations in this sphere.

Under the leadership of the CTC, work has been concluded for the preparation and adoption of a preliminary assessment of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) with regard to all Member States. Russia fully shares the resounding positive assessments of the achievements of the CTC and, as Chairman of one of the subcommittees of the CTC, is ready to continue to make its contribution to the dynamic process of producing those assessments. What lies ahead is a complex period of renewal and clarification of those documents in the light of the reactions of States, and the political guidance role of the CTC at this stage will only grow stronger. In this context we attach great importance to the organization by the CTED of trips of various types and with various objectives to States and monitoring the results of their work.

We also believe that, together with an assessment of national potentials, the CTC very soon can also adopt the global survey of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). The need for such a document is obvious to us. It could serve as a basis for a continually updated general overview of the achievements and shortcomings in the anti-terrorist sphere. It would also enable the Security Council to organize its work in this field in a more systematic way, including within the framework of implementation of the objective of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

I should like to confirm that the Russian Federation considers that one of the most important elements of the CTC mandate is to consider the work with States on the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). In this connection we welcome the decision of the CTC to hold a discussion on the question of possible measures to render technical assistance to States on the implementation of the provisions of the resolution.

We continue to consider the 1267 Committee and the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team as one of the effective and viable mechanisms of the Security Council in the counter-terrorist field.

Unfortunately, we are obliged to note with regret the continuing spread of extremist ideas and of the influence of the Taliban both in the territory of Afghanistan and beyond its borders. Terrorists do not sit on their hands. This has been clearly demonstrated in their recent brazen terrorist act during the military parade in Kabul.

We welcome the efforts of the 1267 Committee and the Monitoring Team to support the sanctions list in its updated form, reflecting the real nature of today's terrorist threat. We call upon States to submit to the Committee requests for the inclusion on the list of individuals and organizations linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaida and also to provide any additional information regarding such individuals previously included on the list.

We consider the strengthening of cooperation of the Committee and the Monitoring Team with INTERPOL and other professional regional and international organizations to be of considerable importance. We consider it necessary to continue the practice of country visits by the Chairman of the Committee and members of the Monitoring Team and other forms of direct dialogue by the Committee with Member States. That makes it possible to certify the commitment of States to the cause of the struggle against terrorism and to see at first hand the best practices and methods in such a struggle.

It is precisely full and conscientious implementation by all States of their obligations in this field that will determine the success of our common efforts to counteract the real and changing threat to international peace and security coming from the Taliban and Al-Qaida. We favour closer coordination in this area, above all with the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate.

Regarding the activity of the 1540 Committee, we first would like to welcome the unanimous adoption on 25 April of resolution 1810 (2008), which extended the Committee's mandate for three years. As initiator and a sponsor of resolution 1540 (2004) and also of subsequent resolutions 1673 (2006) and 1810 (2008), the Russian Federation considers it one of the major international instruments for preventing weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials, including dual-use goods and technologies, from falling into the hands of non-State players, first and foremost terrorists.

We believe that despite the magnitude and complexity of these tasks, through joint multilateral efforts by the members of the international community, with the United Nations in the leading role, the Security Council will be able to close the remaining proliferation gaps in national legislation and to strengthen the basis for coordinated resistance to the black markets in weapons of mass destruction.

During the period that has elapsed since the previous briefing, which was marked by the adoption of resolution 1810 (2008), the 1540 Committee has with confidence entered a new stage of its activity, linked to stepped-up efforts to assist States in the implementation of the provisions of resolution 1540 (2004) and to coordinate close international cooperation for those ends.

At this stage it will be important to focus efforts on the weak aspects of national monitoring systems, identified as a result of the study of information on measures undertaken by States, as submitted in the national reports to the 1540 Committee. In this context we believe it important not to forget about the need to implement another key objective of the first stage of the Committee's work, linked with the submission by States of their first national reports on measures they have undertaken in implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).

We note with satisfaction data to the effect that after last November the number of States that have submitted their first national reports has now increased to 150. Those States that have at least once sent the Committee additional information now exceeds 100. We believe this demonstrates that the Committee's active position is yielding tangible results. It is precisely for this reason that targeted work with States that have not yet submitted their first national reports must be continued.

It is important to continue work on reaching agreement on the report of the Security Council Committee on the results of the work for 2006 through 2008. We believe that the report must above all reflect the work of the Committee itself in implementing its objectives, whose priorities are clearly spelled out in resolution 1540 (2004). We are ready to participate constructively in further work on the draft, taking into account the remarks we have already made in this regard, in compliance with the clear time parameters laid down in resolution 1810 (2008).

Mr. Liu Zhenmin (China)

The delegation of China thanks Ambassadors Jurica, Verbeke and Urbina for their respective briefings on the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism, and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). China appreciates the effectiveness of the work of the three Ambassadors and their respective teams.

We appreciate the fact that the 1267 Committee has been making steady progress in all its work. The Committee has made fresh progress in further improving the integrity and accuracy of its sanctions list, improving the transparency of its work, strengthening its website and increasing the exchanges and dialogue with the Member States and competent international organizations, fully acknowledging such progress.

China believes that maintaining the authority and understanding of the Committee requires the vigorous support of all Member States of the United Nations. China encourages all countries, in dealing with issues involved, to provide the Committee with detailed information to the greatest extent possible so as to improve the effectiveness and fairness of the sanctions mechanism. China supports the Committee in continuing to improve its working methods -- including its listing and de-listing procedures -- and in increasing its cooperation with mechanisms such as the CTC.

China congratulates Ambassador Jurica on his assumption of the chairmanship of the CTC. We believe that he will lead the Committee to further success in its work.

Since the previous briefing to the Council on the CTC, the Committee has adopted a revised organizational plan for the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). The implementation of the plan has had a positive impact on the work of both the CTC and the CTED -- a fact that China appreciates. We have also noted that the CTC has done a great deal of effective work in reviewing Preliminary Implementation Assessments, carrying out technical assistance visits to Member States and increasing the transparency of its work.

China believes that Security Council resolution 1805 (2008) has not only extended and clearly defined the mandate of the CTED, but has also pointed out the direction for the future work of the CTC. China hopes that the CTC and the CTED will follow the provisions set out in resolution 1805 (2008), will continue to follow the principles of cooperation, transparency and even-handedness and will advance their work in all areas, thereby making the Security Council's counter-terrorism mechanisms more comprehensive and effective.

China welcomes the fact that the mandate of the 1540 Committee has been renewed without difficulty. We hope that the Committee will, in accordance with resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1810 (2008), formulate a comprehensive and balanced programme of work as soon as possible in order to effectively promote the comprehensive implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). China values the role played by the Committee, and we have been participating constructively and actively in the Committee's work in all areas. We are prepared to continue our active support for that work and to contribute to facilitating the comprehensive implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), to building consensus on non-proliferation and to promoting cooperation on non-proliferation throughout the world.

Over the past few months, despite the international community's tireless efforts to combat terrorism, terrorists and their violent acts have continued to be widespread worldwide. Terrorism continues to pose a serious threat to the peace and security of the international community. Therefore, the United Nations should continue to play a central role in the international fight and cooperation against terrorism.

China believes that the Security Council's adoption of resolutions 1805 (2008) and 1810 (2008) in swift succession demonstrated its members' common resolve to strengthen its counter-terrorism machinery and to strongly combat terrorism by sending a positive signal to the international community. China hopes that the three Committees will continue to pool their resources, improve their effectiveness and pay closer attention in their work to the views of developing countries and their counter-terrorism needs, so that the Council's counter-terrorism mechanisms can better meet the expectations of all Member States.

In September, the General Assembly will assess the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. That assessment will be of great importance for the counter-terrorism work of the United Nations. China supports the three Committees in actively implementing the Global Strategy within their respective mandates, so that the Security Council and the General Assembly can complement and coordinate with each other in their counter-terrorism efforts and can create favourable conditions for assessing the Strategy.

Mr. Suescum (Panama)

Permit me, Sir, to congratulate you and your delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for the month of May and on having organized this debate. I also thank Ambassadors Jurica, Urbina and Verbeke for their briefings on the work of the Committees over which they preside. In particular, my delegation would like to recognize the work done and the dedication shown by Ambassador Verbeke as Chairman of the 1267 Committee, related to Al-Qaida, and to wish him every success in his new duties as Special Coordinator of the Secretary-General for Lebanon.

Effective compliance with the mandates of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) requires constant review of their working methods. Panama welcomes the important work done by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, because it has developed methodologies for deleting names of individuals, entities and deceased persons from the consolidated list. As Ambassador Verbeke indicated, that will produce a dynamic list that reflects the evolution of the threat to international peace and security represented by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. The views of interested Member States in that regard must be duly heard and heeded.

My delegation also highlights the significant progress made in recent months by the Counter-Terrorism Committee in assessing the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) in each of the countries Members of the Organization. The approval and referral of more than 167 Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs) and the ongoing review of the study on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) are the Committee's main mechanisms for defining the current state of implementation.

It is worth pointing out that those documents are only practical tools for defining priorities and improving compliance with obligations under resolution 1373 (2001). The Committee should bear in mind that the PIAs and the study are living documents of a technical nature, adapted to the particular circumstances of a country, a region or a point in time. We must also strive for greater cooperation and coordination with the special Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, established by the General Assembly in 2005.

Panama attaches great importance to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. With the adoption of resolution 1810 (2008), the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) moves from merely monitoring the implementation of obligations to promoting best practices that facilitate the attainment of the objectives of its mandate and promoting dialogue among the Committee, States and other organizations or entities, in particular those having a broad and representative membership. We highlight, inter alia, the important work of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, established among States of the Caribbean basin, which supports countries in the region in implementing legislative and financial measures to prevent the financing of terrorism.

In order to more effectively accomplish the tasks entrusted to them, these subsidiary bodies must strengthen cooperation among themselves and with the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, always mindful that the diversity of approaches among the Committees represents a truly integrated response to the scourge of terrorism. All cooperation must focus on common areas under those bodies' respective mandates. Any proposal to merge the mandates and structures of these Committees must be examined very carefully, given the different objectives and nature of each mandate.

Finally, we should recall that we must always wage the fight against terrorism mindful of the importance of protecting and promoting human rights and respect for the rule of law.

Mr. Hoang Chi Trung (Viet Nam)

First and foremost, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the United Kingdom for assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I would also like to congratulate South Africa for having accomplished its presidency in an excellent manner.

My delegation welcomes this open debate of the Council, which provides an opportunity for the Chairs of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) to brief the Council and the larger United Nations membership on their work since their last joint briefing in November 2007. We take this opportunity to thank the three Committees, under the able leadership of their Chairmen, and the expert bodies -- the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team and the expert group of the 1540 Committee -- for their great efforts in discharging their respective mandates.

Allow me to begin by reiterating my country's unwavering position that international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction constitute serious threats to international peace and security. Viet Nam has always been committed to the implementation of its obligations under the international treaties to which it is a party and Security Council resolutions in those areas. Since Viet Nam became a member of the Council, it has made constructive contributions to the work of those Committees, including through its assumption of the vice-chairmanship of the CTC.

My delegation shares the assessment of the three Committees Chairmen on the achievements made in the past six months. We would like to underline the activities of the 1267 Committee aimed at improving the effectiveness and the full and fair implementation of the sanctions regime under resolution 1267 (1999), in particular through improving the quality of the consolidated list, holding discussions to reach a consensus understanding among the members of the Committee on the three sanctions measures, and exploring ways to further improve the Committee's procedures.

For its part, the CTC has adjusted the organization and methods of work of CTED to improve the quality and consistency of its technical judgments and dialogue with Member States. We support the CTC efforts in considering the preliminary implementation assessments, which serve as a tool to intensify dialogue with every Member State on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). In that regard, my delegation wishes to express its special thanks to members of the Committee, especially those of sub-Committee C, CTED experts and the Committee's secretariat, for their cooperation. We will continue to participate in the discussion of the survey on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) by Member States, considering that document as providing a global picture of counter-terrorism efforts and identifying areas for further international cooperation to improve existing efforts.

My delegation appreciates the efforts made by the 1540 Committee during the past six months, including those to encourage States to meet the reporting requirements, its various outreach activities to promote full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and its work to coordinate the assistance to implement the resolution. We welcome the adoption of resolution 1810 (2008), which extended the mandate of the Committee until April 2011. In that regard, we wish to reiterate that the Committee's work should be in accordance with its mandate, international law and the Charter of the United Nations, thus actively contributing to the cooperation of the international community in counter-terrorism and non-proliferation.

With regard to the cooperation between the three Committees through their expert groups, my delegation takes note of the activities as presented in the joint statement. We look forward to seeing concrete cooperative actions undertaken by the three expert groups within the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, in the context of the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

My delegation wishes to promote the Committees' work in the coming months and takes this opportunity to highlight the following points.

First, the quality of the Committees' work depends very much on the cooperation of Member States in providing updated information on their implementation of the related obligations. The Council should continue to encourage the three Committees to work out further innovative ways to improve meaningful dialogues with Member States and enhance their support for the work of the Committees.

Secondly, the principal mandate of the Committees is to monitor the implementation of the relevant Council resolutions. The Committees should continue their efforts in trying to get as detailed and correct a picture as possible of the efforts made by Member States, understanding the difficulties and challenges they face and engaging them in finding appropriate measures to improve implementation.

Thirdly, while further efforts could be sought to define possible areas of common interest to improve coordination among the three Committees and their expert groups, that should be done with a very clear understanding of the different mandate of each body as laid out by the Council.

In conclusion, my delegation registers its continued commitment and cooperation for further success in the work of the three Committees.

Mr. Wolff (United States)

I would like to thank the three Committee Chairmen for their briefings and for their joint statement on the cooperation among the three Security Council Committees that deal with the issues of terrorism and non-proliferation. The Chairmen's dedicated leadership is central to the effectiveness of those three subsidiary bodies, and we commend them for that leadership.

Since this is Ambassador Verbeke's last briefing on this matter, I would like to thank him for his service to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). He served with distinction, and we will miss his leadership in that Committee. I also would like to extend our appreciation to the experts groups of the three Committees for their invaluable support to the Committees.

Today's briefing is timely, given the recent renewal of the mandates of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and the upcoming consideration of the mandate of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). All three are now well established and ready to begin a new phase of their work.

I would like to focus on several ways in which the Committees can help counter the dual scourges of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, which represent the pre-eminent threats to international peace and security today.

We believe a concentration on capacity-building is essential. Reports have been received and analysed. It is time to act on the findings of those evaluations. Resolution 1805 (2008) rightly stresses the important mandate of the CTC in that area. We welcome the new tools the CTC has developed, such as the technical assistance matrix and directory of assistance on the CTC website. We urge the CTC to continue its coordination with the G8 Counter-Terrorism Action Group and to organize regional meetings for States seeking and offering assistance. The 1267 Committee also has a key role in that area. To that end, it should continue to share with the CTC information concerning States' technical assistance needs.

The 1540 Committee should work with States as an effective clearinghouse, using the information it has collected from States. It should then set about the work of building capacity. The Committee should proceed with its efforts to post its implementation matrices for resolution 1540 (2004) on its website, subject to States' consent. By doing so, the Committee can help States seeking to provide assistance to plan and execute assistance programmes. We also hope that States will use the new technical assistance template of the 1540 Committee to submit requests to the Committee. States should also submit action plans to the Committee, as my Government has done, so the Committee can use those plans to match requests with offers of assistance.

The United States is pleased to play its part in addressing States' technical assistance needs. Last year, for example, the United States Antiterrorism Assistance Program (ATA) trained over 4,500 participants from 64 countries. ATA's courses emphasize law enforcement under the rule of law and respect for human rights. In an effort to address the conditions that terrorists exploit for recruitment and ideological purposes, United States assistance programmes administered through the United States Agency for International Development and other agencies are increasing access to education, improving health care and focusing on democratic and economic reform. To support the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), the United States has provided over $2 billion annually for assistance or other programmes.

We look forward to the completion of specific projects mentioned in the briefings. In particular, as Chairman Verbeke indicated, the 1267 Committee must continue to give priority to updating the consolidated list to ensure that it accurately reflects the current threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. We encourage other Member States to contribute to that effort by providing information for further listings and de-listings. The Committee should also continue its efforts to update the Taliban portion of the list by designating new Taliban who are responsible for the upsurge in violence in Afghanistan. Similarly, the Committee should de-list former Taliban who have severed their ties to the organization, and add new and updated biographical information to the list so that States can better enforce the sanctions.

The Committees have accomplished much. United Nations Member States have frozen $150 million in terrorist assets by implementing the sanctions under resolution 1267 (1999). But we must not lose sight of the remaining challenges. Al-Qaida has expanded its operations and the Taliban are resurgent.

Finally, the prospect of terrorists gaining access to weapons of mass destruction remains the gravest threat imaginable. To counter terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the Committees must continue to focus on practical and concrete activities that can promote the capacity of States to implement the respective resolutions. We pledge our support in that essential fight.

Mr. Kafando (Burkina Faso)

Allow me to thank and to congratulate Ambassadors Jurica, Urbina and Verbeke for their statements regarding the three Committees under their chairmanship, namely, the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001), 1540 (2004) and 1267 (1999), respectively. Members of the Council are unanimous in believing that theirs is effective and serious work that deserves our encouragement in moving ahead.

My delegation, which has always advocated strengthened cooperation among all United Nations bodies working to combat terrorism, very much appreciates this joint briefing, which clearly illustrates the joint, effective and complementary work being done by the three Committees. Moreover, the workshop held in Dakar, Senegal, in September 2007 for West African countries was a good example of the benefits of that cooperation. It is also gratifying to note that the three Committees have not lost sight of the need to provide appropriate technical assistance to States in accordance with their needs. That will enable States requesting such assistance to enhance their capacity to combat terrorist threats. As this is a collective and unified undertaking, it is important that, if possible, all States achieve the highest possible security standards in order to avert any potential breech that could be exploited by terrorist groups.

In their efforts to carry out joint visits to Member States, we must in particular encourage the 1267 and 1373 Committees to continue the process of improving their methods. Those visits, which are certainly very useful, could perhaps benefit from being more flexible and focused on specific objectives and the main concerns of the countries visited.

With regard to the 1540 Committee, we welcome the considerable increase in the number of countries that have submitted their initial reports. We of course encourage countries that have not yet done so to meet their obligations under the resolution. It is also important that Member States continue to cooperate with the Committee, especially as regards providing the required reports and additional information.

Given the great importance of this issue that concerns us all, my delegation would like to propose the idea of having the three Committees hold regular joint briefings for all Member States. That would make for greater interaction with the Committees and all Member States, which could then have an exchange of experiences and information from which useful lessons could be learned. That would also ensure greater transparency in the Council's counter-terrorism efforts. Lastly, it would bring about better involvement by all Member States in combating international terrorism. Such an initiative is clearly useful and possible, as each Committee already holds annual public information meetings.

I would also like to thank and congratulate the 1267 Committee for the dialogue and open exchange it hosted yesterday, along with the representatives of Denmark, Liechtenstein, Sweden and Switzerland.

In conclusion, Burkina Faso encourages the participation of expert groups in the efforts of the United Nations system in the framework of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We call for the strengthening and improvement of cooperation between regional and subregional organizations and United Nations bodies with the responsibility of combating terrorism. In that regard, it is important to note that the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism, located in Algiers, is an excellent vehicle for, and good example of, cooperation between United Nations and African Union bodies.

Mr. Mantovani (Italy)

Let me first express our heartfelt congratulations to you, Sir, and to the British delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Council for the month of May. Allow me also to thank and commend the South African delegation for its stewardship during the month of April. We also wish to underscore our gratitude to the Chairs of the three subsidiary bodies of the Security Council for their comprehensive briefings and contributions to the joint efforts against international terrorism. We also welcome their initiative to increase mutual cooperation so as to maximize synergy, avoid duplication and lower the burden on Member States.

While aligning itself with the statement to be delivered shortly on behalf of the presidency of the European Union, Italy will limit its remarks to the following few points.

I would like warmly to thank Ambassador Verbeke, who will soon leave his position as Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) -- a task he fulfilled with great precision, responsibility and leadership.

The briefing we heard a few minutes ago gave us just a sampling of the many activities of the 1267 Committee. The sanctions list continues to be an essential tool in the fight against international terrorism. It is important that, with the continued support of the wider membership, it be constantly updated as a living document corresponding to the ever-present threat of Al-Qaida and the Taliban. We believe that improving the quality of the consolidated list should be one of the key priorities of the Sanctions Committee. That is because only complete identifiers and a regular update of the list can provide Member States with the precise information needed to more effectively apply the sanctions regime that has been established.

We acknowledge that legal challenges have been raised to the sanctions list at the national and international levels and that the Committee and the Council have the responsibility to do everything reasonable to improve the handling of specific cases. We see the merit of the Security Council continuing on the path of improving existing procedures, as was done in the recent past with resolutions 1730 (2006) and 1735 (2006), so as to reconcile security demands with respect for fundamental rights.

We would also like to express our utmost gratitude for the high professional skills shown throughout these years by the Monitoring Team, whose contribution to the general debate on sanctions is all the more relevant, and we look forward to the negotiations for the renewal of its mandate.

The Security Council has recently renewed the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) confirming its main tasks and responsibilities, while endorsing the reorganization plan, which lays the groundwork for more efficient action. To that end, Italy truly appreciates all the efforts made by the Executive Director, Mr. Smith. We hope that, with more focused action, the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and CTED can better exploit their role and potential as instruments of dialogue with Member States. We also have to reinforce every opportunity to better coordinate international cooperation with donors, other partners -- such as the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1540 (2004) -- and their groups of experts, as well as all the participants in the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

We further encourage CTC and CTED to continue to work with external organizations, such as the Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) of the G8. Italy is committed to strengthening such cooperation during its presidency of the G8 next year. In that area, we welcome the methodology introduced by CTED, successfully implemented during the 17 April Tokyo meeting with CTAG, aimed at identifying with the G8 presidency specific cases, countries, regions or themes of mutual interest to be jointly discussed. That methodology should contribute to the prevention of duplication and overlapping in the provision of technical assistance to interested countries.

Italy welcomes the recent adoption of resolution 1810 (2008), which renews the 1540 Committee's mandate for three more years. We support the new emphasis placed on the need to step up efforts to promote the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), in particular through outreach activities and international assistance. To that end, the sharing of experience and lessons learned between the 1540 Committee, the membership and relevant international and regional organizations will be crucial. Enhancing cooperation between the 1540 Committee and the Al-Qaida and Counter-Terrorism Committees will also be essential to ensuring compliance with resolution 1540 (2004).

We look forward to fruitful discussions within the 1540 Committee on how to make the best use of and improve existing funding mechanisms to assist States in meeting their non-proliferation obligations. We also look forward to the next comprehensive review of the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), due by January 31 2009.

Let me conclude by saying a few words about the September review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Several initiatives have already been produced in the framework of the Strategy. Member States have a responsibility to continue on that track in order to achieve progress in all areas of the broad plan of action that was approved with the Strategy. We welcome the Task Force's efforts thus far to achieve specific goals in many important areas, and we appreciate the contribution that both the Monitoring Team and CTED have provided. Italy feels that those joint efforts should continue and, if possible, be strengthened. We look forward to the briefing that the Task Force and its working groups will provide in the near future.

Ms. Qwabe (South Africa)

I, too, would like to thank the Chairpersons of the three Committees for their informative briefings.

I will make a few general remarks that are applicable to all three committees and some specific comments on the resolution that was recently adopted renewing the mandate of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

The Chairmen of the three committees are making noteworthy efforts to ensure that there is better coordination between the Committees, as well as between their experts. Joint visits by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Monitoring Team of the Al-Qaida/Taliban Committee help to prevent duplication. However, the issue of duplication can be adequately addressed only by the adoption of decisions by the Security Council that would further consolidate the work of the Committees.

Improving transparency in the work of the three subsidiary bodies is very important. If Members continue to be in the dark on important processes that directly affect them, it will merely perpetuate distrust of the Council. Open briefings and direct meetings between the subsidiary bodies and Member States, such as those that have already been held, are important measures to clarify issues and to improve transparency.

The Chairmen also briefed the Council on their work in the promotion of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The Global Strategy is an attempt by the United Nations membership as a whole to address the scourge of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as well as to identify the conditions conducive to its spread. It is therefore important that the three subsidiary bodies complement the implementation of the Global Strategy, and we have noted significant progress in that regard since the Strategy's adoption.

I would now like to make some specific comments with regard to the 1540 Committee.

I would like to begin by reiterating South Africa's firm conviction that weapons of mass destruction do not guarantee security, but rather detract from it. As long as those weapons exist, the world will always face the threat of nuclear catastrophe. Non-proliferation and disarmament are mutually reinforcing processes. We therefore welcome the fact that the recently adopted resolution 1810 (2008) includes language on disarmament, arms control and the right to the peaceful uses of nuclear, chemical and biological technology, within appropriate safeguards.

South Africa shares the international community's concerns regarding the existence of networks dealing in the illicit transfer of nuclear-related technology and believes that closer international cooperation is necessary to root out the phenomenon of the illicit trade in technology that could be used in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction. Our experience with illicit networks, in which South Africa is the only country amongst many affected countries to successfully prosecute suspects thus far, suggests that there is considerable room for improvement, also in the most developed countries, with regard to international cooperation and enforcement machineries.

That experience has prompted us to insist on the inclusion of language on networks in the current resolution. It is clear that the greatest threat posed by weapons of mass destruction and related technologies, materials, financing and delivery systems falling into the hands of non-State actors originates from the States that possess or are capable of possessing such weapons, and from countries with an advanced industrial base.

With its mandate extended through resolution 1810 (2008), the immediate challenge for the 1540 Committee will be to develop a balanced programme of work that will address the real challenges at the heart of the proliferation risks posed by non-State actors, such as how the international community should respond to illicit proliferation networks.

Mr. Ettalhi (Libya)

I am pleased at the outset to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We will strive to cooperate most positively with you. We also express our high appreciation for South Africa's effective leadership of the Security Council in April.

We thank Mr. Jurica, Mr. Verbeke and Mr. Urbina, Chairmen, respectively, of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001), 1267 (1999) and 1540 (2004), for their valuable briefings. We highly appreciate their efforts to ensure the Committees' success.

The progress achieved by the sanctions Committees in promoting national counter-terrorism capacities, implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and fulfilling international transparency commitments can only enjoy our support as a very important step towards eradicating both the causes and the symptoms of terrorism.

Our unanimous determination to reject any justification for terrorism cannot be at the expense of dealing objectively with the causes of terrorism. Occupation, the levelling of accusations against civilizations and cultures, the denial of the legitimacy of resistance to occupation and the application of double standards in the implementation of international instruments: those all give rise to much anger and violence.

With respect to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), we have no doubt that the large number of Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs) that have been adopted, as noted by the Chairman in his briefing, reflect the easing of demands on States to update their reports. We all hope that the new PIA matrices devised by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate will reflect every State's performance in keeping with the criteria of transparency and objectivity and will take account of human rights issues. We hope that the overall review of resolution 1373 (2001), which is expected to be included in the Committee's next report to the Council, will be accurate, cautious and realistic and will avoid hasty classifications.

Turning to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) -- the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee -- Libya considers that there is a great need to improve the criteria for adding and removing names from the consolidated list, with a view to enhancing the accuracy and completeness of the list. We believe that the Committee should set criteria and terms for the submission of names for inclusion on the list, including the provision of accurate information on the individuals or entities in question. Libya stresses that our measures should be just and that the work of the Committee should focus on human rights; this would enhance the effectiveness of the implementation of the sanctions regime established under resolution 1267 (1999).

We therefore appreciate the Council's adoption of resolution 1735 (2006), which establishes coordination mechanisms to handle requests for the removal of names from the consolidated list, as a very important step towards improving the sanctions regime and increasing its transparency. We believe, however, that this step is not enough and that it does not meet the need for transparency in guaranteeing justice and clarity in these sanctions measures. We urge the Committee to continue to implement the provisions of resolution 1452 (2002) regarding exemptions, with a view to easing the severity of the sanctions on listed individuals and their families and addressing the humanitarian difficulties they may be facing. Here, we stress that the Committee should consider the obstacles that impede speedy action on requests for exemptions, in particular the use of delays and holds to stymie such requests.

With respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), Libya once again denounces the existence of weapons of mass destruction. We are convinced that the only guarantee against access by non-State actors to such weapons is their total elimination. Libya therefore believes that the goals of disarmament and non-proliferation are mutually supportive; continuous, irreversible progress must be made on both fronts. Libya believes it important to ensure that there is no contradiction among the provisions of resolution 1540 (2004), the United Nations Charter, existing multilateral treaties on weapons of mass destruction, other instruments adopted within international organizations in this sphere, and the role of the General Assembly.

We believe that the important issue of preventing weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of non-State actors requires the active participation of all Member States. We believe that the subject should be considered in the General Assembly with a view to agreement on a legally binding instrument on this issue.

In conclusion, Libya once again reaffirms its support for all international counter-terrorism efforts and its support for all efforts to reach the international community's goal of eradicating terrorism and bringing about a world of peace and security for all.

Mr. Lacroix (France)

I wish at the outset to congratulate you, Sir, and the United Kingdom delegation on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council. My thanks go to Ambassador Kumalo and the South African delegation for their very effective work last month.

I thank you, Mr. President, for having organized this meeting to hear briefings by the Chairmen of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee and the Committee on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors. The Council should continue to follow the work of these Committees attentively and to encourage good interaction and exchanges of experience among them, in conformity with their respective mandates, as it has recently done through resolutions 1805 (2008) and 1810 (2008). We welcome the progress on this point and the issuance of a statement to the press on the initiative of Ambassadors Jurica, Urbina and Verbeke -- whom I thank for their briefings this morning.

The Permanent Representative of Slovenia will soon make a comprehensive statement on behalf of the European Union, to which, clearly, my country fully subscribes. I wish now to emphasize a number of elements that my delegation views as particularly important.

The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) is a very important part of our counter-terrorism and non-proliferation machinery. France hopes that it will successfully attain all of the objectives set in its programme of work. The biennial experts' report -- to whose finalization by the Committee my delegation is looking forward -- should show significant progress in the implementation of the resolution.

But a great deal remains to be done. Some 40 States have yet to report. National reports still show weaknesses in several key areas: the biological segment is almost entirely in progress; gaps remain in the fight against the financing of proliferation and the control of transport and of sensitive exports.

That is why France has been actively engaged in updating the Committee's mandate. With resolution 1810 (2008), a qualitative leap forward should be possible on assistance to States requiring it; that is one of the most promising areas for the future. The extension of the mandate will make it possible to better plan and finance assistance activities. The Committee has received very clear instructions to play an active role in coordinating offers of and requests for assistance. Many practical provisions were included in the resolution to facilitate this.

The Committee is also mandated to promote the sharing of experience that would be useful for the implementation of the resolution. This is of great importance, because many States have requested specific examples.

Finally, resolution 1810 (2008) provides explicitly for the possibility of visits by the Committee to countries in order to heighten awareness and offer assistance.

Neither these provisions nor the extension of the mandate constitute a blank cheque. The resolution provides for regular meetings with the Security Council and increased dialogue with interested States, which will further bolster the legitimacy of the resolution. The provisions sketch a road map for the future. Three years will not be excessive: it is essential for the Committee to get under way as quickly as possible in order to fully implement the mandate entrusted to it. In the short term, it should adopt its biennial report without delay. It should then ensure that its mandate is faithfully and fully reflected in its programme of work, and it should spare no effort in helping States to implement the resolution.

As our colleague, the Permanent Representative of Croatia, has just recalled, the Council adopted resolution 1805 (2008) of 20 March, renewing the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and endorsing the revised organizational plan of the Directorate, which plays an essential role in supporting the Counter-Terrorism Committee. We spoke of this in March (see S/PV.5855), and I shall not revisit the issue. I wish merely to highlight three fundamental aspects of the Counter-Terrorism Committee on which there has been progress in recent months.

My first point relates to the need to ensure coherence. The Committee must use identical criteria during its assessments of the data made available by States. This does not however mean automating a system which must take careful account of the distinct features of each country.

My second point relates to the importance of dialogue. The Committee carries out visits, adopts Preliminary Implementation Assessments and participates, through the Executive Directorate, in numerous international meetings regarding various aspects of the fight against terrorism. There is a need to make use of these channels for dialogue to meet the simple but far-reaching objective of raising the level of counter-terrorist means available to States and to achieve the fullest and broadest possible implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We must work together to build a bastion against terrorism.

My last point relates to the multiplying effect of other agencies or organizations active in combating terrorism. This is particularly true regarding the participation of the Executive Directorate in the Secretary-General's Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, and the numerous meetings held with specialized bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Counter-Terrorism Action Group. The Counter-Terrorism Committee should be at the core of a network of partner entities. Here, the European Union has already responded to this appeal.

I would not wish to conclude without saying a word on the 1267 Committee and, above all, without paying a tribute to the work of Ambassador Verbeke, who has done a great deal to strengthen the effectiveness of the sanctions regime in all its aspects.

The first aspect is the adaptation of the list to the nature of the threat. This effort is reflected in the de-listing of certain entries which no longer met the criteria of association with Osama bin Laden, Al-Qaida or the Taliban. New names have also been added. This flexibility of the list is critical and we need to preserve it. The Committee has begun the essential task of updating the entries on the list in order to identify wrong, incomplete or outdated entries. A particular effort should be made regarding deceased individuals.

The second aspect relates to monitoring the implementation of the regime. It is up to the Committee and its Chairman to identify cases of non-compliance with the sanctions and to deal with them appropriately. At the same time, the work of explaining the parameters of these obligations, as is being carried out in particular through the Committee's Internet site, is also pivotal. This necessary vigilance regarding the implementation of sanctions goes hand in hand with the related task of ensuring the quality and reliability of the information on the list.

The third and final aspect relates to the improvement of procedures to make them clearer and more transparent. Thus, the Committee has adopted a standard form for requests for de-listing; it has updated its procedures regarding exemptions to assets freezing; and it is doing similar work regarding exemptions to the travel ban. These efforts benefit from the robust and credible nature of the sanctions regime and must be encouraged.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that, taken together, these three Committees form the core of the Security Council's response to the grave threat to international peace and security posed by terrorism, proliferation and the convergence of those threats. We have reaffirmed on numerous occasions in this Chamber, and together with the Security Council, that terrorism is criminal and unjustifiable. This is particularly true of Al-Qaida and of its associates, who have targeted not only States on all continents, but also the United Nations itself, as in Algiers last 11 December. Allow me once again to pay tribute to the memory of the victims and to their families, and to reaffirm France's unswerving determination to thwart the designs of terrorists wherever they may be active.

Mr. Natalegawa (Indonesia)

My delegation too wishes to congratulate you, Sir, and the delegation of the United Kingdom on your assumption of the presidency for this month. We also wish to thank South Africa and to congratulate it on its able stewardship of the Council last month.

My delegation appreciates the important briefing by the Chairmen of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), the 1267 Committee and the 1540 Committee. We would like to express our appreciation to the Chairmen for their able leadership of the work of those Committees.

Today's briefings clearly reflect the significance of the close cooperation among the three Committees dealing with counter-terrorism issues. We are of the view that this cooperation will not only be crucial for the work of the Committees, but also will be essential for synergy and coherence in the Council's contribution to countering the threat posed by terrorism. To this end, my delegation recalls the intention of the Council to provide guidance to the three Committees on areas of common interest in order to better coordinate counter-terrorism efforts stipulated in resolution 1805 (2008).

With regard to the briefing on the Counter-Terrorism Committee, we duly note the Committee's accomplishments on several key initiatives, which will serve as a sound basis for its future work. My delegation is of the view that the revised organizational plan could strengthen the role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to enhance the CTC's ability to monitor the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We share the view that the recommendations contained in the organizational plan could consolidate the achievements of CTED, and could eventually intensify the work of the CTC.

My delegation recognizes the significance of the adoption of Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs) as a tool to intensify dialogue between the CTC and Member States on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). PIAs are dynamic documents, and we hope that the CTC will continue to further improve the consistency and accuracy of their content. On the issue of a revised version of the "Survey of the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) by Member States", we would like to underline the need for the CTC to present a more accurate picture in finalizing the survey.

On the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005), my delegation reiterates the importance of CTED's support for the work of the CTC in ensuring comprehensive implementation of the resolution. For its part, Indonesia actively continues its efforts to promote cultural dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding with religious communities and among civilizations.

With regard to the briefing on the 1267 Committee, I would like to use this opportunity to reiterate our strong commitment to the promotion of the effective implementation of the sanctions regime adopted under resolution 1267 (1999) by improving the quality of the consolidated list. We are of the view that our joint efforts to improve the quality of the consolidated list, particularly through enhancing its completeness and accuracy, should contribute generally to the effectiveness of the implementation of resolution 1267 (1999). In this context, my delegation fully supports the intention of the Committee to evaluate the review mechanism of the consolidated list, as provided for in paragraph 6 (i) of the Committee's guidelines.

While fully supporting the effort to identify possible cases of non-compliance, my delegation maintains its view that the Council, in considering the compliance of Member States, should also take into account their achievements in combating Al-Qaida and its affiliates through robust national criminal law enforcement. The problem of non-compliance may be caused not only by lack of political will or insufficient understanding of the sanctions regime, but also by legal deficiencies of procedure applicable to the listing and de-listing processes. My delegation therefore is of the view that the Security Council should give its utmost and urgent attention to the issue of further improving fair and clear procedure. We are convinced that addressing this issue will also improve and promote effective implementation of the regime at the national level.

Turning to the briefing on the 1540 Committee, I would like to reassert Indonesia's support for the main tasks of the Committee, namely promoting global capacity and raising international standards for implementing the resolution. We are also pleased to note that the Council, through resolution 1810 (2008), has extended the mandate of the Committee for a period of three years.

Since the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) is a long-term objective and an ongoing process, we hope that in its future work the Committee will continue to place priority on dialogue and cooperation with Member States on their need to fulfil their obligations under the resolution. In this regard, my delegation stresses that the responsibility for implementation of the resolution rests fully with national Governments, whereas international and regional organizations can continue to assist them upon their request and needs.

Finally, my delegation reiterates the importance of continued and strengthened cooperation among the 1267, Counter-Terrorism and 1540 Committees. My delegation would also like to underline that full implementation of resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) can be effectively carried out through continuous efforts, patience, dialogue, cooperation and assistance.

The President

I should now like to make a statement in my capacity as representative of the United Kingdom.

I would like to join others in thanking Ambassadors Verbeke, Jurica and Urbina for their briefings to the Council this morning. I would like to thank not only them, but also their staffs and the expert groups of each Committee, for their time and commitment. Ambassador Verbeke's leadership of the 1267 Committee will be much missed.

On the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee the United Kingdom welcomes the revised organizational plan for the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the adoption of Security Council resolution 1805 (2008) extending the Directorate's mandate. We welcome the renewed emphasis on tailored dialogue between States and the Counter-Terrorism Committee and, in particular, the need for increased focus on the delivery of technical assistance as key to full implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).

We look forward to early progress on the global survey of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) that is under discussion in the Counter-Terrorism Committee. This will be the first substantive report from the Committee on the strengths and weaknesses in our collective efforts to tackle terrorism, and on what more needs to be done. We look forward to considering the report's recommendations here in the Security Council.

On the 1267 Committee, the United Kingdom believes that we need to improve the quality of the consolidated list of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee. The list must reflect the current threat. Its legitimacy depends on the quality and extent of the information within it. We must continue to update the list at every opportunity and ensure our procedures for listing and de-listing are efficient and effective. At present, they are not. Our ability to remove individuals that no longer meet the criteria is as important as listing additional names that do. Additionally, I would like to reinforce the importance of cooperation between the 1267 Committee, the Monitoring Team, Member States and regional and international organizations. We hope that this cooperation continues to grow.

The United Kingdom welcomes the extension of the mandate of the 1540 Committee, in particular the clear focus on capacity-building and sharing of know-how. The unanimous adoption of resolution 1810 (2008) sends a strong signal of the international community's determination to ensure that weapons of mass destruction do not fall into the hands of criminals, terrorists and would-be proliferators. We look forward to early agreement on the Committee's report on compliance with resolution 1540 (2004).

I now resume my functions as President of the Security Council.

The next speaker inscribed on my list is the representative of Slovenia, to whom I give the floor.

Ms. Stiglic (Slovenia)

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union (EU). The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the countries of the Stabilization and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and Armenia, align themselves with this declaration.

At the outset, let me congratulate you, Sir, upon your assumption of the presidency for the month of May. I would also like to thank South Africa for its stewardship of the Council in the previous month.

The European Union is pleased to participate in today's debate. Due to time limitations, the EU will shorten its statement. The full version is being distributed and constitutes our official statement.

We welcome the briefings from the Chairmen of the three Committees. These Committees play an important role in the work of the United Nations in countering the terrorist threat. We appreciate the opportunity to hear more about their work as part of an open and transparent debate.

Terrorism is a global threat that requires a global and comprehensive response. The EU reiterates once again that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable. The EU is convinced that any measures taken to fight this scourge must be in accordance with obligations under international law in particular international human rights law, refugee law, and international humanitarian law. Effective counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting, but rather complementary and mutually reinforcing, goals. Our action must be firmly based on due process and the rule of law.

The EU would like to welcome efforts by the three Security Council Committees and their expert groups to enhance coherence and avoid duplication. Further, the EU would highly encourage the expert bodies of the Security Council Committees to continue enhancing their mutual cooperation. A coordinated approach will not only prevent duplication of work but also help maximize resources and ensure synergy in Security Council counter-terrorism work.

We commend the 1267 Committee for the considerable progress made with regard to improving the effectiveness of the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime. In doing so, the Committee was supported in an effective manner by the Monitoring Team. We welcome the issuance of the seventh report of the Monitoring Team as an official United Nations document (see S/2007/677) containing relevant analysis and recommendations that will further improve the effectiveness of the Committee's work. We also look forward to receiving the eighth report of the Monitoring Team.

The EU welcomes the continued determination of the Committee to improve procedures for listing, notification and de-listing of individuals and entities, to keep the consolidated list updated and to enhance public outreach and the efforts undertaken to implement these objectives. The EU has always emphasized the need to strengthen fair and clear procedures for placing individuals and entities on sanctions lists and for removing them, in order to enhance the effectiveness of targeted sanctions.

In addition, the EU welcomes the decision of the 1267 Committee to address the problems in implementing the sanctions regime due to a lack of identifiers. Addressing these problems and providing additional identifiers will enhance the accuracy and quality of the list itself, thereby strengthening the effectiveness and credibility of the sanctions regime.

In this regard, we welcome the decision of the Committee to continue to review and update the list and to consider which elements of its methodology could be improved. The Committee's decision to update a number of the tools and documents related to the consolidated list and to enhance dialogue between the Committee and States by creating a tool for voluntary, informal reporting will further improve its work.

The EU recognizes the need to bring the consolidated list to wider attention, in particular to the attention of financial institutions. We believe that, in doing so, it would be useful to add more information to the list as to the primary reason for listing. We welcome the decision of the Committee to separate section E of the list from the rest of the list.

We note that the Monitoring Team has reported some cases of non-compliance with the obligations under the sanctions regimes. In this respect, the EU welcomes the fact that the Committee has developed a methodology to identify possible cases of non-compliance and to address them in the most appropriate way. We look forward to the development of specific and general recommendations on what can be done to prevent the occurrence of such cases.

As regards the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), the EU welcomes the adoption of Security Council resolution 1805 (2008), which extended the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). The European Union recognizes the crucial role of CTED in supporting the CTC in the fulfilment of its mandate. The effective continuation of CTED's work of facilitating capacity-building and advising the CTC on issues of implementation, including legal and technical issues, will enhance the CTC's ability to monitor implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005).

The European Union welcomes and fully supports the organizational plan for CTED prepared by its Executive Director, approved by the Counter-Terrorism Committee and endorsed by the Security Council in its resolution 1805 (2008). The EU believes that the revised organizational plan provides an excellent basis for CTED's future work.

The EU supports additional briefings to States and further visits to selected States, with their consent. These briefings and visits provide a means of direct communication and of listening to the suggestions and concerns of States. They also provide for better understanding of all that sanctions regimes can offer to assist States in their fight against terrorism.

The EU welcomes the work put forward by the Committee in preparing the Preliminary Implementation Assessments within the framework of resolution 1373 (2001). We welcome the decision of the Counter-Terrorism Committee to reassess the status of implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) by all States and to report its findings to the Council. We look forward to seeing the results of the global survey of implementation, which will provide valuable information for the further work in the fight against terrorism.

The EU welcomes the adoption of Security Council resolution 1810 (2008) and is encouraged by the extension of the mandate of the 1540 Committee until April 2011, as well as by its enhancement. The EU commends the work of the 1540 Committee and its role in addressing the threat to international peace and security posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, the EU believes that the efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including to non-State actors, must be strengthened and intensified.

The EU is keen to see the Committee strengthen its role as a clearing house for facilitating technical assistance to help countries achieve full implementation of all aspects of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004). The EU also believes that a longer, three-year mandate will be key to ensuring better planning and funding of assistance. Country-specific outreach events, now explicitly authorized under the resolution, are also a promising development.

The EU remains fully committed to lending its full support to the work of the 1540 Committee in order to promote the universal implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). We are in the process of preparing a new Joint Action, within the framework of the implementation of the EU Strategy against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, to support the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which will reflect the new tasks and priorities identified in resolution 1810 (2008).

In that respect, the EU believes that making better and broader use of voluntary funding for the implementatio