Security Council meeting 6128

The President

I should like to inform the Council that I have received letters from the representatives of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cuba, the Czech Republic, Israel, Morocco, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the Syrian Arab Republic and the Bolivarian Republic of 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, the Council will hear briefings by His Excellency Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities; His Excellency Mr. Jean-Maurice Ripert, Acting Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism; and His Excellency Mr. Jorge Urbina, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

I should first like to give the floor to Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, who will make a joint statement on behalf of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004).

Mr. Mayr-Harting (Austria)

On behalf of the Chairmen of the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004), which deal with the issue of terrorism, I would like to give an update on the continued cooperation among the three Committees and their experts groups.

During the past six months, the sanctions Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) on Al-Qaida and Taliban, the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and their respective experts groups have increased their cooperation as requested by the Security Council in recent resolutions pertaining to the three Committees, notably in resolutions 1805 (2008), 1810 (2008) and 1822 (2008).

The three Committees attach great importance to the coordination of the activities of and cooperation among their expert groups, namely the Monitoring Team, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) and the Expert Group of the 1540 Committee. The Committees welcome the continuing efforts of the expert groups to develop common strategies on areas of common concern, to organize joint workshops, to coordinate their participation in conferences and joint country visits and to exchange information on their activities. The Committees encourage their expert groups to further enhance their exchange of information and coordination with regard to capacity-building, assistance requests and delivery of technical assistance activities. In this context, I would also like to recall that the cooperation and coordination would be facilitated by the co-location of the experts in the framework of the Capital Master Plan.

The three expert groups continued to implement the common strategy on dealing with non- and late-reporting States through exchange of information and joint visits, when appropriate, and in assisting Member States in submitting their responses to the three Committees on their implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. In particular, the three expert groups completed a series of three workshops on reporting for African States by holding a workshop in Kenya, from 11 to 13 November 2008, for North and East African States. This was organized in cooperation with the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Vienna. Similar workshops are being planned for Member States in Asia, including the Pacific countries, the Middle East and Latin America and the Caribbean region.

In addition to these workshops, the three expert groups are exploring the use of common video conferences. These would be conducted from New York, interacting with officials in the capitals of Member States — for example, as took place with officials from the Central African Republic on 11 May — in order to receive further information and updates on the status of implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Committees believe that such workshops and interactive discussions with officials from capitals are very important tools to enhance the cooperation between the three Committees, and Member States, to help improve the understanding of the distinct though connected mandates of the three Committees, and to assist Member States in the implementation of the relevant resolutions.

In response to Security Council resolutions 1805 (2008), 1810 (2008) and 1822 (2008), the three expert groups recently presented another common strategy to engage with international, regional and subregional organizations, entities and agencies. The objectives of this new strategy are to increase coherence and coordination in the counter-terrorism efforts of the three Committees in their relations with such bodies and to facilitate the latter’s efforts to cooperate with the expert groups of the three Committees. The three Committees welcome the presentation of a second common strategy as further evidence of the close working relationship between the three expert groups, and are currently considering their joint proposal.

The expert groups continue to coordinate their visits to Member States and participation at relevant conferences. CTED and the Monitoring Team also exchange their schedules of visits to explore whether these could be conducted jointly. When an expert group does not participate in a visit, they exchange information on the Member State that is to be visited. In addition, the three expert groups also share their reports on their visits whenever possible. The most recent visit to Uganda was the twelfth joint trip of CTED with the Monitoring Team to a Member State, and more joint visits are envisaged later this year. The three expert groups also jointly participated in a regional ministerial meeting on organized crime and terrorism, organized by UNODC in the Dominican Republic in February, and a subregional workshop organized by UNODC and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Bucharest at the beginning of April.

The expert groups also cooperate on issues regarding the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions by States of the Pacific Islands Forum. They attend periodic meetings with Pacific Islands Forum missions to the United Nations in New York on the implementation of the resolutions. The three expert groups also continue to work together on risk management and border security issues.

The three expert groups also continue to contribute to and coordinate their work 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 and to help implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

In addition to the aforementioned activities, there are regular meetings of the expert groups in New York. Moreover, when CTC organizes briefings in the framework of its official meetings, the Monitoring Team and the Expert Group of the 1540 Committee are also invited to participate.

Finally, the three Committees and their Chairmen have worked to enhance their cooperation. To this end, we recently organized an informal exchange of views among the Chairmen of the three Committees. I would like to note that the 1540 Committee adopted the topic of “Enhancing ongoing cooperation between the 1540 Committee and other international organizations, including the 1267 Committee and CTC” in its programme of work for 2009. For this purpose, it recently established a working group on cooperation in order to promote information sharing, coordination on country visits and workshops, technical assistance and other issues of relevance to all three Committees.

On the occasion of previous briefings, a comparative table was issued to highlight the main aspects of the respective mandates and areas of competence of the three Committees and of their expert groups. That table has served as a useful tool for Member States, and it has helped them to better understand the specificities and complementarities of our work. An updated version of the table is available today.

Terrorism and proliferation continue to be a daily reality and a threat to international peace and security, faced equally by States and individuals alike. Cooperation is therefore a crucial element in the efforts to counter the threat of terrorism, including that from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons for terrorist purposes. The three subsidiary bodies of the Security Council and their respective expert groups continue to be committed to cooperating and coordinating their work, within their respective mandates, in order to contribute to an effective and efficient approach within the overall United Nations framework and within international efforts. In this respect, the Committees look forward to receiving further guidance from the Council on areas of common interest in order to better coordinate counter-terrorism efforts. This concludes the joint report.

The President

I thank Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting for his briefing.

I once again give the floor to Mr. Thomas Mayr-Harting, this time in his capacity as Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities.

Mr. Mayr-Harting (Austria)

I had the honour to take over the chairmanship of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee in January 2009. I would like to thank my predecessors, Ambassadors Johan Verbeke and Jan Grauls of Belgium, for their excellent work in steering the Committee in 2007 and 2008.

In today’s briefing, I would like to give an overview of the Committee’s activities since the last briefing in November 2008. A more detailed version of this statement will be distributed today and made accessible on the Committee’s website in due course. I will therefore concentrate on the following points.

Almost 10 years after the adoption of resolution 1267 (1999), the threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban continues worldwide, especially in South Asia. However, at the same time, over the years the threat has evolved considerably. The Committee remains committed to ensuring that the 1267 sanctions regime becomes an ever more relevant and effective tool for fighting terrorism.

All Member States have a role to play in helping to ensure, via timely listing and delisting proposals, that the consolidated list remains a dynamic instrument that accurately reflects the current threat. The Committee will do its part to make sure that the 1267 sanctions regime remains central to the United Nations counter-terrorism efforts.

On 9 December 2008, after intensive negotiations under Belgian chairmanship, the Committee adopted a thoroughly revised version of the guidelines of the Committee. The updated version is available in all six languages on the Committee’s website.

By paragraph 25 of resolution 1822 (2008), the Council directed the Committee “to conduct a review of all names on the Consolidated List at the date of adoption of this resolution by 30 June 2010”. The review process is one of the key priorities of the Committee. It currently pertains to 488 names that were included on the consolidated list prior to 30 June 2008.

Pursuant to the guidelines, each trimester the Committee circulates a subset or batch of names on the consolidated list to the designating State or States and the State or States of residence and/or nationality. As of today, the Committee has sent out two batches, initiating the review of 158 names — 125 individuals and 33 entities — on the consolidated list. A third batch of approximately 120 names will be circulated shortly to the respective States.

In this context, I would like to call upon all reviewing States to thoroughly review each name and to do their utmost to submit their replies to the Committee within the stated period. The Committee very much depends on the cooperation and assistance of Member States in order to be able to successfully complete the review process within the time frame set by the Council.

Once the replies from the reviewing States have been received, all information available is circulated to members of the Committee and the Monitoring Team for possible further input within a one-month period. At the end of this process, the respective name is placed on the Committee’s agenda. On 4 May, the first five names were placed on the Committee’s agenda, and so far the Committee has concluded its review of three names. In the course of the review, the Committee evaluates all available information, considers whether listing remains appropriate, and considers updating the consolidated list. In cases where a member of the Committee determines that a listing is no longer appropriate, it may submit a delisting request, and the Committee will decide whether to remove a name under review from the consolidated list.

In the spirit of transparency, it is my intention to regularly update Member States about the progress of the review process, including through periodic briefings, press releases and updates on the Committee’s webpage. The Secretariat will also notify the States of residence and/or nationality and designating States, as foreseen in the guidelines.

The review of the 488 names on the consolidated list is, as I have already said, one of the key priorities of the Committee, and it is my personal commitment to ensure that this exercise will be conducted seriously and thoroughly. There are several names of persons on the list who are reported to be dead or cases where a continued listing may no longer seem to be appropriate. Other entries have very few identifiers and do not contain sufficient information to allow for the positive identification of the party concerned, as requested for new designations by Security Council resolution 1822 (2008). For these entries, the application of the measures set out in resolution 1822 (2008) is very difficult, but at the same time they can affect unintended and innocent individuals. For instance, for 56 individuals there is no full name and no date of birth; for 14 individuals there is only one name available. For these reasons, INTERPOL has been able so far to post only 317 notices for individuals and 24 notices for entities, as it does not have the necessary information for the other entries.

Additional identifiers are therefore necessary in order to create an effective sanctions regime. The review is an ideal opportunity to check these entries, add additional identifiers or remove names from the list for which listing is no longer considered appropriate. I therefore count on the cooperation of Member States in order to be able to conduct a meaningful review and improve the quality of the consolidated list.

In paragraph 13 of resolution 1822 (2008), the Security Council directed the Committee, with the assistance of the Monitoring Team and in coordination with the relevant designating States, to make accessible on the Committee’s website a narrative summary of reasons for listing for each entry on the consolidated list. The Committee, supported by the Monitoring Team, is currently working to produce these summaries. Since the beginning of this year, the Committee has published a total of 63 narrative summaries. The Monitoring Team has prepared the first draft of another 115 narrative summaries of reasons for listing, which are currently being reviewed by the designating States. The summaries are published in all six official United Nations languages.

As of today, the consolidated list comprises 508 names: 397 persons — 255 associated with Al-Qaida and 142 associated with the Taliban — and 111 entities. Since the last briefing on 12 November 2008, the Committee has added to the list the names of seven individuals associated with Al-Qaida. During the same period, one delisting request was approved, while four delisting requests could not be acceded to.

In cases of new listings, as foreseen in the guidelines, the Committee now includes in communications to the membership, and in its press release on new listings, the publicly releasable portions of the respective statement of case. The Committee trusts that making publicly available a statement of case following a new listing will further improve the transparency and effective implementation of sanctions.

Since the last briefing, the Committee has received 11 notifications for exemptions to the assets freeze for basic expenses under paragraph 1(a) and one request for an exemption for extraordinary expenses under paragraph 1(b). One notification under paragraph 1(a) is still under the Committee’s consideration. The Committee has also received the first request for an exemption to the travel ban set out in paragraph 1(b) of resolution 1822 (2008). The request was granted for the days of travel specified.

Finally, the Committee has considered the issue of deceased persons and discussed a paper submitted by the Monitoring Team on listed individuals who are reported or believed to be dead. Acknowledging the importance of addressing this issue, the Committee decided to undertake a review of the list of deceased persons in the framework of the currently ongoing review.

Cooperation and interaction with Member States are essential elements of the work of the Committee. Visits by the Monitoring Team to countries are an important tool for developing a dialogue with Member States and for gathering information on the implementation of the sanctions regime. Since the last briefing, the Monitoring Team has travelled to seven Member States — Syria, Lebanon, Togo, Malaysia, Algeria, France and the United States — including two visits under the umbrella of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

In addition, on 30 April 2009 in Vienna the Team held its seventh regional meeting for the heads and deputy heads of intelligence and security services from selected countries in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, and its third meeting with regional security and intelligence services on 22 and 23 April in Nairobi to discuss Al-Qaida influences in Somalia. On 9 February, the Committee itself met with a high-level delegation from Algeria, which gave a comprehensive overview of Algeria’s efforts to counter terrorism related to Al-Qaida. On 11 December 2008, my predecessor held an open briefing to interested Member States in which he provided an update of the Committee’s work in relation to the implementation of resolution 1822 (2008). My intention is to hold another open briefing next month.

At the end of February, the Monitoring Team submitted its ninth report (S/2009/245) to the Committee, as requested under resolution 1822 (2008). The Committee recently started its consideration of the report and its recommendations. The report has been transmitted to the Security Council, published as a United Nations document and put on the Committee’s website. The Committee will inform the Security Council of its position on the Team’s recommendations after careful consideration. The Monitoring Team will submit its tenth report to the Committee at the end of July 2009. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Monitoring Team and the secretariat of the 1267 Committee for their invaluable contribution to the work of the Committee.

Let me conclude with a general comment. The 1267 sanctions regime currently faces serious challenges. There are a growing number of cases before national and regional courts, filed by listed individuals and entities taking legal action against sanctions measures. The review is therefore an important step towards both improving due process and strengthening the regime. Either by removing names from the list where listing is no longer appropriate or by adding new identifiers and information regarding names remaining on the list, the review will help to improve due process and the quality of the consolidated list and to implement the sanctions regime more effectively. Further steps towards ensuring and strengthening fair and clear procedures, as stated in resolution 1822 (2008), may be sought in the next resolution, which is due at the end of 2009.

However, the success of the review process and the Committee’s work in general depends not only on the work of the members of the Committee, but most importantly on the cooperation of all Member States involved, in particular designating States and States of residence and/or nationality. In order to complete the review process by the deadline in June 2010, it is essential that all States involved do their utmost to provide all available information within the time frame set by the Committee. The continued cooperation and engagement of all Member States is crucial to achieve our common and overall objective to counter and prevent terrorism.

The President

I thank Mr. Mayr-Harting for his briefing.

I now give the floor to Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, speaking on behalf of the Acting Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism.

Mr. Lacroix (France)

As you stated, Mr. President, I have the honour of making a statement on behalf of the Permanent Representative of France, who is not in New York today and who is the Acting Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), known as the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC). It is my honour to brief the Security Council on the work of the Committee since the last briefing of 12 November 2008.

In the past six months, the Committee has pursued its activities according to its programmes of work, which have been issued as official documents of the Security Council. The Committee has continued to analyse the Preliminary Implementation Assessments of resolution 1373 (2001), documents that have been presented to all United Nations Member States by Ambassador Jurica and Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of the CTC, during information meetings. Since last November, it has approved 21 of them, which brings the current total to 191 files. It should formally approve the last two in the coming months.

One of the major undertakings of the Committee in this reporting period is the stocktaking exercise. After receiving their preliminary assessments in 2007 and 2008, Member States were usually given 12 months to send their comments and provide updates. The first deadlines have expired, and the Committee has endorsed a proposal on how to conduct the stocktaking of each Member State’s implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). That process is to be carried out in stages, involving the Committee and its subcommittees. The Committee can thus enhance its regular dialogue with the Member States and identify the areas where implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) is still inadequate.

In practice, the Committee is called on to provide follow-up to the recommendations drawn up for each Member State by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate. On the basis of those recommendations, among other activities, the Committee requests additional information on the gaps identified and invites permanent representatives to the meetings of the relevant subcommittees, at which they are reminded of their obligation to implement resolution 1373 (2001). The relevant subcommittee asks the Member States in question why they have not responded to the Committee’s communications and encourages the permanent representatives of those States to explore additional ways to help the Executive Directorate to obtain further information and updates. The Committee has already finalized 16 files in the context of that activity.

The Committee has continued to organize visits to Member States with their consent. That is a fundamental element of its activities to effectively monitor and promote implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). Besides such comprehensive visits, which facilitate analysis of all aspects of implementing the resolution, the revised organizational plan of the Executive Directorate envisages a more flexible approach by planning shorter visits focused on one or two particular aspects of the counter-terrorism regime in the Member State concerned. In addition, the plan forms the basis for regional visits and for missions given the task of examining best practices and of resolving vulnerabilities.

Thanks to those innovations, the rate of visits has significantly increased, which has enabled the Committee to engage in a more in-depth examination of the problems in a greater number of countries in all regions. Over the past six months, the Committee has successfully concluded on-site visits to the following countries: Kenya, Uganda, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Burkina Faso, Mali, Senegal, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Bangladesh.

The Committee was seized of the results of the activities of the five cross-cutting technical working groups established by the organizational plan of the Executive Directorate, which covers the major areas of implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005). The aim is to revise and harmonize the criteria for technical judgements of the elements of resolution 1373 (2001) and to draw up a technical guide that will facilitate the task of the Executive Directorate. The Directorate has submitted the guide to the Committee, which is currently considering it.

The Committee and the Executive Directorate have done their utmost to strengthen dialogue with Member States, donors and beneficiaries so as to facilitate technical assistance. In that context, the Committee continues to look for and match current and potential donors and beneficiary countries in order to strengthen their mutual dialogue and to further the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).

The Committee has approved a report on the implementation of the plan of action adopted at its fifth special meeting, held two years ago in Nairobi, Kenya. The Executive Directorate organized that review in consultation with the 77 international, regional and subregional organizations invited to participate in the meeting. It has been noted that more than 100 conferences, workshops and training sessions had taken place since November 2007 to promote the implementation of the plan of action. The Committee also posts on its website the technical assistance requests in a table and the directory of its assistance programmes.

In its dialogue with Member States, the Committee has continued to remind them that they must ensure that all measures taken to combat terrorism comply with their obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and humanitarian law. The expert on human rights in the Executive Directorate regularly submits information for inclusion in the preliminary assessments, prepares the Directorate’s country visits — in two of which he himself has taken part — and promotes a consistent approach to human rights issues in the Directorate’s activities.

Regarding resolution 1624 (2005), the Committee has continued to include in its dialogue with Member States their efforts to implement that resolution. In total, 99 States have submitted reports to the Committee on their implementation of the resolution. The Committee continues to encourage the States that have not yet presented a report to do so. Recently, it endorsed a discussion paper, prepared by the Executive Directorate, on ways to advance the dialogue.

The Committee also continues to encourage the Member States to become party to and to implement the 16 international counter-terrorism instruments. The Committee plays its part in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Under its guidance, the Executive Directorate has continued to participate actively in all relevant activities of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. It has participated in the work of the three working groups of the Task Force, dealing respectively with addressing the financing of terrorism, protecting human rights while countering terrorism, and integrating assistance for countering terrorism. The Committee welcomes the intention of the Secretariat to co-locate the Task Force secretariat with CTED, which will be conducive to their closer collaboration within the framework of their respective mandates.

The Committee, mostly through its experts and in line with resolution 1805 (2008), cooperates and coordinates its activities with two other subsidiary bodies of the Security Council that deal with counter-terrorism, namely, the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1540 (2004). More information on this cooperation has been presented earlier today in the common message of the three Committees.

Moreover, 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 Committee will need to accomplish a number of major tasks in the next six months. First, resolution 1805 (2008) requests an interim review of CTED by 30 June 2009. I am pleased to be in a position to report that the Committee has started informal consultations on this issue and will submit a report to the Council before the stipulated deadline. Moreover, in the coming period, the Committee will focus on concluding the major part of the stocktaking exercise. The Committee also expects to receive a new revision of the Global Implementation Survey of resolution 1373 (2001) by Member States and to further strengthen contacts within relevant countries in order to facilitate the delivery of technical assistance.

As terrorism remains one of the major threats to international peace and security, the Committee represents a crucial instrument of the international community to address that global scourge. The Committee benefits from the constructive engagement of its members, which assists it considerably in its work. Furthermore, support from and cooperation with Member States remains invaluable, especially in carrying out the stocktaking exercise. I should therefore like to thank all Member States for their important contributions, which enable the Committee to fulfil its mandate.

Finally, I would also like to extend the Committee’s gratitude to Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of CTED, and his team for their valuable assistance. I also appreciate the continuous support provided by the Secretariat.

Let me conclude with a few words in my national capacity, while aligning myself fully with the statement to be delivered later by the representative of the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union. France is very committed to the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), the crucial importance of which is underscored by the very alarming events that have just taken place in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. The obligations imposed by this resolution make good sense. Compliance has significant benefits to public health, through control of biological facilities, taxes through border control and, of course, security. France, which has just taken the chair of the 1540 working group on assistance, will spare no effort to ensure that States receive all necessary assistance for the full implementation of the resolution.

The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, as our Austrian colleague said earlier, has started the important work of reviewing the entire consolidated list of individuals, groups and entities subject to sanctions, as requested by the Security Council in resolution 1822 (2008). France considers the general review and the yearly reviews that will take place subsequently to be among the most important safeguards for individual freedoms surrounding the sanctions regime. My country participates actively in this work and invites all other Member States concerned to play their full role in this crucial exercise.

The President

I thank Mr. Lacroix for his briefing.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Jorge Urbina, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

As Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I am pleased to brief the Security Council on the main activities of the Committee during the six months since the last joint briefing held on 12 November 2008. Among the main aspects, I would like to refer to the adoption of the Committee’s annual programme of work and on outreach activities, assistance and cooperation with relevant organizations.

In accordance with paragraph 9 of resolution 1810 (2008), the Committee completed preparation of its programme of work covering the period from 1 February 2009 to 31 January 2010. The programme, which was circulated as a Security Council document, calls for intensification of ongoing activities and for developing new activities. The programme seeks first to increase the Committee’s knowledge of the status of implementation by encouraging non-reporting States to submit a first report and other States to provide additional information reflecting progress towards a full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004); secondly, to pursue the Committee’s dialogue with States on such progress and to organize and participate in outreach events at the national, regional and subregional levels; thirdly, as Ambassador Mayr-Harting mentioned, to enhance the Committee’s cooperation with other international bodies, including the Security Council’s Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1373 (2001); and, fourthly, to engage actively with States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations for the purpose of sharing experiences and lessons learned.

Moreover, the programme seeks to strengthen the Committee’s role of facilitating technical assistance in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) by developing further its clearing-house function in matching offers and requests for assistance and by encouraging and taking advantage of voluntary financial contributions to assist States in addressing their needs.

A major focus of the Committee’s work in 2009 will be to organize a comprehensive review of the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). The review will assess the evolution of risks and threats in the areas covered by the resolution, address specific critical issues that have not yet been addressed, and identify new approaches for the implementation of the resolution. The modalities of the review, to be completed no later than 31 January 2010, were circulated in document S/2009/170 of 1 April 2009.

In order to implement its 2009 programme more efficiently, the Committee has established four working groups open to all its members. They focus on the following topics: first, national implementation and monitoring, including the comprehensive review; secondly, assistance; thirdly, transparency and outreach; and fourthly, cooperation with international organizations and subsidiary bodies, including the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the 1267 Committee.

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

Outreach activities have been intensified to encourage and promote the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Since the last joint briefing in November 2008, 25 conferences and workshops have been attended by the Chairman or members of the Committee and by the experts assisting the Committee. The Committee’s outreach has been worldwide, covering meetings in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Caribbean. The purpose of such participation has ranged from raising awareness to the encouragement of submitting national reports on the status of implementation, and from sharing the experiences and lessons learned in seeking solutions to explaining technical issues in the resolution and encouraging the use of methods and tools to facilitate the preparation of implementation plans or assistance requests.

Since November 2008, the Committee has continued to engage in several types of outreach activities, summarized as follows.

First, the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) has organized regional workshops specific to the 1540 Committee. There were three such regional workshops on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), focusing on building the capacity of Member States with respect to border and export controls. The first was organized for the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR) countries in São Paulo, Brazil, in late November 2008. The second workshop, held in Doha, Qatar in March 2009, was organized for the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the neighbouring area. The third, held in Port Vila, Vanuatu in late April and early May, was organized for United Nations Member States in the Pacific Islands region. The Committee expresses its appreciation to the host countries and to the sponsors of those events: the European Union and the Government of Norway, who were joined by the United States in the case of the Brazil and Qatar workshops and the United Kingdom in the case of the Qatar workshop, and by New Zealand for the workshop in Vanuatu.

Secondly, regional workshops were organized in collaboration with other United Nations bodies. In addition to the common strategy workshops for non-reporting and late reporting African States, organized by the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC/TPB), the UNODC/TPB co-organized workshops on the implementation of the international instruments dealing with counter-terrorism with other regional bodies, such as with the League of Arab States in Cairo in November 2008, the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Dominican Republic in February 2009 and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Bucharest in March 2009. The 1540 Committee expresses appreciation to UNODC and the regional bodies and host Governments for their valuable role in organizing these workshops.

Thirdly, other organizations organized meetings. Those conferences and workshops covered subjects ranging from the broad issue of implementation of the international instruments on non-proliferation and counter-terrorism to a direct focus on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and from the various non-proliferation measures in the nuclear, chemical or biological area to a sharper focus on specific issues such as proliferation, financing, illicit trafficking and maritime security. Such events included international and regional workshops on the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) organized by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); a European Union-sponsored meeting on the CWC and non-proliferation; an OSCE meeting on security cooperation, including non-proliferation initiatives; an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) symposium on nuclear security; a conference of the Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Centre of Excellence; OAS meetings on non-proliferation, resolution 1540 (2004) and counter-terrorism; and meetings of the Financial Action Task Force.

Fourthly, there were country-specific events. The 1540 Committee has participated in country-specific workshops of particular relevance to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). In February 2009, a 1540 Committee expert participated in a workshop in Tashkent devoted to the implementation of the resolution in Uzbekistan. We appreciate the initiative taken by the Government of Uzbekistan and the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute of International Studies in organizing this event, which facilitated intensive dialogue with officials from different ministries. It should be noted that a similar dialogue with officials from the Dominican Republic was made possible in tandem with a UNODC-sponsored meeting of the Caribbean countries held there in February 2009.

Mr. Urbina (Costa Rica)

With regard to assistance, as encouraged in resolution 1810 (2008), the Committee is intensifying efforts to further develop its clearing-house function for channelling assistance to Member States by matching, as appropriate, assistance requests with offers of assistance. The number of specific assistance requests submitted under the Committee’s recently distributed assistance template has now reached six, comprising five from Member States and one from a subregional organization, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), on behalf of its region. Those requests concern assistance in drafting legislation, organizing workshops on border and export controls and appointing a regional 1540 implementation coordinator. They have been referred to Member States and organizations that may be in a position to provide the requested assistance, and some offers have already been made. On cooperation with other bodies and organizations, our joint statement as Chairmen of the CTC, the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee and the 1540 Committee provides more information on the progress that our Committees have made in strengthening our cooperation during the past six months. We expect to continue these joint efforts in inviting intergovernmental organizations to contribute to promoting the objectives of the three Committees.

Towards that end, during my visits to Washington and Vienna last December and again this month as the 1540 Committee Chairman, I was able to meet senior staff of the OAS, OSCE and the IAEA to discuss new steps to improve the Committee’s relations with those organizations. I intend to carry out similar consultations with other organizations, for example, the World Customs Organization, in the near future, in order to strengthen their cooperation with the Committee to support their roles in facilitating States’ implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Improving the cooperation between international organizations, States and the Committee is also among the major objectives of the comprehensive review taking place during the rest of this year.

The President

I was hoping that the Ambassador would speak a few words in Russian, but perhaps he will do so next time.

Mr. lkin (Turkey)

I would like to thank the three distinguished Chairmen of the Committees established pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) for their informative briefings and for the continued guidance of their Committees. There is no doubt that today, terrorism and the proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction continue to pose two of the most serious threats to international peace and security. Therefore, we should remain extremely vigilant and steadfast in countering those challenges.

To that end, implementation of the three Security Council resolutions we are discussing today is important. Indeed, the adoption of each resolution constituted a concrete and tangible achievement. However, as we all know, their full implementation poses an even more challenging task, and that is why the continuous work done by the three Committees for the effective implementation of the resolutions is of critical importance.

As to the 1267 Committee, it is imperative that we continue to do everything possible to deprive the Taliban and Al-Qaida of financial, logistical and political support. Indeed, the threats posed by those extremist groups are not confined to any particular region; they constitute a serious danger for the entire international community.

In that regard, I agree with the Chairman of the 1267 Committee that a comprehensive review of the consolidated list is important for the credibility and effectiveness of the sanctions regime. We believe that with the successful conclusion of the review process our endeavours will be more focused and will thus yield more concrete results.

As to resolution 1373 (2001), we are pleased to observe that the Counter-Terrorism Committee has also come a long way in its own stocktaking process. It has finished the adoption of almost all Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs). We appreciate the good work done by Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), and his dedicated team. However, we are still far from where we could and should be in implementing resolution 1373 (2001) in its entirety. Lack of capacity, political will and a clear understanding of what needs to be done continues to undermine our efforts to put up a strong and united front against terrorism.

Therefore, we should re-energize the work of the Committee, in particular by focusing more on identified shortcomings, including those deriving from unfulfilled obligations by individual countries. In that regard, we feel that we must not shy away from having candid exchanges on what is not working and on what more should be done in this respect.

Likewise, we should start to consider once again the possibility of preparing a consolidated list, similar to the one we have in the 1267 Committee, sanctioning other terrorist groups, individuals and entities. The lack of such a list seriously undermines international cooperation against terrorism.

Finally, I also wish to underscore the importance of resolution 1540 (2004) in our efforts to tackle the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. That is why we very much welcome the intensification of efforts to promote the implementation of that resolution. In this endeavour, outreach is of paramount importance. Thus, maintaining dialogue with individual States and responding to their technical and financial needs for the implementation of the resolution in a timely and effective manner are critical. Likewise, we look forward to the comprehensive review process called for in resolution 1810 (2008). We hope that this will provide yet another opportunity that could enable the Committee to enhance its ability to facilitate national implementation efforts.

In conclusion, substantial work has been done by and within the framework of the three Committees under review. But there is still ample room for further and decisive progress. Having said that, I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to the Chairmen of the three Committees for their commitment and endeavours in that direction.

As a member of the Security Council, Turkey will continue to lend its full support to the work of these Committees with a view to helping strengthen our abilities in countering terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The international community has learned the hard way that only through extensive and solid international cooperation can these scourges be eradicated.

Mr. Le Luong Minh (Viet Nam)

I should like to start by thanking Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix and Ambassador Jorge Urbina for their very comprehensive briefings on the work of the 1267 Committee, the 1373 Committee and the 1540 Committee over the past six months and for their continued cooperation. We commend the three Committees, under the leadership of their Chairmen and with the assistance of their expert bodies, namely the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and the 1540 expert group, for the achievements made and initiatives taken in carrying out their mandates.

We continue to acknowledge the threat posed to international peace and security by Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, the Taliban and other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them. The adoption by the Security Council of resolution 1822 (2008) provided further directions and a legal framework for the 1267 Committee’s work.

My delegation takes note of the fact that the 1267 Committee has given high priority to conducting a process of review of all names on its consolidated list. For that purpose, the Committee circulated two batches of names for updated information or additional identifiers, and it plans to update all entries on the list. The Committee also worked with its Monitoring Team to publish on its website 53 narrative summaries of reasons for listing. We support the commitment made by the Committee’s Chair to ensure that this review process will be conducted seriously and thoroughly. We once again stress that particular attention should be given to the consideration of cases whose continued listing may no longer be appropriate, with a view to removing those names from the list. We believe that all the aforementioned efforts will positively contribute to improving the quality of the consolidated list and thus the effectiveness of the 1267 sanctions regime of the Security Council.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), for its part, has been engaged in a stocktaking exercise on the implementation by Member States of the Security Council’s counter-terrorism resolutions. Using all appropriate tools, such as Preliminary Implementation Assessments (PIAs), the country visit reports and recommendations, the CTC has made further efforts to improve the dialogue with Member States as well as to promote technical assistance in the field of counter-terrorism. My delegation supports the initiative of the CTC to facilitate, in the framework of the stocktaking exercise, direct dialogue between the CTC and the Permanent Missions of Member States to the United Nations, aimed at finding ways to assist Member States in implementing their obligations under the related Security Council resolutions.

The CTC continues to give guidance to its expert body, the CTED, in developing a technical guide, another reference tool to help ensure consistent analysis and evaluation of States’ implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We look forward to further discussions with other members of the CTC on the revised draft of the technical guide.

With respect to resolution 1805 (2008), by which the Security Council decided to conduct an interim review of the CTED’s work by 30 June 2009, my delegation welcomes the CTC’s ongoing efforts in assessing the CTED’s assistance to the Committee in delivering its mandate and the impact of the Directorate’s structural reorganization on its work. Upon the completion of the interim review, we expect the Council to be able to agree on recommendations made by the CTC for the improvement of the CTED’s work.

My delegation welcomes the programme of work for 2009 adopted by the 1540 Committee (see S/2009/124) with a major focus on the organization of a comprehensive review of the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). The Committee made great efforts in formulating the modalities of the review, which is aimed at addressing specific critical issues that have not been addressed and at identifying new approaches to promote the implementation of the resolution, while avoiding the imposition of unnecessary or overlapping obligations on Member States.

With regard to cooperation among the three Committees through their expert bodies, we take note of further endeavours, such as the common approach towards relevant international, regional and subregional organizations, jointly proposed by the Monitoring Team, the CTED and the 1540 expert group for the consideration of the three Committees, and the fact that experts of the Monitoring Team continue to participate in the CTED’s visits to Member States. We support the three expert bodies in their work to find appropriate ways to strengthen their coordinated actions within the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force to help promote the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm that Viet Nam considers that the mandates of the three committees and their contributions to the common cause against international terrorism are important. We wish to register our continued support for and cooperation with the three committees in carrying out their mandates.

Mr. La Yifan (China)

We wish to thank Ambassador Mayr-Harting, Ambassador Lacroix and Ambassador Urbina for their briefings on, respectively, the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) (the 1267 Committee), the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) (the 1540 Committee). We express our appreciation to them and their teams for their effective work.

Under the chairmanship of Ambassador Mayr-Harting, the 1267 Committee has updated its guidelines in accordance with the relevant provision of resolution 1822 (2008). At present, the review of all the information on the sanctions list is being carried out in an orderly fashion. That review is helpful in making the sanctions regime more effective and fair, so as to help alleviate the concern that some countries have with regard to the Committee’s procedural aspects.

In order to uphold the authority and status of the Committee, it is necessary to have the support of each and every Member State. We encourage all the Member States to provide the Committee with information that is as detailed as possible so as to help with the review. In addition, in order to make the sanctions regime more targeted, we support the Committee’s continued improvement of its listing and delisting procedures so as to make the sanctions list a truly live document.

The CTC, with the assistance of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), has endeavoured to improve its working methods, based on efficiency and consistency in its work, and has achieved visible results in areas such as Preliminary Implementation Assessment (PIA) consideration, visits to countries and technical assistance. China expresses its appreciation in this regard.

At present, one important task facing the CTC is that of carrying out a new round of PIA consideration. That work is of great significance in terms of promoting implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We hope that the CTC, in the process of PIA consideration, will strengthen its dialogue with Member States and help them overcome difficulties in implementing that resolution. We also encourage Member States to provide, in a timely manner, all the necessary information to the CTC and CTED so as to make the Committee’s work more reflective of the real needs of Member States.

In the most recent period, the 1540 Committee has carried out a series of activities in areas such as formulating its programme of work, considering implementation reports from Member States and outreach and international assistance. It has played an important role in bringing about comprehensive and effective implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). China expresses its appreciation in this regard. In the next period, in accordance with resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1810 (2008), the Committee should comprehensively and in a fair and balanced manner continue to promote the achievement of the various goals listed in its programme of work.

China attaches great importance to the role of the 1540 Committee and has always actively and constructively participated in its activities. We are ready to continue to support the Committee’s work and to play our role in bringing about a comprehensive, balanced implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), solidifying the non-proliferation consensus and advancing the cause of international non-proliferation cooperation.

In the past few months, despite unrelenting worldwide efforts in the counter-terrorism field, global terrorist activities have continued unabated. Terrorism has continued to be a serious threat to international peace and security. In our view, the Security Council counter-terrorism mechanism, with the three subsidiary committees as the backbone, is an important component of the United Nations counter-terrorism regime. The results produced by the Council have made great contributions to the international counter-terrorist effort. At present, under the grave situation of counter-terrorism worldwide, China considers that the Council’s counter-terrorism mechanism should continue to play its due role and to demonstrate to the international community its resolute determination to combat terrorism and to increase the effectiveness of international counter-terrorism cooperation.

China has noted that the three committees have made further progress in strengthening their cooperation. We hope they and their experts will continue to consolidate their resources and efficiency. We hope that in their work they will pay more attention to the counter-terrorism requests of developing countries and heed their views in this process.

The United Nations counter-terrorism strategy is among the most important counter-terrorism resolutions of the United Nations. China supports the participation of the three committees, within the scope of their respective mandates, in relevant activities of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) and their facilitation of comprehensive and balanced implementation of the global counter-terrorism strategy. They should make sure that the activities carried out by the Council are complementary and are coordinated with those of the General Assembly so as to uphold the central role of the United Nations in the global counter-terrorism cooperation.

Mr. Rugunda (Uganda)

Uganda welcomes the comprehensive briefings by the three Chairmen of the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council. Terrorism and proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery remain a danger to international peace and security. These are matters that this Council has continued to handle. Uganda has given unwavering support to the Council, and will continue to do so, for all measures aimed at strengthening its work in this regard.

Uganda commends the three committees and their expert groups for developing common strategies and making joint country visits and exchanges of information on their activities. We encourage them to continue to assist Member States in submitting timely responses on implementation of the relevant Council resolutions. Their common strategy to engage with international, regional and subregional organizations, entities and agencies is a step in the right direction and should be encouraged. However, the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) should be able to make an in-depth assessment of what it has been able, and what it has not been able, to achieve and possibly of what it intends to do in order to realize maximum output of these interactive initiatives.

The visit to my country by CTED and the Monitoring Team between 17 and 21 November 2008 was very welcome. It assisted the Team to deepen their understanding of the intricacies involved in the implementation of the Security Council resolutions, particularly the technical aspects essential in such implementation. My country’s experience in handling terrorist activities can be a point of recall in understanding the role of the individual State initiatives, bilateral approaches and regional interventions in stemming these threats.

Uganda has had to confront terrorist groups of the Lord’s Resistance Army and Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) largely out of these approaches. In the recent past, we have worked closely with some of our neighbours in that regard. This approach is consistent with the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). Those initiatives, it must be said, reinforce the efforts of the Council to achieve its mandate in the fight against terrorism.

Uganda welcomes the revised technical assistance strategy of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, which is intended to leverage bilateral, regional and international partnerships in order to enhance dialogue with recipient countries and the further implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).

Uganda will continue to support the fight against terrorism and against the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their means of delivery, and all other efforts of the Security Council to achieve international peace and security. We will continue to support and encourage cooperation at the bilateral, subregional, regional and international levels in that regard.

Mr. Okuda (Japan)

At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to you, Mr. President, for convening today’s debate. I would also like to thank the Chairs of the Council’s three counter-terrorism-related Committees for their respective briefings on developments during the past six months. Terrorism continues to be a serious threat to the international community. Countering terrorism requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach, as well as enduring engagement. The three Committees play a significant role in that context and should continue their efforts to develop further effective measures.

The threat of terrorism posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban continues unabated. The sanctions imposed under resolution 1267 (1999) — namely, travel bans, the freezing of assets and arms embargoes — continue to play a crucial role. In order to fulfil its responsibilities, the 1267 Committee is now devoting a substantial amount of work to reviewing the consolidated list, but adequate information from other Member States, in particular from designating States, is indispensable in order to have a meaningful review. As the Chair of the 1267 Committee stated in his report, some entries lack adequate and relevant information to ensure necessary sanctions and, in order to retain them on the list, additional information is required. In that regard, we join the Chair of the 1267 Committee in strongly requesting the relevant States to consider the request for updated information seriously.

The circumstances in Afghanistan and Pakistan remain acute. With regard to Afghanistan, Japan is committed to supporting the effort by the Afghan Government to improve the security situation, including through its vigorous assistance to the Afghan police sector and the disbandment of illegal armed groups, as well as other forms of assistance. As concerns Pakistan, the Pakistan donors conference and the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Group ministerial meeting were held on 17 April in Tokyo. Participating States affirmed their intention to assist and support Pakistan’s efforts to counter terrorism. At the meeting, Japan pledged to enhance its assistance to Pakistan. Japan believes that a regional approach and close relations with neighbouring countries are indispensable in combating extremists who conduct activities across borders.

Given the increasingly international nature of terrorism, each Member State needs to strengthen its counter-terrorism capacity. In that regard, enhancing assistance for capacity-building is a matter of urgency. During its term as Chair of the G-8 last year, Japan took the initiative to strengthen cooperation between the Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). We commend this year’s Chair, Italy, for furthering that effort.

We welcome the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and CTED in promoting assistance for countering terrorism in close cooperation with the other two Committees. We hope to see further such efforts. CTED should also continue its active contribution to the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), bearing in mind the clear distinction between the work of CTED and that of CTITF. Whereas CTED identifies assistance needs and promotes the provision of assistance in cooperation with donor States, CTITF ensures overall coordination and coherence of counter-terrorism activities within the United Nations system.

The CTC’s Preliminary Implementation Assessment (PIA) is a crucial tool, as it provides the only objective assessment conducted by the United Nations of the implementation of counter-terrorism efforts in each State. We welcome the fact that the first review of the PIA has been undertaken, as that stock-taking exercise enhances the tailored dialogue between Member States and the Committee. We also welcome the submission by CTED of the technical guide, which aims to ensure the consistent assessment of the PIA.

Nuclear terrorism continues to pose what is potentially the gravest threat to the international community. Japan includes the prevention of nuclear terrorism as one of the 11 benchmarks of its global nuclear disarmament policy. In that connection, we welcome United States President Obama’s proposal to undertake new international efforts to strengthen the control of nuclear material and to hold a global summit on nuclear security.

The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) plays an important role in preventing terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Japan attaches great importance to implementing resolution 1540 (2004) in the context of worldwide engagement on the non-proliferation of WMDs and their means of delivery. In order to promote implementation, it is useful for the 1540 Committee to have dialogue with other international, regional and subregional actors. Japan will continue and enhance such dialogue through other forums, including the G-8.

Lastly, I would like in this context to mention the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism. The Convention, which has been ratified by 52 States, will be an effective tool in the prevention of nuclear terrorism. We therefore encourage those who have not yet done so to join the Convention without delay.

Ms. DiCarlo (United States)

We would like to thank Ambassadors Mayr-Harting, Lacroix and Urbina for their briefings and their joint statement of cooperation. We would also like to express our gratitude for Ambassador Jurica’s dedicated leadership. The Committees they chair are doing vital work to curb terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Today is an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of those Committees and to encourage all Member States to cooperate fully with their efforts.

Global terrorism and the threat of non-State actors obtaining weapons of mass destruction are two of the greatest challenges of our time. None of us is immune to that modern-day plague. That is why the international community joined together to create interlocking, complementary tools to respond to terrorism and the spread of weapons of mass destruction. These include not only the Security Council’s Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, but also the General Assembly’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. Those bodies demonstrate our seriousness of purpose.

The Council’s adoption of resolution 1822 (2008) to renew the 1267 regime and implement a number of ground-breaking requirements has helped the 1267 Committee to conduct its business in a fair and transparent manner. When combined with the existing procedures, those new safeguards — such as publishing information justifying the listing of terrorist entities and conducting a mandatory review of all the names on the 1267 list — represent a new standard for equitable clear procedures. We encourage all those who are interested in the future of this regime to pay attention to the sweeping nature of these reforms.

The Committee now faces a mountain of work to fully implement resolution 1822 (2008). As a State that has designated or co-designated more names than any other Committee member, the United States is committed to facilitating this work and helping the Committee meet the ambitious timeline set forth in resolution 1822 (2008). Full implementation of this resolution is crucial to ensuring that the regime continues to enjoy widespread legitimacy and support.

To guarantee the credibility of the consolidated list, we also encourage the Committee to remove outdated or poorly justified listings. The list must be able to withstand rigorous scrutiny. As nations work on the requirements of resolution 1822 (2008) and on their own national processes for imposing Security Council sanctions, we must remember that while the decision to impose sanctions is taken very seriously by all Member States, it is not a judicial process. Resolution 1822 (2008), however, was only the most recent step in an almost decade-long evolution of the regime.

In addition to developing this new web of procedural protections, the regime has sought to adapt to the changing nature of the threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. The Committee must continue to respond nimbly and effectively to new challenges. The United States hopes that this tool remains the international community’s pre-eminent mechanism for targeting those responsible for some of the most heinous violence of our age. We stand ready to help the Committee fulfil this important function and to help Member States implement their obligations under the regime.

The Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) have done excellent work in facilitating States’ implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We also commend Mr. Smith for his leadership of CTED. The United States strongly supports focused national visits by CTED to address specific technical needs. The revised organizational plan has given CTED a more flexible and effective approach to assessment missions. We also see regional visits as a good way to assess several countries simultaneously and a wise economy of travel funds.

In addition to these assessment missions, since November 2008 CTED has assisted the Committee in conducting a first review, or stock-taking, of the Preliminary Implementation Assessments of more than 60 countries, most of which had not regularly reported to the Committee in the past. The United States fully supports any initiative CTED can take to enhance the capacity of the South Asian region to implement resolution 1373 (2001).

We welcome the establishment of four working groups to support the eighth programme of work of the 1540 Committee. These working groups will enhance the focus and transparency of Committee members’ efforts in achieving a common goal. The United States is looking forward to our new role as the coordinator of the transparency and media outreach working group, which will have its first meeting tomorrow.

The United States places great importance on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). We are now seeking broad geographic expansion of the G-8 Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction to address threats posed by weapons of mass destruction worldwide, which will provide foreign assistance in support of the aims of resolution 1540 (2004). We have promoted regional initiatives across the globe as a means of helping to build other States’ capacity to implement the resolution, as called for in the renewal mandate for the Committee in resolutions 1673 (2006) and 1810 (2008), and we have partnered with a range of regional organizations.

Moving ahead, the United States looks forward to consulting with our partners and allies to capitalize on the benefits of a full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Effective non-proliferation is not just the work of one committee, nor is it the responsibility of just a few States. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction threatens all of us. We call on all Member States, large and small, to share the burden and reap the rewards of implementing comprehensive non-proliferation mechanisms.

These three Committees constitute a vital Security Council contribution to the United Nations counter-terrorism strategy. We are committed to continuing to work with them and other counter-terrorism bodies to confront and stop all those involved in terrorist activity.

Mr. Vilovi (Croatia)

At the outset, I would like to express our gratitude to Ambassadors Mayr-Harting, Lacroix and Urbina for today’s briefing on behalf of the Security Council Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004).

Croatia aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the Czech presidency of the European Union.

Croatia supports the work of the three Security Council Committees, which constitute essential elements of the United Nations counter-terrorism and non-proliferation structure. Croatia also supports the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We are committed to working with the counter-terrorism bodies of the United Nations system in a coordinated way. Furthermore, we will continue to reiterate that all measures undertaken to prevent and combat terrorism must comply with our obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law.

Regarding the 1267 Committee, we would like to emphasize the need for further improvements to the consolidated list in order to increase its legitimacy and ensure that it accurately reflects the continuous threat that Al-Qaida and the Taliban pose to international peace and security. The list needs to be regularly updated if we want to retain the effectiveness of the 1267 sanctions regime.

The adoption of resolution 1822 (2008) represented a significant step in the evolution of this targeted sanctions regime and contains important due process innovations. We welcome the adoption this past December of the revised guidelines, which allowed the Committee to move forward. The review of all names on the list is currently a priority in the work of the Committee. We believe that it is necessary for all Member States involved to assume their share of responsibility to do a proper review and to ensure that this process is concluded before the deadline set by the Council. In this context, we fully support the intention of the Chairman to regularly update Member States on the progress in the review process.

The implementation of the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime, particularly the listing and de-listing procedures, is increasingly subject to challenges in national and regional courts. In this respect, we believe that the Committee must continue to ensure that fair and clear procedures are strengthened in order to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the regime. We agree with the Chairmen that further steps in this regard may be included in the new resolution to be adopted by the end of 2009.

Croatia attaches great importance to the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and highly values the assistance provided to it by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). We support the ongoing activities in the Committee, with particular emphasis on the stock-taking exercise. This review of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) by all Member States should enable the Committee and CTED to understand in greater detail the progress and the remaining shortfalls in counter-terrorism measures employed by countries around the world. Continued cooperation by Member States is vital if we want the Committee to conclude the stock-taking exercise expeditiously.

In the same vein, we expect the Committee to adopt the remaining two Preliminary Implementation Assessments as soon as possible. We are pleased to see the positive effects of the revised organizational plan of CTED, which introduced a more flexible approach to controversies, particularly by engaging in shorter, focused visits, in regional visits and in visits to developed countries. We commend the proactive approach by CTED in facilitating technical assistance, especially by nurturing closer contacts with potential donors.

We look forward to receiving the revised version of the survey of implementation of resolution 1373 (2001), with priority recommendations for the Committee’s future actions. The revised survey should be based on more fine-tuned assessments of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) as a result of the stock-taking exercise and the work of the five technical groups in CTED.

We also recognize the importance of the technical guide that is currently under consideration in the Committee. As we speak, the Committee has conducted an interim review of CTED and should soon submit a report to the Council. We see this as a good opportunity for the Council to consider past achievements and to provide guidance to CTED on how to more effectively deliver on its mandate.

We welcome the adoption by the 1540 Committee of its annual programme of work, as well as its continuous efforts to actively engage all States in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) through continuing dialogue and participation in numerous outreach events. At the same time, we deem of particular importance the continuation of productive cooperation between the Committee and other international bodies and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations.

Keeping in mind the important assistance function entrusted to the Committee under resolution 1810 (2008), we salute the Committee’s intensification of its efforts to develop its clearing-house function for channelling assistance in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) through matching, as appropriate, assistance requests with available offers for assistance. We welcome the establishment of the four working groups, assigned with the principal task of ensuring the effective implementation of the programme of work, and we express our readiness to contribute actively to their activities.

We look forward to the comprehensive review of the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and we hope that early next year, following the completion of the review, we will have a clear picture of the risks and threats that await us on the path towards the fullest possible implementation of the resolution, as well as the ways and means to address them. We are ready to take part in this important process, which should eventually result in new and inventive approaches to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).

Finally, as we expressed in the joint statement, we welcome closer interaction between the Committees and their expert groups, and we appreciate the support and assistance provided by the experts to the Committees in our joint action against terrorism.

Mr. Hurd (United Kingdom)

I should like to thank Ambassadors Mayr-Harting, Lacroix and Urbina for their briefings, and to welcome Ambassador Mayr-Harting to his first briefing in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). It was also, I believe, Ambassador Lacroix’s first such briefing. I am sure that he will not mind my saying that I hope it is also his last, as it will be if our best wishes for the speedy recovery for the full-time Chair, Ambassador Jurica, are granted. We hope that Ambassador Jurica is able to resume his duties soon. I thank Ambassador Lacroix and his colleagues for their additional work in providing the necessary continuity and for keeping the Committee’s business on a forward trajectory.

The significance of the roles of all three Committee’s in countering the serious threat of terrorism has already been well underlined. I should like to say first a few words about the joint work undertaken by all the Committees. The United Kingdom welcomes this because it demonstrates the growing reality of cooperation among the three Committees. It is part of a broader trend towards more joined-up and effective United Nations work on counter-terrorism. While each Committee has a clear and specific mandate, this collaboration between the Committees can be particularly helpful to States receiving joint visits rather than a succession of delegations. It is also helpful in terms of spotting synergies in domestic implementation.

The participation of all three Committees in the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force is also welcome. In particular, the co-location with the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) of the Task Force, under its first full-time head — who I understand will be arriving within a couple of weeks — should also help us progress towards the goal of one United Nations for counter-terrorism activity.

With respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), the United Kingdom is pleased with progress on a number of fronts. The new team of 1540 Committee expert staff is now fully in place. The Committee has a new programme of work and a new working group structure to implement it. It has made a start on planning the comprehensive review of the status of implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) based on an open meeting of the Committee. The United Kingdom was pleased to be able to sponsor the regional workshop on implementation in Doha, Qatar, in March.

While the universal implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) remains the vital goal, the United Kingdom would like to see the emphasis shift towards effective implementation in States where there are the more serious deficiencies. Bilateral meetings in the margins of regional outreach events are one way in which these issues are beginning to be picked up. We would like to see more of this.

As for the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the United Kingdom is pleased with the continuing progress in capacity-building and standard-setting. The ongoing stock-taking exercise needs to be used as an opportunity for dialogue with States where the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) is still not adequate. We are pleased that focused visits have given the CTED greater flexibility and allowed it to conduct a larger number of more targeted, shorter visits focusing on the main issues of concern. We thank Mr. Smith for his leadership of the CTED. Looking ahead, we look forward to the Security Council’s interim review of the CTED, due next month, and the update of the global survey of resolution 1373 (2001) implementation at the end of the year.

With respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), we are pleased with the progress made since the adoption of resolution 1822 (2008) and that the comprehensive review of the consolidated list is well under way. We are working to ensure that our part in the process is meaningful. We urge others to continue to do the same. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the Monitoring Team, which is assisting us in this task.

However, the review of the current list should not mark an end to our efforts. The Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime is a vital counter-terrorism tool that enables the international community to disrupt terrorist activity on a much greater scale than through domestic measures alone. But as we know, its legitimacy is under threat. The concerns expressed by European courts over recent months should not be taken lightly. These are genuine concerns which are wide-reaching and which affect the heart of the regime. We are determined, with our partners, to address those concerns and to work to strengthen the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime so that it can be used with increasing effectiveness and efficiency while being seen to be transparent and fair. My Government will continue to play a constructive role in ensuring that this regime remains credible as a tool for maintaining and restoring international peace and security. We look forward to working with our partners on a new resolution for the regime at the end of the year.

Finally, I would like to associate the United Kingdom with the statement which will be made by the representative of the Czech Republic on behalf of the European Union.

Mr. Gouider (Libya)

Allow me at the outset, through you, Sir, to thank the Chairmen of the three counter-terrorism sanctions Committees. We express our deep appreciation for their efforts.

The briefings we have heard demonstrate how far the work of the Committees has come and give us a sense of future plans and many of the Committees’ concerns, most of which we understand. In that context, Libya wishes to reiterate the following points.

We appreciate the positive developments in counter-terrorism efforts and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, under the leadership of Mr. Smith; the work being undertaken to ensure transparency, compliance with and adherence to resolution 1373 (2001); the preliminary review, annual reports on the implementation of the resolution, and the regional visits to developed and developing countries alike; and cooperation with the other subsidiary organs of the Security Council and several regional organizations.

We also welcome the efforts to build national capacity in developing countries. In that connection, we hope that there will be further progress in the technical assistance provided by the United Nations in place of bilateral assistance. We especially welcome efforts to implement all the objectives and provisions of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the work being carried out by various United Nations bodies and agencies.

Over the past few years, our efforts have focused on a particular objective of the Strategy, that of preventing and fighting terrorism. We understand that preventing terrorism calls for ever more effective measures. My country believes that blocking the financing of terrorism requires special attention and even more comprehensive measures. Refugee status should go hand in hand with protective measures that guarantee true enjoyment of the relevant rights in the noble humanitarian context of that status.

Moreover, it is time to strengthen efforts to attain other strategic objectives and elements and to rectify the circumstances that facilitate the proliferation of that phenomenon and that strengthen its root causes, while respecting human rights for all. We must put an end to an occupation that remains at the root of many acts of violence and much tension. We cannot put an end to such acts by accusing an entire civilization or by denying some people their right to fight against occupation or by applying double standards and selectivity and neglecting international law. All those practices are condemned daily worldwide.

With regard to the 1267 Committee, we appreciate the Committee’s efforts to improve its working methods, in particular in the context of the two important Security Council resolutions 1452 (2002) and 1822 (2008). We are glad that there has been some progress in reviewing the names on the consolidated list and we hope that that review will clearly establish the credibility of the sanctions lists. The Chairman’s briefing indicated that many people on the list are still under sanctions even though they have died — which prevents the family of the deceased from claiming their inheritance. Moreover, a number of those on the list should not be there at all. There are at least 56 persons whose names, nationality, date, place of birth and all other relevant identifiers are not present, which naturally makes it difficult for States to implement the sanctions and which might lead to sanctions being applied against an innocent person solely because of a similar name, in the absence of other identifiers. We must rectify that situation as soon as possible in the Committee by ensuring that all other identifiers are added and that unsubstantiated names are deleted from the list.

Resolution 1730 (2006) provides for focal points to receive de-listing requests, which we believe was an important step forward towards transparency in the sanctions regimes. However, further measures of that type are needed to guarantee greater transparency, fairness and clarity in such measures.

I would like to reiterate the importance of exceptions under resolution 1452 (2002). These exceptions cover the impact of sanctions on the families of listed persons and address humanitarian circumstances to ensure that sanctions do not constitute collective punishment by affecting the families of persons on the list. In other words, those sanctions should not deprive the family by freezing assets and by depriving them of income. Thus, it is important that the Committee speedily review requests for exceptions.

Turning now to the 1540 Committee, my country is aware of the great dangers posed to international peace and security by weapons of mass destruction — biological, chemical and nuclear weapons, their delivery vehicles and all related materials. The international community has based its response on multilateral legal instruments, but those instruments have not attained the required universality and are not respected by all States in the world. Thus, they are unfortunately insufficient.

Here, Libya has reflected in practical national measures its position on the complete elimination of weapons of mass destruction and remains convinced that their complete elimination is the best guarantee to prevent non-State actors from gaining access to weapons of mass destruction. We believe that disarmament and non-proliferation are two mutually supportive processes and that both must advance in parallel for the best results.

Resolution 1540 (2004) sets out obligations for all countries with regard to non-proliferation. Recently, we have noted progress in that context. Libya was among the reporting countries to submit the required information and we call on all countries to honour their commitments. We are pleased to note progress in the Committee’s work — its adoption of a programme of work for the coming year and the establishment of working groups to help carry out that programme. We also appreciate its efforts to conduct a comprehensive review of the resolution’s implementation, to identify gaps and provide assistance to Member States.

In conclusion, we also support the counter-terrorism efforts of the Security Council Committees, and all efforts to achieve the international community’s objectives with regard to eliminating all aspects and manifestations of terrorism so as to ensure global peace and security.

Mr. Kafando (Burkina Faso)

I would like at the outset to thank and congratulate Ambassadors Ripert, Urbina and Mayr-Harting in their capacities as Chairmen of the 1373, 1540 and 1267 Committees, briefings on which have just been presented to us.

First of all, we note with satisfaction the adoption by the 1540 Committee of its programme of work for the period from 1 February 2009 to 31 January 2010 (see S/2009/124).

For Burkina Faso, exchanging experiences with regional and subregional organizations and continuing training and awareness-raising activities, in particular regional workshops, constitute important tools for the effective implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). The last subregional workshop organized for the Pacific Island States, in April 2009 in Vanuatu, clearly demonstrated that by contributing, through direct dialogue and proximity, to familiarizing concerned States with the provisions of the resolution and to helping them better understand their obligations and identify the difficulties that they are facing, as well as their assistance needs. We cherish the hope that the regional workshop for African States will be held in 2009 and that it will be just as successful.

We also await with interest the comprehensive review of the implementation of the resolution that the Committee is about to launch, which will enable it to assess the situation and to better orient its activities.

Turning now to the 1373 Committee — the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) — the country visits and the consideration and adoption of the 191 Preliminary Implementation Assessments demonstrate the depth and quality of the Committee’s work during the reporting period. In addition, we are convinced that the review launched by the Committee with the assistance of Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) will make possible recommendations on the situation in individual States.

Regarding CTED specifically, we are reassured by the fact that its restructuring has enabled it to greatly improve its productivity via the activity of five thematic working groups, the harmonization of assessment criteria and, especially, the organization and conduct of assessment visits. The draft technical guide on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) proposed by CTED is currently being considered by the Committee and is another laudable result.

Regarding the assessment visits, we would like to renew our thanks to the CTC and CTED for their good cooperation with our country, both during the preparatory period and during the visit to Burkina Faso. We welcome the results achieved.

The provision of appropriate technical assistance to support the commitment of Member States that need it remains a crucial necessity. It is encouraging here to see that Ambassador Ripert’s report, just presented by Mr. Lacroix, notes an improvement in the dialogue both with donors and potential recipients of this assistance.

Let us now turn to the activities of the 1267 Committee. We welcome the progress achieved, including the adoption of new guidelines for the implementation of resolution 1267 (1999). These guidelines, which were adopted at a time when the Committee was facing significant criticism regarding its methods of work, will be very useful in the efforts for increased transparency that the Committee is currently demonstrating, and in the difficult work of reviewing of the consolidated list and sanctions, pursuant to resolution 1822 (2008). They will thus ensure in the future a reliable and clear procedure as far as listing and de-listing of individuals and entities on the consolidated list is concerned, as well as waivers on humanitarian grounds.

In this respect, we encourage the efforts undertaken by the Committee to make the consolidated list dynamic in nature, guided by the expertise of the Monitoring Team and with the contribution of Member States in this process. One should also note that taking into account views expressed by national or regional jurisdictions could, generally speaking, have a positive impact on strengthening the sanctions regimes.

Along the same lines, the posting on the Committee’s website of the reasons for listing individuals and entities on the consolidated list represents, in our opinion, significant progress in the sense of greater transparency. We are encouraged by the ongoing activities for information, training and awareness-raising for Member States. As is the case with the two other Committees, that activity is especially important for strengthening knowledge of resolutions and of the obligations stemming from them. Indeed, it enables capacity-building for States and their interaction and cooperation with the Committees and thus guarantees better implementation of the resolution.

Because the fight against terrorism must be fully developed to be fully effective, we wish to draw the attention of the Security Council to the need to take urgent steps in the face of the growth of the threat of terrorism in Africa, especially in West Africa. Indeed, at a time when all information is in agreement that terrorism today constitutes a genuine threat in a subregion already facing numerous challenges, the Security Council Committees, like the international community, should immediately address the issue and strengthen their cooperation with both the relevant subregional organizations and all the member States of the Economic Community of West African States. Given the current state of a situation marked by the permeability of borders, direct assistance to services for monitoring and implementing laws, to judicial services and to institutions such as those that process financial information will help States in West Africa to confront the already real threat of terrorism.

Finally, we would like to convey our gratitude to the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees for their efforts to harmonize their actions and step up their cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. We reaffirm the need for all actors to comply with human rights within the framework of the fight against terrorism, as reflected in relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

Mr. Heller (Mexico)

First of all, I would to thank our colleagues from Austria, France and Costa Rica who act as chairmen of the subsidiary organs of the Security Council entrusted with the fight against terrorism — namely, the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) — for their detailed update on their activities and for the joint briefing on cooperation among themselves.

The simultaneous presentation of these reports in an open debate of the Security Council sends a positive signal as to the coordination that already exists among the three Committees and the importance attached to the participation of the entire membership in this topic. We have heard a report on a series of activities in which the three Committees have coordinated their efforts to find more efficient conditions to carry out the Council’s work in combating terrorism. Among these efforts, what stands out are the start of the common strategy to reach out to countries that are late in reporting or that have not reported to the Committees, and the idea of organizing seminars in different parts of the world to facilitate the presentation of this information.

Despite all of these efforts, Mexico believes that it is still possible to achieve greater coordination. One concrete measure is to strengthen the linkages with regional and subregional organizations. In this regard, I would like to point to a good model of cooperation, namely, the relationship between the Committees of the United Nations and the Inter-American Committee Against Terrorism of the Organization of American States. This type of interaction should be developed in all parts of the world.

Mexico feels that measures taken by the international community to combat terrorism, and most particularly the activities promoted by the three Committees, should not endanger protection of or respect for human rights. The challenge of the Committees’ work is to achieve a balance between the universal protection of human rights and the capacity to respond to terrorism. Member States have at all times and in all circumstances the obligation to adapt any measure to the measures for the protection of human rights based on the United Nations Charter and international law. We must recall that that is one of the pillars of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted by the General Assembly.

Turning now to the work of each of the Committees, Mexico has a few specific comments to make.

With regard to the work of the 1267 Committee, I wish to emphasize that Mexico has been gratified by the positive development of the Committee during the past years. The Committee has made particular efforts to bring to fruition resolutions 1526 (2004), 1617 (2005), 1730 (2006) and 1822 (2008), among others, which has resulted in very important steps towards greater transparency and legitimacy of that subsidiary organ.

To the extent that the Committee’s procedures, in particular those that directly affect individuals and legal entities throughout the world, are in keeping with the standards of international human rights law and the principles recognized by the great majority of nations with regard to due process, the implementation of the sanctions regime that began with resolution 1267 (1999) will be more successful. Effectiveness and legitimacy go hand in hand in the international struggle against terrorism. Resolution 1822 (2008) is not only part of the framework of that process, but in fact takes it a qualitative step forward because it introduces a series of measures designed to improve the operation of the key aspect of the sanctions regime — the consolidated list.

Mexico agrees that the consolidated list should be a dynamic instrument, not a static one. My delegation was gratified to observe that efforts of the Committee and of the Monitoring Team to update and review the list achieved concrete results in less than one year. The adoption of the Committee’s guidelines at the end of last year, the inclusion of narrative summaries and the implementation of the review process show that we are moving towards genuine compliance with resolution 1822 (2008).

Nevertheless, as aptly noted by the President, much remains to be done if we are to finish the review process by June 2010. The inclusion of more specific identifiers as to persons and entities proposed for incorporation, as well as the problem of people alleged to have died yet who remain on the list, are some of the examples of the remaining obstacles we must overcome. The dynamic element mentioned earlier refers both to updating the persons and entities that represent a risk to international security and to the suitability of maintaining certain names on the list.

As regards the work of the 1373 Committee, we have heard that, basically due to the most recent innovations put into practice, this Committee has strengthened its capacity and improved the quality of its work. Here we should pay tribute to Mr. Mike Smith and his team for the excellent work carried out in leading the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate.

It must be recognized that the assessment exercise is a task of great magnitude, serving to identify with great precision in what areas Member States require better implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). For Mexico, the exercise should also serve to identify the concrete needs of each country and, as appropriate, to provide technical assistance and strengthen national institutional capacity.

Mexico also wishes to highlight the visits carried out by the Committee. The more flexible approach adopted through the organization plan of the CTED for certain visits that are shorter and more focused on specific aspects has already produced concrete results. We encourage the Counter-Terrorism Committee to continue with that type of visit in order to establish direct contact with national authorities specifically dedicated to combating terrorism. Establishing that kind of dialogue is fundamental to achieving full understanding of the challenges confronted by each Member State of the Organization.

Turning to the 1540 Committee, my delegation recognizes the merit of the workshops organized by the Committee jointly with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs as well as with other organizations in the system and with regional organizations. We are also gratified by its work in terms of assistance, and we hope that the requests by some Member States will meet with a response from the countries or organizations that are in a position to provide such assistance. Mexico believes the Committee should quickly follow up on those requests.

My delegation considers that the comprehensive review of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) will be an excellent opportunity to explore any areas that remain to be addressed in its implementation and will provide specific recommendations to rectify them. My delegation is pleased to coordinate a working group that will tackle that issue. In that vein, we believe it is indispensable that, in addition to a general assessment of the measures adopted, consideration of the issue should lead to concrete recommendations to increase the effectiveness of the Committee concerning assistance, as that is an area particularly relevant to most developing countries.

In conclusion, Mexico wishes to again thank the speakers for presenting their reports and to reiterate its commitment to continue supporting the activities of the Security Council in its fight against terrorism through its specialized Committees.

The President

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as representative of the Russian Federation.

At the outset, allow me to convey my gratitude to the Chairmen of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), the 1267 Committee and the 1540 Committee for their comprehensive reports and their work carried out to bolster international counter-terrorism cooperation. The Russian Federation backs development, coordination and cooperation between the three counter-terrorism Committees of the Security Council, whose main areas of work are reflected in the joint statement made today by Mr. Mayr-Harting.

The Russian delegation views future cooperation between the Committees and their expert groups as important conditions in bolstering the effectiveness of efforts taken by the Security Council in countering the global threat of terrorism.

Turning now to the activity of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, I wish to state the following.

In recent months, the Committee has made substantial progress in dialogue with States on the basis of the Preliminary Implementation Assessments of resolution 1373 (2001). At the centre of attention today is the first round of stocktaking, including States’ responses to and comments on the recommendations of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). We welcome that progress, which is closely related to the CTC’s preparation of an updated comprehensive review of the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001).

In that respect, we note the increased role played by subcommittees of the CTC, which, under the chairmanship of the representatives of France, Russia and Viet Nam, are actively discussing country assessments and are ready to promote that work. It is important to insure that the CTC’s bilateral communication mechanisms with States operates as effectively as possible.

We note that steps to improve the organizational structure of the CTED and its methods of work, as provided for in resolution 1805 (2008) are yielding tangible results.

The CTC’s move to use a variety of formats for country visits — regional, repeat, focused, full-assessment and comprehensive visits — has proved itself. The geographical scope of such visits has expanded, and the number of States involved has grown. While previously the main focus of visits was to study States’ technical assistance needs, it has now become possible to assess in depth the capacity of relevant potential donor States. We expect that this, alongside other measures to expand the CTC’s capacity to coordinate international technical counter-terrorism cooperation, will make the Committee’s work more focused and more effective.

We support the CTC’s participation, within the framework of its current mandate, in the activities of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the use of CTED’s unique expert capacities to that end. We welcome the good cooperation between the CTC and international, regional and subregional organizations, which has of late yielded mutual benefits. Here, let me once again draw attention to the current task of convening a sixth meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee with international, regional and subregional organizations; we propose that CTED step up its work on making practical preparations for that event.

In our view, it is necessary to continue efforts to expand dialogue with States on the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005), which is aimed at countering the ideology of terrorism, inter alia by prohibiting incitement. That resolution remains an important element of the Committee’s mandate. It is important to continue to include issues relating to the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005) in CTED’s country visits; endeavours towards the broad adoption of relevant best practices in this field should continue as well.

We expect the interim review of the activities of CTED, carried out pursuant to resolution 1805 (2008), to enable the Security Council to assess the Directorate’s progress and to clarify the tasks before it. The regular review mechanism should remain as an important tool for the Security Council to provide political leadership for the activities of the CTC.

We continue to view the 1267 Committee and its Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team as an effective and viable Security Council counter-terrorism mechanism. We express our grave concern about the continued spread of Taliban influence and extremist ideas in Afghanistan and beyond. This reflects the continuing drive by radical forces to seize power and gain control throughout the region. In those circumstances, we consider it to be inappropriate and dangerous to move away from a policy of isolating extremist leaders to forge political contacts with leading members of the Taliban, especially in breach of the existing sanctions regime. We urge all States to unswervingly impose restrictive measures against individuals listed pursuant to relevant Security Council resolutions and the guiding principles of the work of the 1267 Committee.

We welcome the efforts of the 1267 Committee and the Monitoring Team to keep the sanctions list up to date, reflecting the true nature of today’s terrorist threat. Substantial progress was achieved in this area with the adoption of Security Council resolution 1822 (2008). We note that the Committee, pursuant to paragraph 25 of that resolution, has begun a comprehensive review of all names on the sanctions list, which has yielded its first practical results. We call upon States to continue to submit request for the listing of individuals or groups associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban, including those financing their terrorist activities with proceeds from the illicit cultivation, production and trafficking of drugs in Afghanistan. We call upon them also to provide additional information regarding individuals already on the list.

The success of our common efforts to counter the real and changing threat to international peace and security posed by the Taliban and Al-Qaida depends on all States fully and in good faith meeting their obligations.

As an initiator and sponsor of resolutions 1540 (2004), 1673 (2006) and 1810 (2008), the Russian Federation is interested in the comprehensive development of international cooperation in the full implementation of the provisions of those Security Council decisions. We note that over the past six months the 1540 Committee has engaged in painstaking work and agreed upon and adopted two important documents: one on modalities for the comprehensive review of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and the Committee’s programme of work for the current year. A priority for the Committee in the near future is to successfully carry out that comprehensive review. We hope that the review process will contribute in the future to enhancing the international community’s efforts to counter the risks and threats posed by proliferation. We hope too that the activities of the four working groups that were recently established will enhance the effectiveness of the Committee’s efforts in key areas of its work.

It is important that the Committee continue to increase assistance to States in implementing resolution 1540 (2004) and to coordinate wide international cooperation in that sphere, including through participation within the framework of its broad programme of outreach activities.

We are prepared to continue our active support for these measures, including in the context of our ongoing cooperation with members of the Commonwealth of Independent States on issues related to the mandate of the 1540 Committee. Russia will continue its focused efforts to carry out the tasks set out in resolutions 1540 (2004), 1673 (2006) and 1810 (2008), with a view to establishing a reliable system, under United Nations auspices, to combat black-market weapons of mass destruction.

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

The next speaker on my list is the representative of New Zealand, Ms. Rosemary Banks, who is participating in a Security Council meeting for the last time as Permanent Representative of her country. I wish on behalf of the Council to thank Ambassador Banks, who, over the past four years, has participated in many Council meetings and who has made a substantial contribution to our work. I now give her the floor.

Ms. Banks (New Zealand)

I thank you, Mr. President, for those kind words as I prepare to leave New York.

New Zealand welcomes these reports from the United Nations counter-terrorism committees. In responding to the threat of global terrorism, the United Nations, through the work of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the agencies, is best placed to coordinate international efforts. It does this in the framework of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the 16 international counter-terrorism instruments, and Security Council resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004).

New Zealand is encouraged by the significant work the 1267 Committee has done pursuant to resolution 1822 (2008) to improve the procedures for listing and de-listing terrorist entities. In particular, New Zealand welcomes the concrete steps that have been put in place to review all names on the consolidated list by mid-2010 and the work that is under way to make narrative summaries of the reasons for listing entities available on the Committee’s website. These initiatives, along with the other measures mandated by resolution 1822 (2008), will do much to improve the listing process, and to increase public confidence in the United Nations counter-terrorism framework.

New Zealand’s approach to countering terrorism continues to be guided closely by the United Nations framework. The spread of terrorist attacks and the globalization of terrorist networks show that no region or country can be complacent about measures to combat terrorism. That principle underlies New Zealand’s commitment to building counter-terrorism capability in the small island States of the Pacific region.

Pacific island countries face particular challenges in meeting international counter-terrorism obligations. The political will is firm, but resources are limited. New Zealand continues to assist those countries meet the requirements of the international counter-terrorism agenda, and we are encouraged by the progress that they have made in improving counter-terrorism legislation, policy and operational capability in the Pacific.

We very much welcome the work of United Nations counter-terrorism agencies in the Pacific. In the past month, New Zealand has co-sponsored two regional workshops arranged by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, on 1540 implementation, and by the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, on maritime counter-terrorism. New Zealand also hosted a workshop on radioactive source security and safety under the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which complemented the event of the 1540 Committee. Next week, we will convene the annual meeting of the Pacific Working Group on Counter-Terrorism, which is the primary forum for counter-terrorism policy discussion in our region. We hope to have the participation of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the 1540 Committee.

In South-East Asia, New Zealand continues to support a number of counter-terrorism capacity-building initiatives. We are also continuing our programme of counter-radicalization activities, in particular in the areas of media, education and youth, aimed at preventing recruitment into terrorism.

Domestically, New Zealand remains determined to take all necessary measures to prevent and combat terrorism to ensure that our country is neither a target nor a source for terrorist activity. We continue to improve our legislative, policy and operational capabilities in line with international standards and obligations, including prioritizing work to ratify all 16 international counter-terrorism instruments.

Last month, New Zealand welcomed a team of experts from the Financial Action Task Force. We look forward to a visit to New Zealand in July by the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, which will provide a valuable opportunity to ensure that New Zealand’s domestic and international counter-terrorism efforts are coordinated with the United Nations framework.

The threat of international terrorism requires a comprehensive, multilayered and long-term response. New Zealand remains steadfast in its commitment to that response, along with our regional partners on the frontline of this struggle.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Mrs. Grau (Switzerland)

At the outset, allow me to thank the Chairmen of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for their informative briefings. Switzerland is firmly committed to combating terrorism and has a great interest in effective and legitimate measures to ensure the full implementation of United Nations sanctions.

I shall limit my remarks to two issues: first, the challenges in implementing the sanctions regime of the 1267 Committee and, secondly, the need to improve coordination in order to increase the effectiveness of the collective response to terrorism.

Switzerland commends the efforts of the 1267 Committee to improve listing and delisting procedures. We welcome the important improvements that are reflected in resolution 1822 (2008) and in the Committee’s revised guidelines adopted last December. However, some concerns remain, as highlighted by recent studies, including the report by the Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights and the latest report of the Monitoring Team. Critics see the continuing lack of fair and clear procedures within the current sanctions regime as undermining the effective implementation of targeted sanctions. Several States face major legal challenges in implementing the 1267 Committee’s sanctions regime. Member States find themselves in a dilemma when national or regional courts question the legality of domestic measures to implement sanctions.

Switzerland itself is a defendant in a case before the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The applicant is challenging the legality of our domestic measures to implement United Nations sanctions, while in fact targeting the United Nations sanctions system as a whole. The outcome of this case will affect not only Switzerland but also the 46 other States members of the Council of Europe. The proposal by Switzerland and other countries last year to establish an experts panel appointed by the Security Council to assist the sanctions Committees in the consideration of delisting requests could be a way to strengthen the existing procedures and to help targeted sanctions to withstand appeals in national or regional courts.

In the new resolution that will review the measures set forth in resolution 1822 (2008), the Security Council may wish to take into account growing concerns about the respect of human rights in the fight against terrorism. By doing so, it would enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy of its sanctions regime.

Switzerland welcomes ongoing efforts to increase coordination between the three counter-terrorism Committees of the Council. It is essential to ensure the integrated implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and coordination between the relevant parties in that regard. In that context, Switzerland, along with other States, launched an international process on global counter-terrorism cooperation in 2007. One of the recommendations that emerged was to hold regular meetings of national coordinators and focal points of Member States to review the status of efforts to combat terrorism at the national and international levels.

With the support of the relevant bodies of the United Nations, Switzerland envisages the holding of informal international and regional meetings that would provide Member States with a platform to address their practical counter-terrorism needs. Such a platform could also serve as an informal forum to increase interaction between representatives of national agencies with the relevant United Nations bodies. Switzerland and the other sponsors will soon provide more detail about this idea.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Australia.

Mr. Goledzinowski (Australia)

Australia appreciates and strongly supports the work of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). We also acknowledge the able assistance provided by their respective expert bodies. A global effort is needed to oppose terrorism effectively, and the United Nations has the unique capacity to set and enforce international norms and standards in this area.

Australia welcomes recent developments within the Committees, including the commencement of the review of all names on the 1267 Committee’s consolidated list and the conclusion of procedures for drafting narrative summaries on the reasons for listing each entry. The effectiveness of the 1267 Committee is directly related to the relevance and currency of the consolidated list. We remain committed to full cooperation with the Committee.

We also welcome the recent attention given by the 1540 Committee to institutional issues, including the conclusion of its work programme, the completion of its selection process for new experts and its decision to instigate a comprehensive review of the implementation of the resolution.

In order to capitalize on the unique role that the United Nations can play in addressing terrorism, Australia encourages the Committees and their expert bodies to continue to explore ways to work more closely together. We see scope for further cooperation, especially in relation to streamlined reporting regimes, assessment missions and the facilitation of technical assistance. It is also important that the Committees continue to cooperate with the General Assembly through close engagement with the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and with the broader United Nations system.

Australia strongly supports the work of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED). In that context, we commend the work of CTED and its energetic head, Mr. Mike Smith, in particular for the Directorate’s focus on effective technical cooperation and assistance in its work with the Counter-Terrorism Action Group.

Constructive relations with Member States — particularly donor and recipient countries — are critical to the success of the work of CTED. We look forward to the upcoming CTED visit to Australia in July and to the opportunity to share with CTED our approach to counter-terrorism efforts domestically and in the region.

An effective international legal framework is fundamental to addressing the global terrorist threat. In addition to fully implementing our obligations to freeze terrorist assets, Australia has ratified 13 of the 16 international counter-terrorism instruments of universal application, and we are currently assessing the legislative changes necessary to implement the remainder.

We have also signed 14 bilateral counter-terrorism memorandums of understanding with partners, which set out our framework for counter-terrorism cooperation and the sharing of best practices. Australia also co-chairs, with Belgium, a project team of the Financial Action Task Force, which is developing new guidelines on best-practice implementation of obligations regarding terrorist asset-freezing.

In closing, a significant challenge remains: to continue efforts to equip all States to deal effectively with the international terrorist threat. Australia hopes that the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy will continue to provide impetus for the international community to adopt practical measures that facilitate counter-terrorism cooperation by way of extradition, prosecution, information flows and capacity-building. We will continue to work to promote cooperation between Member States to implement the Strategy in full.

The President

I now give the floor to the representative of Qatar.

Mr. Al-Nasser (Qatar)

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this debate on an item that relates to one of the most significant challenges to international peace and security. I thank Their Excellencies the Chairmen of the three Security Council Committees for their briefings. The briefings were of great importance because, although the work of the Security Council counter-terrorism Committees is of interest United Nations Member States, their only chance to learn about this and formally make comments on it is at these open biannual briefings.

With each of these meetings, we see progress in the work of the three Committees, but we continue to have the same concerns about their work. Today, I would like to touch again on issues such as the lack of a definition of terrorism, the need to observe legal due process and human rights in counter-terrorism efforts, the importance of objectivity and transparency in the work of the Committees and the importance of coordination with other United Nations organs, especially the General Assembly.

At their summit meeting in Doha in March, Arab States condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of its source, its motives or its justifications. They stressed the need to work to address the roots of terrorism and to eliminate the factors that fuel it. We are fully aware of the difference under international law between terrorism and the legitimate right to struggle for liberation from foreign occupation. We call upon all Member States to work professionally in the month ahead during the review of the draft comprehensive convention on terrorism, which will deal with the question of the definition of terrorism.

The work of all United Nations organs, including the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies, should be guided by the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which the General Assembly adopted at its sixtieth session and reaffirmed this past September. Consideration must be given to the objectives and elements of the Strategy, including the need to take human rights and international law into account in the context of combating terrorism: the Strategy was not adopted to guide the work of the General Assembly alone.

Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) too called for respect for human rights while countering terrorism, as also stipulated in resolution 1456 (2003). Moreover, efforts must be intensified to strengthen system-wide coherence, as work is under way on Council reform, in order to achieve genuine coordination with the General Assembly in the field of counter-terrorism.

We have repeatedly called for greater objectivity in the Council’s methodology for assessing the progress made by States in implementing resolution 1373 (2001). We therefore welcome the adoption this past December of procedures to be followed by the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) to assess progress, and we look forward to the balanced implementation of those procedures in practice.

Resolution 1822 (2008) was the culmination of tireless efforts to emphasize due process in the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The resolution stated that sanctions measures are not based on specific criminal criteria, but are solely preventive and political in nature, but this does not absolve the Council or the Committee of the responsibility to respect the judgements of national, regional and international courts. Furthermore, the adoption of these procedures, especially in including individuals and entities on the consolidated list, enhances the credibility of the Security Council and of the actions it takes to combat terrorism.

Accordingly, it was encouraging to see communication between the Committee and the European Court of Justice last year. It was also encouraging to note that in December the Committee set out to implement the provisions of resolution 1822 (2008) regarding amending its guidelines, and that it has started the de-listing, as necessary, of certain entries on the consolidated list and the granting of more humanitarian exemptions. The Committee should continue to review all the names on the consolidated list and complete the task as soon as possible, before next year’s scheduled date, with a view to remedying certain unacceptable situations, such as the inclusion on the list of the names of deceased persons. To that end, throughout our membership of the Council, two years ago, we strove to have the names reviewed periodically, in accordance with the Committee guidelines.

In stressing the commitment of the State of Qatar to the aforementioned principles, allow me to note that a few days ago the capital of my country, in cooperation with the United Nations, hosted a regional workshop on the observance of human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism, with a view to raising awareness about the legal framework for combating terrorism, respect for human rights and international cooperation in that area.

With regard to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I would like to emphasize that no political issue should interfere in the Committee’s non-proliferation work. The Committee must remain focused on preventing the flow of weapons of mass destruction to non-governmental actors. That being said, the best way to achieve that is to eliminate such weapons, prevent their proliferation and enforce relevant international instruments, in particular the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In the same vein, resolutions relevant to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction should not be used as a pretext to hinder the use of materials, equipment and advanced technology for peaceful purposes or to prevent countries from enjoying their rights to such use, in accordance with relevant international instruments.

Like other Member States, the State of Qatar recognizes the importance of the effective implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). In that regard, I note that, last March, Doha hosted a regional workshop on the implementation of the resolution, which highlighted the importance of regional information-sharing and provided an opportunity to improve understanding of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004).

There can be no doubt of the importance of regional information-sharing and of convening similar workshops in the countries of the North, with the participation of other countries. All such workshops to date have been held in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean or the Middle East, while none have taken place in developed countries. The problems discussed in these meetings are not exclusive to the countries of the South. Similarly, the convening of international rather than regional workshops is essential to the sharing of information, since smuggling can occur between two countries on different continents.

Finally, I should like to join previous speakers in emphasizing the need for all States and regional organizations to cooperate with the Security Council’s counter-terrorism Committees. In that regard, I stress the commitment of the State of Qatar to cooperating directly and through regional organizations, pursuant to the decision on countering international terrorism adopted by the Council of Ministers of the League of Arab States in March.

The President

There are a number of speakers remaining on my list for this meeting. I intend, with the concurrence of the members of the Council, to suspend the meeting until 3 p.m.