S/PV.5053 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Turkey, in which he requests to be invited to participate in the discussion of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, 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.

I welcome the presence among us of the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations and the agreement that the representative of Turkey should have the opportunity to address the Council. Members of the Council have before them document S/2004/792, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by France, Germany, Romania, the Russian Federation, China, Spain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. I shall now give the floor to the representative of Turkey.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the member States of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on assuming the presidency of the Security Council for this month. I would also like to thank you for organizing this meeting, which gives us an opportunity to express our views on this important issue. At the outset, I also express our profound sympathy and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the latest, heinous attack that took place in Taba and condemn the perpetrators in the strongest terms. As you very well know, Sir, we had serious misgivings with regard to the language used in the text of the previous draft resolution, which raised a number of important questions, especially insofar as resistance to foreign occupation and alien domination are concerned. Following intense consultations with the members of the Council, particularly the initiator country and the co-sponsors of the draft resolution, I am happy to say that we now have in hand a draft resolution that enjoys much wider support from the international community. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) gives thanks for the foresight, the care and the spirit of cooperation and mutual understanding that has governed the latest exchange of views. Indeed, the OIC would like to avail itself of this opportunity to strongly condemn once again all acts and practices of terrorism. We remain convinced that terrorism, irrespective of its motivations, objectives, forms and manifestations, can never be justified. We realize that terrorism requires a coordinated response from the international community and that the quest to eradicate terrorism requires a sustained, comprehensive approach involving the active participation and collaboration of all Member States of the United Nations, to be pursued in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. The draft resolution before the Council will strengthen and consolidate that determination, which today is finding a new echo in the international community.

It is my understanding that the Council is now ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution (S/2004/792). Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1566 (2004). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting.

Just now, the Security Council adopted by consensus a resolution on additional steps to be taken to combat terrorism. We are convinced that these are necessary and timely steps in the right direction, required by the need for joint efforts by the international community to combat the terrorist threat. The unprecedented escalation of international terrorism, of which there has been further confirmation in recent days in Pakistan, Egypt and today in France, in addition to the killings of hostages, the recent tragedy in the Russian city of Beslan and other acts, points to the need for the Security Council to take more decisive action with a view to further developing a global anti-terrorist strategy, as defined in Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). The current resolution is not just an expression of anti-terrorist solidarity. It sets out concrete steps to strengthen mechanisms for security and to improve legal instruments with a view to enhancing coordination of international counter-terrorism actions. The major emphasis in the resolution is that terrorist acts are crimes that can be justified by no political, ideological, religious or other views of any nature and that the perpetrators of terrorist acts should receive the harshest possible punishment for their crimes. We proceed from the practical need to improve the legal and operational instruments to combat terrorism and terrorist organizations, which are highly skilled at adapting their structure and tactics to changing circumstances. We realize that there is a problem with respect to identifying additional anti-terrorist measures. The task of solving that problem has been entrusted to a working group of the Security Council to be established pursuant to the resolution we have just adopted. It will have to discuss the practical effectiveness and coordination of various approaches. We firmly believe that one priority task of the working group must be the search for ways and means to identify terrorists, including the possible drafting of a relevant list whereby they may subsequently be brought to justice. As I have said, the drafting of appropriate procedures will be complex politically and legislatively. That does not mean, however, that we should not address such issues. We hope that the working group will help us to bring our positions into line with one another and to propose new approaches to the solution of the task. We believe that today’s resolution will give a qualitative new impulse to the Counter-Terrorism Committee and to the Counter- Terrorism Executive Directorate and that it will alter and expand the range of activities to stem the activities of terrorists and their accomplices worldwide. We are convinced that resolution 1566 (2004) further strengthens the central coordinating role of the United Nations in the international campaign against the terrorist threat. I wish to thank all my colleagues in the Security Council, first and foremost the sponsors of the resolution, for their active participation in its preparation and adoption.

Algeria welcomes the Security Council’s unanimous adoption of a resolution vigorously condemning all acts of terrorism in all their forms, thus significantly enhancing our campaign against a phenomenon that constitutes one of the greatest threats to international peace and security today. We welcome the resolution, first, because it has created at just the right time the possibility of extending to other terrorist individuals and groups measures imposed hitherto only on individuals and groups affiliated with Al Qaeda, thereby responding to a long-standing request of my country. We also welcome the resolution because it addresses yet another persistent concern of my country: the need forcefully to strengthen judicial cooperation in combating terrorism, particularly with respect to prosecution and extradition, which the resolution enshrines as a fundamental principle. Finally, we welcome the resolution because it avoids any conflation of acts of terrorism and the legitimate rights of peoples to resist foreign occupation. That principle is dear to Algeria and has been fully enshrined in international law and United Nations resolutions.

Over the past 25 years, Pakistan has been a principal victim of terrorism. We have therefore been in the forefront of the global campaign against terrorism. Periodically confronted by terrorist attacks against innocent people in our cities — including yesterday in Multan — my Government is steadfastly committed to achieving success in the war on terrorism. We believe that the resolution that has been adopted unanimously today will strengthen international cooperation, beyond our cooperation against Al Qaeda and the Taliban, to other sources of international terrorism. Operative paragraph 3 of the resolution enumerates a number of criminal acts that constitute offences within the scope of and as defined in international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism. We participated constructively in the negotiations on the resolution. We are grateful to the Russian Federation and other sponsors for their flexibility in addressing some of the concerns we had with regard to specific aspects and language in the resolution. We believe that the resolution reaffirms the imperative to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. We attach particular importance to the ninth preambular paragraph of the resolution, which emphasizes that “enhancing dialogue and broadening the understanding among civilizations, in an effort to prevent the indiscriminate targeting of different religions and cultures, and addressing unresolved regional conflicts and the full range of global issues, including development issues, will contribute to international cooperation, which by itself is necessary to sustain the broadest possible fight against terrorism”. (resolution 1566 (2004)) Finally, I would like to reiterate the need for a comprehensive strategy to address terrorism. In that context, President Musharraf of Pakistan stated in the General Assembly last month that “The immediate anti-terrorist response has to be accompanied by a clear long-term strategy that strikes at the root of the problem if we are to ensure final success against this scourge”. (A/59/PV.5)

Spain is gratified by the unanimous adoption of resolution 1566 (2004), of which, with other members of the Council, it was a sponsor. We believe that the resolution contributes significantly to endowing the United Nations and the international community as a whole with a set of practical and effective tools to combat terrorism. Terrorism remains a threat to us all, as we have seen, tragically, in the past few hours in different parts of the world. Our work over the past two weeks since the Russian Federation introduced its initial draft resolution has been intense, but we are convinced that, as a result of everyone’s efforts, we have managed to reflect the broad consensus that exists not only within the Council, but also among all the States Members of the United Nations. We also wish to highlight the very important statement made at the beginning of the meeting this morning by the representative of Turkey on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. We all agree to stress our unequivocal condemnation of terrorism from any quarter, for which there can never be any justification whatsoever. At the same time, the preambular part of the resolution also reflects the need for improved dialogue and broader understanding among civilizations. In that context, I cannot fail to refer to what the President of the Spanish Government said at the 4th plenary meeting of the General Assembly, on 21 September, when he offered the idea of establishing an alliance of civilizations to combat terrorism, extremism and pointless violence. The resolution we have just adopted illustrates the fact that one of the priorities of the Security Council and the United Nations as a whole continues to be the fight against terrorism, which we agree is one of the most serious threats to world peace and security. At the same time, we wish to emphasize that in combating terrorism it is essential to always adhere to the norms of international law, especially with regard to humanitarian, refugee and human rights law. The resolution strengthens the Security Council’s commitment to developing effective tools to combat terrorism by emphasizing the essential role being played in that regard by the Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee and, in particular, the Committee’s recently established Executive Directorate. Similarly, we view favourably the establishment of an ad hoc Security Council working group to consider concrete measures to further promote the international struggle against terrorism. Among other things, that should include looking into the most appropriate and effective ways and means to identify individuals, groups and entities involved in, or associated with, terrorist activities. We believe that the most appropriate way to do that would be to establish a list of such entities and persons. We know that there could still be difficulties and complications in drawing up such a list. It is true that there are many issues and details that will have to be dealt with, but we are fully confident that the working group will know how to address them both seriously and effectively. We also cannot forget another key aspect of the resolution: that it reflects concern for the victims of terrorism through a provision calling for the working group to consider the possibility of establishing an international fund to compensate victims and families. We believe we are sending out a very positive message by raising the possibility that assets seized from terrorists or terrorist groups could be used to compensate the victims of terrorist acts and their families — bearing in mind that the ultimate decision to do so will lie with the authorities of the State that has confiscated the assets. In conclusion, the resolution we have just adopted is good news for everyone, as it enables us to continue to move towards the common goal of eradicating the plague of terrorism with growing resolve and perseverance until such time as the international community prevails over intolerant and violent extremists.

We are grateful to the sponsors for having introduced the draft resolution that has just been adopted by consensus at this meeting. We are also extremely grateful for the flexibility shown throughout a negotiating process that was not always easy. My delegation voted in favour of the resolution, thereby joining a new consensus in the search for ways to enable the international community to strengthen the fight against terrorism and to increase the effectiveness of the efforts of States to prevent, restrict and limit the actions of individuals, groups and entities linked to terrorist activities and, when that is not possible, to find ways to bring those individuals and entities to justice. In that way, the resolution contributes to improving the Security Council’s work in this complex area. My country has continuously demonstrated its commitment to fighting terrorism. This year we have also supported the Security Council’s efforts to combat terrorism by voting in favour of resolutions 1526 (2004), 1535 (2004) and 1540 (2004). Henceforth, and in keeping with the text we have just adopted, the international community will have at its disposal a working group consisting of all members of the Council, whose task will be to consider and submit new measures to combat terrorism. Those measures will have to be proposed and analysed with due account for respect for international law and international humanitarian law, which the measures will have to reflect and incorporate. We would like to emphasize that the resolution refers to the imperative to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations; the Council’s concern with the increasing number of victims, including children, caused by acts of terrorism; the call to cooperate with the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1373 (2001), 1267 (1999) and 1540 (2004), which, although they act in coordination, have different mandates; and the call to adopt measures to combat terrorism in accordance with international law in particular, human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. Finally, we very much appreciate the solidarity with the victims of terrorism that is reflected both in the preambular part of the resolution and in the operative part, which requests consideration with respect to establishing a fund to compensate victims of terrorism. Innocent victims are the ones most affected, and they are the ones to whom we should extend our greatest solidarity and support.

I wish to begin by commending the delegation of the Russian Federation for the timely initiative that is now embodied in the resolution that the Council has just adopted, namely, resolution 1566 (2004). Romania shared in the shock and horror experienced by the Russian Government and people in the face of the latest terrorist attacks on their territory. We supported the wider motives that prompted the Security Council to adopt this resolution. Indeed, terrorist acts are proliferating and are growing in both number and horror; countries and regions affected are increasingly diverse, as we have, unfortunately, recently witnessed in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The international response and the multilateral reaction to this mounting threat should be characterized by stronger and better-articulated norms, procedures and mechanisms, including, in particular, at the level of the United Nations. In the course of consultations on the resolution just adopted, all Council Members offered analysis, ideas and proposals with a view to making the most out of this important pronouncement of the Security Council. The outcome of those extensive consultations is a good text and a good basis for future hard work within the United Nations, the Security Council and the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004), within the framework of the regimes they have set up. These were important reasons for Romania to co-sponsor the draft resolution and to support the unanimous adoption of resolution 1566 (2004) this morning. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge contributions made from outside the Council. In that regard, we appreciate the very constructive and forthright statement we just heard delivered here by the Ambassador of Turkey, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. A lot of hard work lies ahead of us. As terrorism evolves, so should our response. Romania looks forward to supporting the working group of the Security Council in the expeditious and responsible discharge of the broad mandate entrusted to it in operative paragraph 9 of the resolution. There is strong political will in the Council for the working group to identify the most appropriate ways and means of more effectively combating terrorism, including by making appropriate recommendations for the development of an adequate list of individuals and entities involved in or associated with terrorism beyond those already dealt with by the 1267 Committee. Romania is assuredly a part of that political will.

Germany welcomes the adoption of today’s resolution by consensus. It will be a major contribution to strengthening the global fight against international terrorism. This resolution comes at a particularly appropriate time when, after serious and particularly atrocious terrorist attacks in several parts of the world, the resolve and unity of the international community have been challenged anew. Against this background, it is very important that the resolution found the support of all Security Council members. For Germany, maintaining consensus in fighting international terrorism is of great value and is obviously in the interest of all United Nations Member States. In this respect, Germany attaches particular importance to an open and inclusive process in the implementation of the resolution, in particular in the working group foreseen in the resolution itself. The working group should, among other things, consider appropriate ways and means of operation, including the possibility of compiling a list for identifying relevant individuals, groups and entities. Finally, I would also like to welcome the very constructive contribution made by the representative of Turkey, but let me also say that, in the interest of transparency, we would have favoured a public debate open to all United Nations Members before the adoption of the resolution.

Here is the state of the world today. Early last month, masked gunmen seized a school in Beslan, Russia. They forced over 1,000 children and their teachers into a sweltering gymnasium, with virtually no food or water. They wired the gym with explosives. They terrorized the children, shooting those who disobeyed them. After 52 hours, the terrorists detonated explosives. They shot children in the back who tried to run away. In a ruthlessly executed operation, the terrorists murdered more than 300 people, most of whom were children. On 30 September, in Baghdad, children gathered near a ceremony marking the opening of a water treatment plant. They were bunched together to get candy soldiers were handing out. Seeing them bunched together, terrorists drove two explosive-laden cars into the midst of the children, detonated the cars and deliberately murdered 34 children and 7 adults; 130 other civilians, many of them children, were injured. On 1 October in Pakistan, a bombing at a Shi’ite mosque killed dozens of worshippers. Just yesterday, three terrorist bombs exploded at resorts in Egypt, killing at least 35 people, injuring 100. These people were on vacation. Workers are still pulling them out of the rubble as I speak here today. In each case, the terrorists believed that they were acting in the service of a cause. These were not random acts of violence; they were cause-driven acts of violence. Some say that such murders of children are justified by “root causes”. Supporters of the murder of civilians sometimes say that these are justifiable acts of national liberation or of self-determination. Some claim that exploding bombs in the midst of children is in the service of God. That is the ultimate blasphemy. The most significant paragraph in the resolution before us is operative paragraph 3. It states quite clearly that acts that intentionally target civilians for death or serious bodily injury are criminal and never justifiable. It calls for States to punish those who target civilians. We do this through our courts or pursuant to extradition treaties. The resolution states that these acts of terror are never justifiable — not by political, or philosophical, or ideological, or racial, or ethnic or religious reasons. We emphasize that, in addition to the acts proscribed in paragraph 3, there are other acts, also terrorist acts, that cannot be justified by political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or similar considerations. Nothing in operative paragraph 3 should be construed as creating any implication to the contrary. For example, there are terrorist acts covered by the existing terrorism conventions, for which an element of intent is not required. Let me emphasize the precise issue we decided by our vote, because for some there is an alternative to the principle set forth in this resolution. The alternative position is that, while the deliberate massacre of innocents might often not be justifiable, sometimes it is. The alternative position is that some “root causes” may from time to time justify terrorists in detonating bombs in crowds of children. The alternative position to the resolution before us is to say that circumstances may be sufficient to justify such terrorism. Such justification, the theory goes, might include self- determination, national liberation or one’s own perception of the will of God. The resolution which we have adopted states very simply that the deliberate massacre of innocents is never justifiable in any cause — never. Either terrorism is never justifiable, or it is sometimes justifiable. Either the massacre of innocents always deserves punishment, or it is sometimes absolved from punishment. Believing that the murder of civilians can never be justified, we also agree that the working group should consider the possibility of drawing up a comprehensive list of terrorists. I congratulate the Russian Federation for putting this fundamental question of principle so squarely before the Council. We have decided this question by our unanimous vote.

Brazil participated in the consensus on the adoption of resolution 1566 (2004), in view of our firm commitment to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, without any qualification whatsoever. In our view, operative paragraph 3 of resolution 1566 (2004) reflects compromise language that contains a clear political message, but it is not an attempt to define the concept of terrorism. I wish to reiterate our view that the current practice of the Council is one of excessive resort to the use of Chapter VII. In that regard, the fact that the entire operative part of the resolution just adopted remains under that chapter suggests that not enough emphasis has been given to the possibilities opened up by international cooperative action. We believe that such a tendency is both unnecessary and counterproductive. It is a matter of specific concern that the appeal to Member States contained in operative paragraph 5 is made under Chapter VII. During our negotiations, I noticed that this point was raised by several other delegations. In our view, no constraints should be imposed on States’ freedom to negotiate the terms of international conventions. Brazil supports the establishment of the intergovernmental working group to consider political measures regarding individuals, groups or entities involved in or associated with terrorist activities, as foreseen in operative paragraph 9. It is our view that the need to observe the provisions of international law and due process should be taken into due account by the working group.

My delegation voted in favour of resolution 1566 (2004) because we believe that this resolution will make a positive contribution to the resolve of the Council to fight against the menace of terrorism. The terrorist bombing that took place in Egypt yesterday underscores the importance of today’s action by the Council. We condemn that terrorist bombing and extend our deepest sympathy to the relatives of the victims. We are gratified that the Council achieved unity in the adoption of resolution 1566 (2004), which reaffirms the belief of every member of the Council that criminal attacks against civilians are never justified, for any reason. This resolution in no way overturns the right to self-determination under the Charter. Likewise, legitimate acts against foreign occupation and alien domination are not thwarted in the least by the Council’s adoption of this resolution. My delegation looks forward to participating actively in the work of the working group that will discuss and make recommendations on practical measures to be imposed on individuals, groups or entities involved in terrorism.

At the outset, I should like to express our shock at the terrorist bombings in Egypt and in Pakistan, and we convey our sympathy to the families of the victims. We condemn these acts of terrorism. Terrorism is the common enemy of humankind. All forms of terrorism, no matter when or where they occur and whatever their motivation, should be combated with determination. The international fight against terrorism should be consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and the underlying norms and principles of international law. It should address both the symptoms and root causes of the phenomenon while avoiding the use of double standards. That has always been our clear and consistent position. There has been a recent spate of terrorist attacks throughout the world. While the Security Council was discussing the draft resolution on counter-terrorism, resolution 1566 (2004), terrorism’s reach extended to Egypt and Pakistan. This is a flagrant challenge posed by terrorists to the entire international community, and it makes it clear that the fight against terrorism will be a long and arduous one. The international community must send a strong political signal in the context of the combat against terrorism and improve the relevant counter-terrorism measures in accordance with changing circumstances. China co-sponsored the resolution that has just been adopted unanimously. The Chinese delegation thanks the Russian Federation for having played a leading role in drafting that resolution, and we would like also to thank other Member States for their united and consistent efforts. China supports the leading role played by the United Nations in the international fight against terrorism. The unanimous adoption of this resolution is a clear expression of our unity and a strong response to the challenge posed by terrorism.

My delegation welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 1566 (2004). Terrorism is one of the greatest scourges facing humankind today. It represents a grave violation of human rights and deeply shocks the human conscience. That is why we must be resolute in our struggle to eliminate it. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims of recent attacks, which we firmly condemn. As terrorism is a global problem, the fight we have undertaken to eliminate it requires ongoing mobilization and sustained cooperation among all Member States. We therefore welcome the commitment reiterated by the Council to a dialogue among civilizations and to the resolution of regional conflicts and development problems as a means of strengthening the combat against terrorism. We therefore had no difficulty in associating ourselves with an initiative designed to do away with any justification of indiscriminate acts of terror against civilians, because my delegation believes that the protection of civilians in conflict situations is the very expression of the sacred principle of humanity. Nevertheless, I must state here that the combat against terrorism should be waged on the basis of strict respect for the fundamental principles enshrined in the Charter. My delegation is therefore of the view that none of the provisions of the resolution which has just been adopted should be interpreted in such a manner as to violate the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. In that connection, paragraph 2 of Article 24 of the Charter states that: “In discharging these duties the Security Council shall act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations.” It is in that spirit that we urge Member States to implement, in strict respect of the Charter, measures adopted pursuant to the relevant resolutions of the Security Council. Only in that way can they retain their legitimacy under international law and international humanitarian law. My country welcomes the idea of setting up an international fund to compensate victims of terrorism and their kin. The principles underlying the creation of such a fund are a sense of responsibility and an obligation of active solidarity towards its victims. In conclusion, my delegation would like to thank the sponsors of the resolution.

Angola has voted in favour of resolution 1556 (2004) and we did so with a sense of having accomplished a duty. Terrorism is a common threat to peace and security and a common challenge to the international community as a whole. Therefore it is only logical that the Council has unanimously voted for this resolution, which constitutes an important landmark in the fight against terrorism. Over the past 25 years, Angola has been the victim of terrorist acts. We can therefore understand the importance of standing united in the fight against terrorism, regardless of who the terrorists are or what their political, philosophical, ideological, religious or other motivations may be. The victims of terrorism deserve our solidarity, particularly as they are usually civilians and, quite often, children. The resolution we have just adopted is good news and we thank the sponsors, particularly the Russian Federation, for the constructive approach they demonstrated throughout the long negotiations. We have a good instrument and now it is up to all States to put it to work to strengthen cooperation in the global fight in which we are all involved.

France was a sponsor of the draft resolution on the fight against terrorism that we have just adopted. We are grateful to the Russian Federation for having taken the initiative on that resolution, which will strengthen international cooperation to combat terrorism. We were gratified to see that this important text was adopted by consensus. The resolution is important for several reasons. It energetically affirms that terrorist acts are unjustifiable, it calls upon all States to prevent such acts and to make sure that there are punishments consistent with their gravity, it reiterates that combating terrorism is an activity that must be carried out in accordance with international law, in particular, international human rights and humanitarian law, it calls upon the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) to strengthen its activities, including visits to States, which will make it possible to enhance dialogue, and it calls upon the CTC Executive Directorate to endow itself with all the necessary means to support the CTC, and it tasks a specific Security Council working group to think of new ways to strengthen anti-terrorist efforts. We hope the working group will discharge its mandate without haste, and in a careful, reflective manner. The questions it will have to tackle are complex ones. It will have to think about how it can further strengthen the activities of the CTC. It will have to examine the possibility of establishing a list of individuals, groups and entities of a terrorist nature. In so doing, it will have to learn from the lessons of the Al Qaeda sanctions Committee. The credibility of our activities, and therefore there effectiveness, depends on that. It is indispensable that the international community act in a unanimous manner in this area and France, for one, will be an active contributor.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of the United Kingdom. Today we have had confirmation of the barbaric murder of Mr. Kenneth Bigley, a British national held hostage in Baghdad. We extend our most sincere sympathy to Mr. Bigley’s family at this time of great sadness. Tragically, many countries and families are dealing with the suffering and the grief caused by mindless acts of violence — the violence of terrorists. Last night, in Sinai, we witnessed cruel and unjustified terrorist acts committed against civilians — acts that served no conceivable purpose. Last week, in Pakistan, innocent civilians were once again the target of appalling terrorist acts. When the Security Council began negotiation on this resolution, the appalling tragedy in Beslan, as well as the series of other recent attacks in Russia, were on our minds. The threat of terrorism touches us all and that is why this resolution matters. The adoption of resolution 1566 (2004) underlines the importance of the work of the Council, the work it is already doing through its Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), its Committee on sanctions against Al Qaeda and the Taliban and their respective expert teams. Some six months ago, we approved a new CTC Executive Directorate and it is important that it now be fully operational as soon as possible. But the resolution, rightly, goes further. It sets the scene for the Council to address the wider threat, and it is the first time that the Council will consider how to take practical action against terrorists not related to Al Qaeda and who are therefore not included under the existing sanctions regimes. Of course, there are some difficult balances to be struck as this work goes forward. One of the most important of those was raised by Jack Straw in the General Assembly last month: the threat of terrorism confronts democratic States with an acute dilemma — to fight those who recognize none of the values for which we stand, while remaining true ourselves to those values. Counter-terrorism must be conducted in accordance with international law, including human rights and refugee law. For example, the Council has declared that acts, methods and practices of terrorism are contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations, as are knowingly financing, planning or inciting terrorist acts. The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees itself sets out that it does not apply to anyone who has committed a war crime, a crime against humanity or other serious crime or who is guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations. We cannot allow those who commit, support and finance terrorism to shelter behind the refugee status to which they are not entitled and we should look at ways to ensure the speedier extradition of such individuals. The Security Council is shouldering its responsibilities to tackle a threat that affects us all. These are challenging issues and ones which the working group will now have to tackle. The issues will require careful consideration and one of the first things on the agenda will be consideration of a terrorist list. We look forward to engaging in that work. Finally, by adopting this important text by consensus, supported by the strong statement of the representative of Turkey, we are demonstrating the strength of the Council, the determination of the United Nations and the collective will to combat the scourge of terrorism. I shall now resume my functions as President of the Security Council. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council will remain seized of the matter.