S/PV.6536 Security Council

On behalf of the Chairmen of the three subsidiary bodies of the Security Council established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) dealing with the issue of terrorism, I have the honour to update the Security Council on the continued cooperation between the three Committees and their groups of experts. Taking account of the fact that the full statement of my briefing has been distributed to members of the Council, I shall deliver a summarized version. The three Committees continue to attach great importance to the coordination and cooperation between their respective groups of experts, the Executive Directorate (CTED) of the Counter- Terrorism Committee, the Monitoring Team of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) and the Group of Experts the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004)); welcome their continued efforts to engage in joint outreach activities, exchange of information and joint meetings; and encourage the three groups to further enhance their cooperation. The three expert groups continue to implement the common strategy on dealing with non- or 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. The three expert groups continue to participate in platforms of common interest, such as the Counter- Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the Pacific Islands Forum and the Intergovernmental Action Group against Money laundering in West Africa. Also, both CTED and the Monitoring Team are observers at the Eastern and South African Anti-Money Laundering Group. CTITF continues to provide a useful framework within which the three groups of experts can continue to coordinate their activities and to share information, particularly on technical assistance. The groups of expert contribute to the work of several CTITF working groups, and the Monitoring Team and CTED have assumed leading roles in some of these groups. The three groups of experts also participate in the Integrated Assistance for Countering Terrorism initiative. Exchange of information is carried out on a regular basis and through joint work conducted by two or more groups when participating in the same event, such as the recent CTED workshop on challenges to border control in the Maghreb and the Sahel, in which the Monitoring Team participated. Similarly, the Monitoring Team joined the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s recent special meeting with international, regional and subregional organizations, held at the headquarters of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, on measures related to the prevention of terrorism. Both CTED and the Group of Experts of the 1540 Committee also participated at the ninth meeting of national focal points of contact of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism, organized by the Organization of American States in March 2011. The three groups of experts continue to hold regular meetings in preparation for visits, workshops and other joint activities related to specific States, regions or themes. The Counter-Terrorism Committee also regularly invites the other two groups of experts, CTITF and other relevant United Nations entities to meetings with international and regional organizations and to its thematic briefings in the framework of its official meetings. Another emerging area of cooperation is for one of the three groups to represent another group at certain events. For example, the Monitoring Team represented CTED at the FATF meeting in Cape Town in November 2010, and CTED represented the Monitoring Team during its participation in the meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in Auckland, New Zealand, which was co-chaired by New Zealand and the Pacific Islands Forum secretariat this month. In general, during their participation in these various events, the groups of experts continue to explain to participants the respective activities and mandates of the three Committees, as well as the content and purpose of the Global Strategy. As mentioned in the previous joint statement (see S/PV.6424), the co-location of the three groups of experts would greatly contribute to enhanced cooperation and information exchange among them. We therefore appreciate the response of the Secretariat that it will continue exploring all options with a view towards co-locating the groups at the earliest possible opportunity, notwithstanding the challenges associated with such co-location. The three subsidiary bodies and their respective groups of experts will continue to cooperate and to coordinate their work, within their respective mandates, with a view to ensuring an effective and efficient approach to counter-terrorism. The three Committees look forward to receiving further guidance from the Council on areas of common interest and to further strengthening their joint activities.

I now call on Ambassador Puri to speak in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001).

I had the honour to assume the chairmanship of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) at the beginning of this year. I would like to thank my predecessor, Ambassador Apakan of Turkey, for his excellent work in steering the Committee in 2010. It gives me great pleasure today to brief the Council on the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) since the last briefing in November 2010 (see S/PV.6424). Terrorism is a global scourge and constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The United Nations strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever, and for whatever purposes. It is an attack on human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening the territorial integrity and security of States and destabilizing legitimately constituted Governments. The CTC, in accordance with its mandate, continues to work actively in advancing the global fight against terrorism. The Committee in its work has been guided by relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 1963 (2010), and continues to play a critical role in promoting and facilitating their implementation. The Security Council presidential statement adopted on 2 May (S/PRST/2011/9) in the aftermath of the death of Osama bin Laden stresses the need for the full implementation of its resolutions on terrorism, as well as other applicable international counter-terrorism instruments. It also calls on all States to work together to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of terrorist attacks, while ensuring that measures taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations under international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. Important tools in the Committee’s work include preliminary implementation assessments, visits to Member States, facilitating the provision of technical assistance, enhancing cooperation and coordination with international, regional and subregional organizations and the identification and promotion of international best practices, codes and standards. The Committee, through the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), is also making use of alternative technologies, including video conferencing, to enhance its dialogue with Member States. The Committee continues to organize and participate in discussions and workshops on thematic and regional issues. The major issues considered by the Committee include the control of cash couriers, the abuse of the non-profit sector for terrorist financing and the application of good practices for the implementation and assessment of resolution 1624 (2005). Important workshops organized during this period include the launch of CTED’s global initiative in London, from 18 to 20 January, to prevent the abuse of the non-profit sector for terrorist financing, within the framework of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force working group on tackling the financing of terrorism and the workshop on challenges to effective border control in the Sahel and the Maghreb region, which was organized in close cooperation with the International Organization for Migration and held in Nouakchott from 4 to 6 April. The Committee is also focusing on regional specific discussions on issues identified in the 2009 survey on the implementation of resolution 1373 (2001) by Member States (S/2009/620, annex). A regional discussion on Central Asia was held earlier this month. In addition, the Committee and CTED continue to enhance their ongoing dialogue with Member States, donors and beneficiaries on the facilitation of technical assistance for capacity- building. The Committee has adopted its work programme this year on an annual basis, which will be helpful in further streamlining the functioning of the Committee. Earlier, the Committee had been formulating its work programme on a biannual basis. In pursuance of resolution 1963 (2010), CTED is working towards providing, by 30 June, an updated global implementation survey on resolution 1373 (2001), as well as a global implementation survey on resolution 1624 (2005) by 31 December. The Committee has also adopted a plan of action for the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). As part of enhancing its interaction with international and regional organizations and United Nations entities, the Committee heard briefings on counter-terrorism in February by Ambassador Marc Perrin de Brichaumbaut, Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Mr. Alexey Kuzyura, Chairperson of the Working Group of the Meeting of Heads of Special Services of the Russian Federation. Furthermore, of particular significance was the CTC’s special meeting with international regional and subregional organizations, in collaboration with the Council of Europe, on the prevention of terrorism, held at Strasbourg from 19 to 21 April. The meeting provided an opportunity for the Committee, CTED and various international, regional and subregional organizations to hold open and in-depth discussions about the preventive aspects of resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 1963 (2010) and the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The special meeting focused on three main areas, namely, prevention policies, comprehensive and integrated strategies and the role of law enforcement in preventing terrorism. Experts from civil society organizations also actively participated in the event. The Committee appreciates the close cooperation and generous support from the Council of Europe in planning and hosting this event. While the Committee and CTED will follow up on this important meeting, the Chair’s summary is in the process of being circulated as a document of the Security Council. This year marks an important milestone in global counter-terrorism efforts, as we approach the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). The Committee will organize a special meeting, open to the wider membership and other relevant stakeholders, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the resolution and the establishment of the Committee. Other major upcoming events include a workshop in Islamabad for members of Pakistan’s Parliament on strengthening the oversight role of Parliament in the implementation of anti-money-laundering and combating the financing of terrorism laws, the fourth regional workshop for police officers and prosecutors in South Asia on effectively countering terrorism, to be held in Thimphu, and a workshop in Belgrade for countries from South-East Europe on the law enforcement aspects of preventing the financing of terrorism. I attach high priority to enhancing transparency, public outreach and the strengthening of cooperation with international, regional and subregional organizations. Besides participating in the CTC’s special meeting at Strasbourg last month, I also participated in the meeting of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism of the Organization of American States held in Washington, D.C., in March. In conclusion, the Committee will continue to play a critical role in the global fight against terrorism. The Committee will try to do so in a more strategic and transparent manner so that it can more effectively contribute to the global counterterrorism efforts within its mandate. I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of CTED, and his team for their excellent work. I also wish to thank the Secretariat for its continuous support.

I now give the floor to Ambassador Wittig, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated persons and entities.

I had the honour to assume the chairmanship of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee in January. In today’s briefing, I would like to give an overview of the Committee’s activities and achievements since the last briefing in November (see S/PV.6424). In addition, I would like to offer comments on the future work of the Committee from the Chairman’s point of view. At the outset, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my predecessor, Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting of Austria, and his team for their excellent work in steering the Committee in 2009 and 2010. Under Austria’s able leadership, the Committee concluded successfully the first comprehensive review of the consolidated list. Today, I am pleased to report that the Committee, building on those efforts, has approved the most comprehensive set of updates to the consolidated list and the largest group of narrative summaries of reasons for listing in its history. Specifically, the Committee has just agreed to 78 list amendments and to making publicly available almost 200 additional summaries of reasons for listing. The additional narrative summaries will further facilitate the implementation of the sanctions. They mark an important step towards closing an information gap and further enhancing fair and clear procedures. However, in resolution 1904 (2009), the Council clearly flagged that further efforts to that end were required. Let me now focus on three important aspects of the Committee’s work. First, the Council directed the Committee to continue to conduct reviews on a regular basis. The Committee, supported by the relevant Member States, the Monitoring Team and the Secretariat, is working hard to deliver. The review of 48 individuals reported to be deceased is currently under way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Member States for their cooperation and their efforts in submitting to the Committee any relevant information in the context of that review. The Committee aims to conclude the review by the end of May, before conducting other reviews as requested by the Council in resolution 1904 (2009). In addition, the Committee decided to review listed entries that are reported to have ceased to exist and agreed on a paper outlining the modalities of that specialized review. Secondly, through resolution 1904 (2009), the Council established the Office of the Ombudsperson. As of today, the Ombudsperson, Judge Kimberly Prost, has received 10 requests for de-listing. The Ombudsperson submitted her first comprehensive report on a specific de-listing request to the Committee in February, as well as two further comprehensive reports on two additional de-listing cases in April. The Committee is currently considering these de-listing requests and has been discussing with the Ombudsperson her observations, including the methodology and standards applied in her reviews of the requests. The Committee will conclude its considerations according to resolution 1904 (2009) and the relevant guidelines. The Committee views the assistance of the Ombudsperson as valuable and helpful in the process of reaching well-founded decisions. The Committee is currently considering options in this regard. Thirdly, resolution 1904 (2009) encourages members of the Committee to provide reasons for objecting to de-listing requests. As Chair, I am insisting that all Committee members do so in a timely manner. In that connection, I am pleased to note that the Committee has been able to reach a consensus on the way and the form in which reasons for the Committee’s decision could be communicated to relevant stakeholders on a case-by-case basis. Here I should like to draw the Council’s attention to changes and challenges as I see them and to share the views of the Chair of the Committee. The 1267 regime was established in 1999, more than 11 years ago, in response to attacks planned by Osama Bin Laden and perpetrated by Al-Qaida. As times change, the threats posed by international terrorism are evolving. I should like here to make some brief comments, in my personal capacity but informed by my experience as Chair of the Committee, on current changes and future challenges. First, the death of Osama Bin Laden constitutes clearly an important landmark and a turning point. However, it is neither the end of Al-Qaida nor the end of terrorism. The Committee will duly assess the implications which recent events may have on the nature of the threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and on the future work of the Committee. The Monitoring Team will have to monitor closely current and future developments in that regard. It is clear, however, that rigorous implementation of the sanctions measures remains essential, since various groups associated with Al-Qaida remain active around the world, constituting a continued threat to international peace and security. At the same time, the Committee, supported by the Monitoring Team, should consider how best it can play its part in further marginalizing Al-Qaida and how it can ensure that the 1267 list continues to fully and adequately reflect the evolving threat posed by Al-Qaida and its affiliated networks. Secondly, regarding Afghanistan, the Committee has discussed the possible implications that political dialogue in Afghanistan may have on the work of the Committee and the future design of the regime. The Monitoring Team, in its recommendations paper, has provided several options for developing the 1267 regime further according to the perceived needs related to political dialogue in Afghanistan. It is the view of the Chair that the Committee and the 1267 regime as a whole must be prepared to play a facilitating and supporting role in a political dialogue and not become a stumbling block in terms of peace and security in the region. The Committee has been proactive in seeking and taking into account the views of the Afghan Government in the process of listing and de-listing Afghan Taliban. The Committee will consider a draft checklist of necessary supporting documentation for de-listing requests. However, taking into account the dynamics of political processes, it is the view of the Chair that the design of the regime may have to be further developed. As Chair, I recommend that the Council carefully review and calibrate the criteria for the listing and de- listing of Afghan Taliban, reflecting in particular internationally agreed criteria in the reconciliation processes. The Council may wish to consider options for granting an even more visible role to the Afghan Government in this context, with a view to promoting the transition process and the principle of Afghan ownership. Finally, as Chair I am pleased to note that the need for continued reforms as regards fair and clear procedures remains high on the agenda of the members of the Committee. At the same time, I have to note that although many of the substantial reforms set out in resolution 1904 (2009) are currently being implemented, they still represent a work in progress, and the effects of this comprehensive reform agenda cannot yet be evaluated. This applies first and foremost to the most ambitious reform step set out in resolution 1904 (2009): the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsperson. I have noted that all members of the Committee are committed to making this a meaningful and credible process. This, however, does not exclude well-founded disagreements on particular cases. As Chair, I am confident that the Ombudsperson process, in its current form, can already deliver tangible improvements as regards fair and clear procedures, in particular the right to be heard. In compliance with the provisions of resolution 1904 (2009), the Ombudsperson’s findings are based on a thorough and conclusive examination of each de- listing request. At this stage, it is already clear that the political will of all Council members to promote fair and clear procedures has added weight and rigour to the Ombudsperson process. The observations, even though formally not binding in nature, are seriously considered and taken into account before a decision is taken on any de-listing request presented through the Office of the Ombudsperson. At the same time, as Chair of the Committee I am committed to continuing to assist in trying to build consensus on further enhancing fair and clear procedures as well as the role of the Ombudsperson. This concludes my statement on the Chair’s personal views.

I thank Mr. Wittig for his briefing. I now give the floor to Ambassador Baso Sangqu, Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

Since January I have had the honour of assuming the chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540. I thank Ambassador Heller of Mexico for his leadership of the Committee in 2010. In addition to the information just presented in the joint report, I am very pleased to summarize the main developments in the work of the 1540 Committee since the last joint briefing, on 15 November 2010. The Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1977 (2011) on 20 April 2011. The resolution reaffirms resolution 1540 (2004), which calls on all States to implement appropriate and effective measures to address the risk that non-State actors may acquire, develop, traffic in or use weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Through resolution 1977 (2011), the Security Council acknowledges the progress made by States in implementing resolution 1540 (2004). The Council further notes that the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) by all States is a long-term commitment and task that will require continuous efforts at the national, regional and international levels. The new resolution extends the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a period of 10 years, which will enhance the Committee’s ability to support the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) and to assist States in their efforts, in particular by enabling the Committee to plan its activities over a longer period. The new resolution also provides for two comprehensive reviews, one after five years and one before the end of the mandate. These reviews will provide the Committee with important opportunities for assessment and to engage in an in-depth dialogue with Member States on issues related to the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). The mandate contained in resolution 1977 (2011) provides the 1540 Committee with a sound and efficient basis for its work over the next decade. The resolution mandates the Committee to continue to strengthen its role to facilitate the provision of technical assistance and to enhance its cooperation with relevant international, regional and subregional organizations. The Committee is also mandated to continue to refine its outreach efforts and to continue to institute transparency measures, including through regular open meetings with Member States. The resolution further urges the Committee to continue to engage actively with States to promote the sharing of experience, lessons learned and effective practices in the areas covered by resolution 1540 (2004) and to dialogue with States on implementation, including through visits to States at their invitation. The resolution also mandates the Committee to conduct annual reviews of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) in order to guide its activities and, on that basis, to include specific priorities in its annual programme of work, as necessary. Taking note of the 2009 comprehensive review and building on the Committee’s successive programmes of work, the 1540 Committee conducted the following activities since its previous briefing last November (see S/PV.6424). During the last six months, the Committee received first reports on the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), and additional information from five Member States. Using this and other information, the Committee reviewed and approved 192 matrices before the end of 2010. The Committee therefore continues to encourage States to provide updated information on their implementation efforts. The Committee continues to work on assistance requests and on possible next steps. It continues to elaborate policy guidelines to address a range of assistance issues and strengthen its clearing-house and match-making roles. Since the previous briefing, the Committee has continued to raise awareness about the revised procedures for processing assistance requests and to encourage States to provide any updated information regarding assistance requests submitted earlier or offers of assistance, as well as updated information on assistance points of contacts. The Chairman of the 1540 Committee, coordinators of its Working Groups and experts participated in, inter alia, a meeting of 25 international governmental, regional and subregional organizations on cooperation in promoting the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) that was hosted by the Government of Austria and in events related to resolution 1540 (2004) organized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of American States, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the World Customs Organization. The 1540 Committee and its group of experts continued to participate in outreach to facilitate States’ implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). In addition to those mentioned above, these events took place in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and the Pacific Islands region. Thematically, a workshop in Japan addressed issues of export controls, one in the United Arab Emirates addressed trans-shipment, and one in France discussed proliferation financing. With regard to transparency, the Committee posted on its website approximately 180 Committee- approved country matrices, as well as Information Notes on the outreach activities in which 1540 Committee members and experts have participated during recent years. I appreciated the cooperative spirit among the Security Council members that led to adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), and I look forward to continuing working in that spirit in the implementation of the resolution.

I wish to make a few brief comments in my national capacity. I am not sure whether they are informed by my position as Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) or are purely national, but I suspect there is a great deal of fusion here. To start with, as far as the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) is concerned, the death of Osama Bin Laden is a significant milestone in the global war against terrorism. However, it does not signify the end of Al-Qaida or of terrorism. Without the elimination of terrorists’ safe havens and sanctuaries, there can be no end to the global war on terror. For the security and stabilization of Afghanistan, it is important to isolate and root out the syndicate of terrorism that includes elements of Al-Qaida, the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Taiba and other terrorist and extremist groups operating from within and outside Afghanistan’s borders. Attempts to differentiate between Al-Qaida and the Taliban and other terrorist groups are fraught with difficulty, since those groups are operationally and ideologically fused. We support measures to strengthen the review process of the listings in the Consolidated List of the 1267 Committee through the Office of the Ombudsperson, as per Security Council resolution 1904 (2009). At the same time, we are concerned that the process of listing and de-listing in the Consolidated List continues to be subjected to political will and pressure — a scenario that we can ill afford in our united fight against terrorism. India supports the efforts of the Government of Afghanistan to reintegrate those individuals who abjure violence, give up armed struggle, do not have links with terrorist groups and are willing to abide by the values of democracy, pluralism and human rights as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution. At the same time, it is important that the red lines on the reintegration process as laid down at the London Conference and later reaffirmed at the Kabul Conference are not diluted. Otherwise, we risk Afghanistan sliding back to becoming a safe haven for terrorists and extremist groups. On the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), India has expressed its unwavering commitment to global efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and their means of delivery. India recognizes that proliferation of WMDs and their means of delivery is a major challenge facing the international community. As a victim of terrorism for more than three decades, we are fully cognizant of the catastrophic dangers that transfers of WMDs to non-State actors and terrorists could entail. Clandestine proliferation networks have led to insecurity for all and must not be allowed to reappear. The international community must join hands to eliminate the risks relating to sensitive materials and technologies falling into the hands of terrorists and non-State actors. The focus on non-State actors should in no way diminish State accountability in combating terrorism and dismantling its support infrastructure or in linkages with WMDs. It is important to bear in mind that the successful implementation of counter-terrorism measures requires not only the fullest collective effort of the entire membership but also their fullest participation in processes that affect the collective security of all nations equally. Our collective endeavour should be to enhance coherence and synergy among different counter-terrorism structures that are dealing with the issue of terrorism within the United Nations.

Germany aligns itself with the statement of the European Union (EU) to be delivered later. With regard to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), Germany remains committed to the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Germany supported the new resolution, 1977 (2011), as a sponsor because we are convinced that it contributes significantly to efforts for the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors. Resolution 1540 (2004) is an important non-proliferation tool. Importantly, in the new resolution the Council also stresses the importance of fulfilling commitments related to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. That is in line with our firmly held conviction that disarmament and non-proliferation are two sides of the same coin. Germany is convinced that the creation of a group of experts will prove to be helpful in guaranteeing better coordination and proper implementation, thus further deepening cooperation between the experts and the Committee. In addition, Germany welcomes the clear focus on assistance being channelled through the Committee as a top priority in the Committee’s future work. Germany will remain committed to the future work of the 1540 Committee. Germany is ready to support the Committee by facilitating the Working Group on Monitoring and Implementation. The Working Group is of particular importance to us, as we believe that the full and effective implementation of the obligations contained in the four pertinent Council resolutions is key to achieving our common goal of non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to non-State actors. Germany will do its utmost to deliver a national implementation action plan, as encouraged in resolutions 1810 (2008) and 1977 (2011). We hope to contribute to setting positive examples by moving forward in that regard. We are currently giving consideration to organizing a meeting related to resolution 1540 (2004) in Germany next year, in cooperation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. The objective of the conference would be to engage in outreach with international, regional and subregional industry associations and groups. We believe that they can play an important role in complementing and supporting the work of States in implementing resolution 1540 (2004) obligations. It goes without saying that we will seek close cooperation with the 1540 Committee in that regard. Regarding the Counter-Terrorism Committee, we remain convinced that all measures to combat terrorism must be carried out in full compliance with international human rights norms and standards. That is indispensable to ensuring the efficiency and credibility of counter-terrorism measures. Regarding the 1267 regime, I would like to add that Germany aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of Costa Rica on behalf of the group of like-minded States during today’s debate. Since its establishment, the Office of the Ombudsperson has made valuable contributions to fair and clear procedures. Germany welcomes those efforts and commends the Ombudsperson for her work. My country is eager to continue supporting the Office of the Ombudsperson in a constructive manner with a view to strengthening the aspect of fair and clear procedures in the regime and to ensuring that the consolidated list remains a living document that adequately reflects the present terrorist threat. Before concluding, let me stress three areas where Germany perceives the greatest need for improvements. First, in order to provide for an appropriate review mechanism, precise criteria for de- listing should be conceived as a complement to the ones applied for listing. Secondly, the preventive character of the sanctions should be enhanced by introducing a limitation to the duration of listings. Any extension of a listing should be based on solid information, as we normally require for new listings. Finally, adverse effects caused by fragmentary and ambiguous listings must be avoided. Therefore, special attention should be given to the submission of precise and sufficient identifiers along with any application for listing.

Allow me to add some comments in my national capacity on the work of the three Committees. With regard to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), South Africa remains firmly convinced that weapons of mass destruction do not guarantee security, but rather detract from it. As long as those weapons exist, humankind will continue to face the threat of catastrophe. This conviction informs our firm commitment to the principles of the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction and non-proliferation, both of which are key contributions to the system of collective security envisaged in the United Nations Charter. South Africa welcomes the fact that the Council rallied behind resolution 1977 (2011), which seeks to establish a balance between the disarmament and non- proliferation aspects of weapons of mass destruction, and that the Council has reaffirmed the importance of fully complying with all relevant obligations. That balance, along with the improved language on peaceful purposes, provides an appropriate context for the 1540 (2004) framework. We wish to thank the Chairman of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated persons and entities, for his comprehensive briefing on the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime. We commend and encourage the Committee in its continued process of regularly reviewing the 1267 list to ensure that it remains up to date. We also applaud the Committee for its approval of the narrative summaries to improve transparency and effectiveness in the implementation of the sanctions regime. As noted in the Chairman’s briefing, while resolution 1904 (2009) has made significant procedural improvements to the listing and de-listing process, legal challenges to the procedural and substantive fairness of the sanctions regime remain. In our view, those legal challenges threaten the effectiveness of the regime. I am aware that measures to enhance procedural fairness and make the listing process more just have been considered by the 1267 Committee in the context of the report of the Monitoring Team. We would hope that those measures will be reflected in the draft resolution renewing the Committee’s mandate. With regard to the Counter-Terrorism Committee, terrorism remains one of the most of the dangerous and serious threats to the maintenance of international peace and security. The international community’s efforts to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must continue with renewed commitment, focus and resolve. It is therefore appropriate for the Security Council to be the implementing body of our collective efforts to counter and subsequently eradicate that phenomenon. It is also important for the United Nations to remain at the forefront of that effort, especially as it will ensure that, in the process of fostering cooperation among the members of the international community to counter the scourge, such cooperation is carried out within the prescripts of international legal norms and standards to which we are obliged to adhere in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law. Very recent terrorist attacks are yet another grim reminder to all of us that we must stay the course in pursuing our stated objectives to counter and eventually eradicate terrorism. That work began with the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). Almost 10 years later, we note that, since the adoption of that resolution, the United Nations has made significant inroads in countering terrorism. Finally, the Executive Directorate of the Counter- Terrorism Committee facilitated numerous outreach activities, country briefings and regional seminars and workshops throughout the reporting period. Those initiatives have made positive contributions to engendering closer cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations; facilitated effective and integrated operations among the wider United Nations community and international and regional organizations; and fostered closer cooperation between and among Member States, the United Nations and international civil society. Most importantly, I would advocate technical assistance to States. All of that not only bodes well for the United Nations in dispensing its specific mandates, but also adds value by making a material contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security.

I, too, wish to thank the Permanent Representatives of South Africa, India and Germany for their briefings on the activities of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). Nigeria appreciates the important role played by the 1540 Committee and its Group of Experts in strengthening the global non-proliferation regime. In that regard, we commend Member States for their increased awareness of their obligations under that resolution. The increase in reports and the intensified efforts to promote cooperation between States and other stakeholders, as well as the adoption of resolution 1977 (2011) last month, further strengthen our collective resolve to achieve global security. More outreach activities, through regular workshops and consultations at the country and regional levels, will help to underpin those improvements. They will also help to address two critical challenges, namely, the limited implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), in particular by developing countries, and the lack of relevant legislative, regulatory and administrative structures to support implementation efforts. Nigeria attaches great importance to the clearing house role of the Committee and expects that the revised assistance procedures will facilitate the prompt matching of offers and requests for assistance by States. By finding potential donors to support assistance requests, the Committee will help more States to benefit from relevant technical assistance and support. Over the years, resolution 1373 (2001) has remained an indispensable tool in our collective efforts to curb the activities of terrorist groups. Resolution 1963 (2010), adopted last year, increases the focus on the robustness of our engagement on this issue. Nigeria is satisfied with the role that the Counter- Terrorism Committee, established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), has played in guiding our efforts towards the full implementation of both resolutions. We welcome the Committee’s adoption of a plan of action for the implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). In implementing this resolution, due cognizance should be taken of a country’s and region’s specific experiences and challenges. There is no doubt that the 1373 Committee’s work will also benefit from outreach activities and sustained dialogue with States. Both activities will help affected States to develop relevant legislative, regulatory and administrative structures to support the implementation of all the resolutions. Nigeria notes with satisfaction the depth of the cooperation that exists among the 1373 Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) and international, regional and subregional organizations. In this regard, we commend the Committee on the success of its special meeting in Strasbourg, France last month. We also note with satisfaction CTED’s ongoing cooperation with the Economic Community of West African States on counter-terrorism initiatives in that subregion. I hope that this cooperation will yield some concrete outcomes during the coming year. Nigeria welcomes the changes to improve the programme of work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, including the regular updating of the Committee’s website and implementation of recommendations of the last review process. The improved activities and reports submitted to the Committee are an indication of the remarkable and exhaustive work and the unequalled support of the Monitoring Team. We commend Ms. Kimberly Prost, the Ombudsperson, for her valuable work and contribution to us in improving the procedures of the sanctions regime. We welcome the recent review of deceased persons, pursuant to paragraph 26 of resolution 1904 (2009), to keep the Consolidated List updated and relevant. The determination of de-listing requests for three names submitted through the Ombudsperson is a good example of the application of the reform in a fair and credible manner. These positive efforts should be further strengthened through the continuous improvement of the sanctions regime and by keeping the Consolidated Lists as accurate as possible. The need to ensure consistency with international standards of due process, international law and respect for human rights must be overriding in the Committee’s work. It is therefore necessary to start considering further measures to strengthen resolution 1904 (2009). Active engagement and cooperation between the three Security Council Committees remain imperative for strengthening the implementation of their respective mandates. In closing, we wish to commend Ambassadors Peter Wittig, Hardeep Singh Puri and Baso Sangqu for their dynamic leadership and sterling contributions to the work of their respective Committees. We assure them of Nigeria’s continued support in the discharge of their daunting responsibilities.

We express our gratitude to the Permanent Representatives of India, Germany and South Africa for their reports on the work of the Committees they respectively head. The Russian Federation views the stepping up of efforts in the work of these Committees as an important precondition to enhancing the effectiveness of the Security Council’s contribution to countering global terrorism, which remains one of the main threats to international peace and security. This fact is amply demonstrated by regular reports of new terrorist acts in various regions of the world. At the same time, there are many examples of successful actions by the participants in the counter-terrorist coalition of States. In the Russian Federation, a number of successful operations to neutralize underground groups in the northern Caucuses were carried out. Clearly, a key event was the elimination of Osama bin Laden. The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities remains one of the main participants in the Council’s activity in the counter-terrorist field. We view as premature and unjustified the claims that the link between the Taliban and Al-Qaida are weakening and that flexible sanctions can serve to isolate the unreconciled Taliban and adherents of Al-Qaida. The idea that the Taliban might acquire a nationalistic character does not bear scrutiny. It is enough to recall that to date the Taliban have been backed by motley international groups, including foreign terrorist organizations. That is why it is virtually impossible to draw a distinction between the accomplices of Al-Qaida and purely Afghan Taliban. Here, we view the initiative to split the sanctions list into two, for Al-Qaida and for the Taliban, as unwarranted and fraught with the risk of loss of focus in the international antiterrorist track. We back the policy of the Afghan leadership for national reconciliation and the reintegration into society of those members of illegal armed groups who are not tainted by crimes against the Afghan people, who have rejected violence and links with Al-Qaida and who recognize the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. As before, we believe that excluding former terrorists from the sanctions list is possible only on an individual basis. Here we considered groundless any proposals for the flexible or simplified de-listing of the Taliban, including the proposal for a sunset clause, which would lead to weakened control by the 1267 Committee over this process and to de facto automatic de-listing. We back the Committee’s efforts to ensure greater transparency in the work without prejudice to its effectiveness, and its efforts to update the sanctions list to bring it in line with the current terrorist threat. We consider the work of the Ombudsperson useful and her present mandate as optimum. We again urge States, pursuant to resolutions 1735 (2006) and 1904 (2009), to submit to the Committee requests to include on the sanctions list individuals and organizations linked to the Taliban and Al-Qaida, including those financing their terrorist activities from the proceeds of drug trafficking. Resolution 1963 (2010), adopted last December, directs the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and its Executive Directorate (CTED) to pay greater attention to issues of preventing and suppressing terrorism. We actively contributed to adopting that approach, which, in our view, secures wider support for and more effective implementation of the Security Council’s antiterrorist decisions and organically fits into the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We attach special importance to enhancing efforts to counteract the radicalization of public opinion and the ideologies of terrorism, violent extremism and incitement to commit terrorist acts. To this end, the Russian Federation initiated the CTC’s adoption of a plan of action to implement resolution 1624 (2005). It provides for broader dialogue with States on all aspects of the resolution and analysis of successful experiences to disseminate it more broadly and prepare a comprehensive report on the situation in this field. We expect effective implementation of the plan and will actively participate in that work. To forge a robust network of antiterrorist cooperation under the aegis of the United Nations, it is important to bolster CTC contacts with international and regional organizations. In that context we welcome the outcome of the CTC’s special meeting in Strasbourg with international, regional and subregional organizations on the topic of preventing terrorism. We endorse the intention of the Chair of the CTC to organize work on using the outcome of the special meeting to strengthen cooperation with regional organizations. We note the close regular contacts of the CTC, the 1267 Committee and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) with the conference of the heads of special services, security organs and law enforcement agencies of partner States of the Russian Federation’s Federal Security Service on terrorism. We welcome the assistance provided by the CTC through CTED. We fully back the participation of CTED pursuant to its existing mandate in the efforts of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force as well as its cooperation with the panels of experts of specialized Security Council committees. Russia attaches great importance to the Security Council’s adoption last month of resolution 1977 (2011), which reaffirms the very large-scale tasks of resolution 1540 (2004) and extends the mandate of the 1540 Committee for a further 10 years. We have used resolution 1540 (2004) as one of the main international instruments in preventing weapons of mass destruction, their means of delivery and related materials from falling into the hands of non-State actors, first and foremost, terrorists. Resolution 1977 (2011) enshrines the leading role of the United Nations and the Security Council in these fields and creates conditions conducive to bolstering multilateral efforts in this area. The 1540 Committee plays a key role in coordinating and enhancing the effectiveness of such efforts. We believe that the Committee and its Panel of Experts worked fruitfully during the reporting period to promote the further intensification of activities by the international community to counter proliferation- related risks and threats. We welcome the measures aimed at making the Committee’s work more regular and systematic. It is important that these efforts continue. We believe that the Committee should continue to devote priority attention to assisting States in implementing resolution 1540 (2004) and coordinating the activities of the international community to that end. We stand ready to continue to support such measures, including within the framework of our ongoing cooperation on issues related to resolution 1540 (2004) with participating States of the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Russian Federation will continue to undertake focused efforts to fulfil the tasks set by the Security Council to forge a reliable system under the auspices of the United Nations to counter the black market in weapons of mass destruction.

At the outset, I wish to join other speakers in expressing our gratitude to the Permanent Representatives of Germany, India and South Africa for their detailed briefings giving an account of their work during their first months chairing the respective Committees. Given the important place that these Committees have in the overall counterterrorism framework, we believe that the continued exchange of views through these regular briefings further contributes to the improvement of the Council’s efforts in countering this global and ever- present challenge. The face of terrorism changes every day, taking new forms, using new methods and manifesting itself in ways that compel us to continuously reconsider and re-evaluate the steps we take, the tools we use and the measures we deploy. Our efforts need to be multifaceted and comprehensive in order to adequately respond to the threats and dangers posed by terrorism. The demise of Osama bin Laden is considered as a critical development in that regard, and crucial in our joint efforts to fight terrorism. We have on a number of occasions pointed out that the committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) has evolved into one of the most critical instruments in the fight against the threat posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. We have thus far witnessed considerable improvements in the Committee’s procedures, but its work is a continuous dynamic undertaking that requires our full attention and thorough and careful consideration of each new step, all in order to further strengthen the effectiveness, transparency and credibility of this sanctions regime. However, we are aware that there are still some concerns, and we believe that they will be adequately addressed in the coming period in order to strengthen the counterterrorism framework. We extend our full support to the Committee and its Chairman in further improving the sanctions regime established by resolution 1267 (1999). In addition, I wish to emphasize that we attach great importance to the role of the Ombudsperson, which in our opinion can only significantly enhance and contribute to regime’s fairness and transparency. However, it is very important to consider our next steps in order to realize the full potential of this institution. The effective implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005) is an essential prerequisite and key element of an unyielding and consistent counterterrorism framework. We are of the view that the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), with the valuable support of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, remains one of the key elements of that framework. We therefore strongly support the work of the Committee to improve its efficiency and transparency. Thematic discussions and regional presentations are making the Committee more focused on challenges, deficiencies and difficulties in the implementation of the respective resolutions. We are pleased to see that the Chairman plans to move towards the Committee’s continued engagement in these discussions and to make greater use of their outcomes and results. Here, it is appropriate to mention very successful outcome of the recent CTC meeting at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg with international, regional and subregional organizations. Furthermore, regular briefings for Member States proved to be an indispensable tool in enhancing transparency and creating a forum for exchange of views and recommendations. I would now like to address the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). Over the past seven years, resolution 1540 (2004) has demonstrated its great relevance among international instruments dealing with the issue of global non-proliferation and counter-terrorism. The 1540 Committee also proved to be an indispensable mechanism in extending support and assistance to Member States in building and further developing their capacity to face the threat of non-State actors acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Bosnia and Herzegovina acknowledges and commends this work. We therefore voted in favour of resolution 1977 (2011) and the extension of the 1540 Committee’s mandate for 10 years. Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) cannot be fully and effectively implemented by one State alone. Such implementation is rather a long-term task that requires continuous efforts by Member States at the national, regional and international levels. The comprehensive implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) is also a very complex and costly process. We therefore call upon Member States able to provide resources to extend their voluntary financial contributions to States in need of assistance to implement the resolution. No financial cost is too high if it helps prevent the potentially devastating consequences of terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction. In conclusion, we are thoroughly convinced that, under the able chairmanships of the Permanent Representatives of Germany, India and South Africa, the Committees will continue to pursue effective and stronger measures in the fight against terrorism. Bosnia and Herzegovina will, for its part, continue to fully support and contribute to the overall international efforts in countering terrorism, at both the national and international levels.

I thank Ambassadors Peter Wittig, Hardeep Singh Puri and Baso Sangqu for their comprehensive briefings and commend them for their work chairing their respective Committees. Portugal aligns itself with the statement to be delivered later by the representative of the European Union. Following the order of the briefings we have heard, let me turn first to the work of the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC). We very much appreciate the high priority given by Ambassador Singh Puri to enhancing transparency and public outreach and further strengthening cooperation with international, regional and subregional organizations. In this regard, we note in particular the outcome of the special meeting on the prevention of terrorism organized by the Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) last month in Strasbourg and hosted by the Council of Europe. The preventative aspects of the fight against terrorism reflected in resolution 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005) and highlighted more recently in resolution 1963 (2010) should play, we believe, an indispensable role in the general framework of any comprehensive structural counter-terrorism strategy in order to actively address conditions conducive to radicalization, incitement and recruitment to terrorism. In this regard, we congratulate the CTC for the well designed set of thematic discussion panels, which were attended at a remarkably high level and fruitfully open to civil society experts. We strongly believe that effective counter- terrorism measures and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law are not only complementary but mutually reinforcing. In the light of that view, we encourage the Committee to continue to incorporate the consideration of human rights and rule of law issues in its country visits, preliminary implementation assessment programmes and strategic activity plans. Along with its work in assisting Member States on matters relating to the better implementation of relevant Council resolutions, the Committee should, in our view, continue, and even intensify, its regional and thematic approach with a view to developing regional capacities and networks, prompting multi-sector cooperation between States and organizations involved in dealing with challenges concerning terrorism threats to their region. In this regard, we welcome the initiatives by the Committee and CTED in South Asia and the Sahel, which, together with the Horn of Africa region, should be seen, in our opinion, as key priority areas for further international coordinated engagement in countering international terrorism. With regard to the briefing on the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), I wish to thank Ambassador Wittig for sharing with us his useful and appropriate personal comments on the Committee’s current challenges. We welcome the very relevant achievements and engagement of the Chair regarding the ongoing process of review of several categories of individuals and entities on the Committee’s consolidated list, as well as with regard to their respective narrative summaries. Following the adoptions of resolutions 1904 (2009) and 1267 (1999), the Committee has taken significant steps to promote transparency and improve the sanctions regime. The establishment of the Office of Ombudsperson to assist the Committee in de-listing requests was one significant landmark in this regard, opening an important door to listed individuals seeking the reappreciation of the measures that affect them and to reassess and readdress the situation. Portugal strongly supports Judge Kimberly Prost and commends her for her strong commitment to carrying out an important mandate. The three comprehensive reports already submitted are a testimony to the serious work done so far by the Ombudsperson to collect all the relevant available information on the cases in question and to provide final observations with reasoned arguments that merit serious consideration by the Committee. In this regard, we also attach importance to a complete and well-founded response of the Committee to these observations. In light of the upcoming draft resolution to renew resolution 1904 (2009), we believe that improving the Committee’s procedures and working methods with a view to underlining the preventive and temporary nature of the sanctions regime with fair and clear procedures and enhanced transparency, in line with the thrust of the Monitoring Team’s recommendations in its recent report, will only reinforce its impact, allowing for a stronger application of the sanctions regime by States, thus rendering it more effective in the framework of counter-terrorism. We look forward to this future exercise and to engaging fully in its negotiations. In relation to the 1540 Committee, I wish to thank Ambassador Sangqu for his report and his leadership of the Committee during the few months leading to the unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011) last month, extending the mandate of the Committee for the next 10 years. We feel that a good compromise was reached. A decade will provide the necessary continuity to effectively monitor and assist efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the wrong hands, while maintaining a wide ownership of the process. With two comprehensive reviews per cycle, regular assessment is ensured, as well as the opportunity to adjust to new realities, challenges and threats. We welcome in particular the fact that the resolution recognizes the significance of active and enhanced cooperation with States and relevant international, regional and subregional organizations to promote the sharing of experiences, lessons learned and best practices, as well as facilitating the provision of technical assistance in order to meet all the requests that might be presented to the Committee. Finally, we support the establishment of a group of experts, and we consider it essential to conduct a careful reflection in the near future on its expertise requirements and on a workable structure that will improve the Committee’s ability to carry out its mandate. Allow me to say one last word to express our appreciation for the close cooperation and coordination among the three counter-terrorism committees, aimed at facilitating the fulfilment of their mandates, improving efficiency and maximizing results. In this regard, we support the possible future co-location of the groups of experts. We also commend the committees’ contributions within the framework of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), and in this respect I wish to welcome the outreach efforts of the CTITF and commend it and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate for their very useful briefings to the general membership on the activities pursued, in cooperation with States and regional organizations, in the context of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

Allow me to join my colleagues in thanking the Chairmen for their briefings. Their dedicated leadership is central to the effectiveness of the Council’s three counter- terrorism-related committees. This meeting of the Council takes place at a critical juncture in our collective counter-terrorism efforts, with the death of Osama bin Laden earlier this month and the tenth anniversary of 11 September 2001 approaching. Bin Laden’s death is the most significant blow yet to Al-Qaida’s leadership, but it does not mark the end of Al-Qaida or of terrorism. We know that much work remains. Our partnerships have put unprecedented pressure on Al-Qaida. The United States will actively pursue its bilateral and multilateral counter-terrorism efforts, including efforts at the United Nations. For the United States, the United Nations is a key partner in the collective effort to combat and prevent terrorism. I thank Ambassador Puri for his exceptional guidance of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) during his first five months as its Chairman. He has fostered greater efficiency in the work of the CTC and has worked closely with Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), to keep the general membership up to date on the Committee’s activities through open meetings. The CTC and CTED made great strides in 2010. We applaud CTED’s increased focus on developing innovative regional capacity- building workshops. Whether in the Horn of Africa, the Sahel, South-East Asia or South Asia, CTED has proven itself by bringing together local officials from the region to identify practical solutions to common counter-terrorism challenges. We are particularly pleased with how resolution 1963 (2010) has helped align the Council’s counter- terrorism framework with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We support the emphasis on addressing the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and on reminding all that respect for human rights and the rule of law is an essential part of a successful counter-terrorism effort. We also need to stress the critical role that local communities and civil society can play in our collective efforts to prevent and combat terrorism. For over 11 years, the sanctions regime under resolution 1267 (1999) has been one of the United Nations most effective counter-terrorism tools and a symbol of international consensus against the ongoing threats posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. The death of Osama bin Laden must not slow the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The Committee should update its sanctions list regularly to reflect the changing nature of the terrorist threat. The United States welcomes the significant enhancements to the regime’s listing and de-listing processes, most notably the review of every name on the consolidated list and the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsperson to ensure that de-listing procedures are fair and transparent. Over the past several months, we have worked very closely with the 1267 Ombudsperson. She has performed an important role in facilitating the flow of information among petitioners, Member States and the Committee, and her reports to the Committee have provided valuable information. We look forward to continuing to work with her to further enhance the integrity of the sanctions regime. In June, the Council will review the 1267 regime and renew the mandates of the Monitoring Team and the Ombudsperson. We hope that other members will join us in considering a range of reforms to tailor the regime to the unique threats posed by Al-Qaida and the Taliban. In addition, we will continue to push for more robust implementation of existing sanctions by all Member States in order to make global sanctions more effective. Let me thank Ambassador Wittig and his team for doing excellent work since he took over as Chairman in January. They, along with the Secretariat, have worked diligently to implement the latest round of reforms. I also thank the Monitoring Team for its important role. The United States welcomes the Security Council’s recent adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), which extends the mandate of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for 10 years. Let me thank Ambassador Sangqu, the Secretariat and the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs for their work that led to resolution 1977 (2011), as well as for their continuing efforts to fully implement resolution 1540 (2004). The United States will continue its commitment to the work of the Committee under its new long-term mandate, and in that regard we are pleased to announce that we will make a contribution of $3 million for the 1540 Committee’s work. Resolution 1977 (2011) urges the Committee to actively engage in dialogue with States on implementing resolution 1540 (2004), and we are coordinating with the Group of Experts to conduct a country visit to the United States in September 2011. We look forward to the Committee’s recommendations regarding working methods, modality and structure to maximize the Committee’s efficiency and effectiveness, and we strongly support appointing a coordination and leadership position on the Group of Experts, which would help coordinate the overall activities of the Committee. We support the efforts and overall direction of these three committees. Under the capable leadership of the Chairmen, the Council’s counter-terrorism efforts will guide and reinforce Member States’ actions to deter terrorism and proliferation efforts by non-State actors.

While the events of 2 May 2011 marked a very important step in the fight against terrorism, the most recent events in Morocco, which my country firmly condemns, remind us that terrorist groups are resolved to continue their criminal activities. The Security Council must therefore devote greater attention and vigilance to this issue as long as the terrorist threat remains a clear and present danger. The Committees chaired by Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri, Ambassador Peter Wittig and Ambassador Baso Sangqu show the resolve of the international community in combating this threat. On behalf of my delegation, I would like to thank them for their briefings on the activities of the Committees that they have led since January. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the role played by Turkey, Austria and Mexico in leading the work of the Committees in 2010 and 2011. My delegation would like to reaffirm its firm support for the actions undertaken and mechanisms set up under resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). The struggle against terrorism also requires more sustained international cooperation and the strengthening of the capacities of the States that are least equipped to effectively combat this scourge. Special attention must be paid to the credibility and legitimacy of international counter-terrorism efforts by ensuring full respect for obligations imposed under international, human rights, refugee and international humanitarian law. My delegation would like to make a few comments on these three Committees. Turning to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, we welcome the first general update of the sanctions list of all individuals and entities suspected of being associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban. We believe that the various amendments made to the list in 2010 by the Monitoring Team and the substantial information provided on these persons and entities represent significant progress in terms of the fairness and transparency of the sanctions. My delegation urges the Committee to continue its consideration of pending situations, pursuant to paragraph 26 of resolution 1904 (2009), especially those concerning deceased individuals and entities that no longer exist. I take this opportunity to pay tribute, as other delegations have, to the assistance provided by the Ombudsperson, Ms. Kimberly Prost, in the Committee’s consideration of de-listing requests submitted to it. We are also convinced that strengthening cooperation and dialogue between the Committee and Member States will enable us to better grasp the difficulties faced in the implementation of resolution 1267 (1999). Similarly, strengthening cooperation between the United Nations and INTERPOL in the field of exchange of information remains essential. With respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter- terrorism, my delegation welcomes the fact that the Committee has, first, improved its methods of work to ensure greater transparency and effectiveness in its work; and secondly, better utilized the tools at its disposal, including preliminary assessments, to better focus on the needs of Member States, country visits, cooperation with regional organizations, and the promotion of codes of conduct. We welcome the organization of regional training workshops as part of an approach that enables us to highlight the specific challenges faced in certain areas of the world. My country also had the honour of hosting, last June, a workshop for countries of the Central African subregion on the legal provisions applicable to illegal acts committed against the security of maritime navigation and offshore platforms. The conclusions of the workshop have enabled us to raise awareness among the countries of the subregion on the dangers of illegal practices on the high seas and to strengthen their cooperation with a view to putting an end to such practices. As the Chair of subcommittee C, Gabon will continue to support the efforts of the 1373 Committee. With respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), my delegation welcomes the adoption on 20 April of resolution 1977 (2011), extending the mandate of the Committee for 10 more years. The resolution also recalls the obligation of Member States to adopt national provisions regarding the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. We therefore welcome the establishment of a group of experts under the Committee, charged with ensuring the implementation of the resolution. We also welcome the strengthening of the objectives of the Committee in the fields of assistance and cooperation. In conclusion, we recall the global nature of counter-terrorism efforts, which require the active participation and cooperation of all States, international and regional organizations and civil society. Gabon will continue to lend its support to Ambassador Puri, Ambassador Wittig and Ambassador Sangqu in the discharge of their respective mandates.

I thank Ambassadors Puri, Wittig and Sangqu for their valuable briefings and able chairmanship of their respective Committees. We commend the ongoing cooperation among these Committees, which play a central role in the broader United Nations counter-terrorism efforts. There is no excuse for terrorist acts. Brazil has historically condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We are party to all relevant international conventions and protocols against terrorism and fully support the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The repudiation of terrorism is enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution as a fundamental principle of our international relations. Brazil values the important work carried out by the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. We believe that its ongoing efforts to improve its working methods are crucial to strengthening its legitimacy. As we begin discussions on a revision of the work of the Committee, it is important to keep fairness and respect for due process as our guiding principles. In that regard, we believe that the recent proposals by a group of like-minded countries regarding listing and de-listing procedures, access to information and the activities of the Ombudsperson deserve careful consideration. Brazil also commends the work of the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC) and Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate. We also appreciate the CTC’s outreach activities, especially the technical assistance provided to Member States. The risk of terrorists’ gaining access to weapons of mass destruction will be completely eliminated only when these weapons no longer exist. The complete elimination of weapons of mass destruction must be our ultimate objective. In this sense, resolution 1540 (2004) remains an important tool for keeping non-State actors away from weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. In order to preserve its widely recognized legitimacy, the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) and its Group of Experts must continue to act in a transparent way and in particular reinforce their dialogue with the wider United Nations membership. Brazil reaffirms its commitment to a coordinated and multidimensional response to the challenges posed by terrorism. Addressing the root causes of this scourge is also of the essence. The United Nations should be at the forefront of these efforts. The Security Council, through the work of the three Committees, must continue to strive to help bring terrorism to a definitive end. Finally, we once more extend our heartfelt solidarity and sympathy to all those who have suffered from the devastating impact of terrorism.

At the outset, I would like to thank the representatives of Germany, India and South Africa for their detailed briefings on the activities of the counter-terrorism Committees and for their efforts and energetic work in leading them. The recommendations and analyses in their briefings deserve our careful attention. The Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) are essential mechanisms to ensure the implementation of the obligations deriving from those instruments. It is therefore essential to continue strengthening their institutional capacities, continuously assess their working methods and revitalize their tools in order to facilitate cooperation and assistance to Member States. To that end and in accordance with resolution 1963 (2010), the Counter-Terrorism Committee, through the Executive Directorate, should continue to work closely and in coordination with other United Nations bodies on capacity-building to apply the counter-terrorism international instruments, including the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the resolutions of the Security Council. We welcome the review of the preliminary assessment of implementation format and the strengthening of dialogue with the Member States. Greater transparency in the preparation of assessments will provide more accurate information not only on the status of implementation, but also on the assistance needed by Member States. We highlight the renewed emphasis placed on respect for human rights as an essential part of international efforts against terrorism. In this regard, the Committee should also promote measures aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of victims of terrorism. Unfortunately, this essential element of the fight against terrorism, reflected in the Global Strategy, has not been properly developed in the framework of the Organization. Regarding the 1267 Committee, Colombia welcomes the reforms introduced by resolution 1904 (2009), aimed at improving procedures, particularly with regard to respect for due process, transparency and the quality of the information contained in the consolidated list. The creation of the Office of the Ombudsperson was a major step towards the strengthening and legitimacy of the regime. Ms. Kimberly Prost has done an outstanding job in her few months as Ombudsperson. We must continue to deepen the reform process aimed at establishing fairer and more transparent procedures. The Committee should ensure greater availability of and access to the information related to individuals and entities, and the reasons for listing and/or de-listing. It is necessary to strengthen the Office of the Ombudsperson and to provide resources sufficient to the effective accomplishment of the mandate. It is essential that the Committee facilitate the provision of assistance to Member States so they can have appropriate procedures to fully implement the obligations arising from resolution 1267 (1999) and subsequent resolutions. I would like now to refer to the 1540 Committee. My delegation co-sponsored resolution 1977 (2011) because we are convinced that the very existence of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and their delivery systems constitutes a threat to international peace and security. With the unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), the Security Council acknowledged the progress achieved by States, and recognized that the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004) is a task that requires ongoing efforts at the national, regional and international levels. International cooperation and technical assistance are essential tools in responding effectively to the risk that non-State actors may acquire, develop or use weapons of mass destruction and/or traffic in them. The extension of the mandate of the 1540 Committee for 10 years will help us to plan its long-term activities and increase its capacity to support Member States in implementing resolution 1540 (2004). Through various resolutions, the Security Council has ordered that States must prevent all terrorist acts, block and punish their funding, offer no passive or active support for terrorism, and intensify and facilitate the exchange of operational information, inter alia. We therefore reiterate that cooperation in this respect cannot be left to the discretion of States but is an obligation under Chapter VII of the Charter. My country has suffered the scourge of terrorism and condemns it in all its forms and manifestations. We reaffirm that there are neither motivations nor circumstances to justify it. We are convinced that terrorism can be defeated only with comprehensive and decisive action of the international community through cooperation and compliance with the obligations of international law. International declarations and condemnation of terrorism of any form are essential, but even more important are decisive strikes against terrorism and its perpetrators, such as that which recently put an end to the criminal career of Osama Bin Laden. Terrorist groups and the international networks they have created remain active, requiring the international community to reiterate its resolve to fight them head on. International cooperation should be the guiding principle in the fight against terrorism. It is therefore necessary to continue strengthening the coordination between the three Committees and between them and competent United Nations entities that are part of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

I thank Ambassadors Wittig, Puri and Sangqu for their briefings. The Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) has recently made notable progress in the comprehensive implementation of resolution 1904 (2009). In June, the Council shall adopt a draft resolution renewing sanctions against Al-Qaida and the Taliban. China hopes that the new resolution will help the Committee to improve its work and safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the sanctions regime. China appreciates the efforts of the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC) in implementing the Security Council’s counter-terrorism resolutions. China supports the CTC’s activities, such as the organization of workshops, improving national preliminary assessment of implementation reports, facilitating technical assistance, pursuing dialogue with Member States and helping them to intensify their counter- terrorism capacity-building. The Security Council’s unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011) reflects the resolve of Member States to promote international counter-proliferation efforts and represents a new phase in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). China hopes that the Committee will pursue its work in a practical and prudent manner, assist Member States in fulfilling their obligations under the resolution, and promote progress towards all goals set forth in resolution 1540 (2004) in a balanced, comprehensive and effective manner. China will continue alongside other Member States to support and participate in the work of the Committee and to promote further progress in the international non-proliferation process. Terrorism is the arch-enemy of the international community, and China, too, has been its victim. China opposes all forms of terrorism and hopes that the international community will continue to intensify cooperation and take joint steps to crack down on it. China supports the ongoing efforts of the United Nations and the Security Council in playing a key role in the international struggle against terrorism.

I thank the Chairmen of the three Committees, the Permanent Representatives of India, Germany and South Africa, for their exhaustive briefings and efforts alongside all members of the Security Council to promote international counter-terrorism cooperation. I should like to make the following comments. First, with respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and Associated Individuals and Entities, Lebanon welcomes the efforts of the Committee, its Panel of Experts and the Secretariat, which have helped to update the consolidated list and better to disseminate information on the reasons for listing. We also support the efforts of the Ombudsperson, who has contributed to the transparency of the Committee’s regime and to respect for the fundamental rights of listed individuals. We believe that the success of her mission is closely linked to States’ cooperation with her. Lebanon supports efforts to improve the working methods of the Committee. In that regard, we reiterate that if we want sanctions to have greater legitimacy, they must be in conformity with the Charter of the United Nations and international humanitarian law, even if they are preventive in nature. With regard to the Counter-Terrorism Committee, which was established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), Lebanon welcomes its efforts and those of the Executive Directorate to promote the legislative and institutional capacities of States in combating terrorism. We encourage the continuation of cooperation with States and international and regional organizations in order to implement the provisions of resolutions 1624 (2005), 1373 (2001) and 1267 (1999), for combating terrorism must be complemented by regional and subregional efforts. We welcome the Committee’s meeting with international, regional and subregional organizations in Strasbourg in April to consider the best ways to prevent terrorism. Lebanon looks forward to the comprehensive updated survey on resolution 1373 (2001), which will be published next month, as the survey will evaluate the implementation of the resolution and the challenges all of us face. We would also like to emphasize the importance of the meeting to be held to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001). That will be a very important international milestone that will provide us an opportunity to discuss the issue of terrorism and counter-terrorism in general. With regard to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), we support the adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), which extended the Committee’s mandate for a further 10 years. The Committee will have to address a number of new challenges in the coming 10 years in order to fully implement the resolution’s provisions. Resolution 1977 (2011) affirmed the importance of States’ compliance with their obligations to work towards disarmament and limit proliferation. In that regard, we wish to stress the importance of all three aspects and the need to take into account the principle of equitable geographic representation in selecting the members of the Panel of Experts. We welcome the role played by the Committee to strengthen the ability of States to take effective measures at the international level to prevent terrorists and non-State actors from acquiring sensitive technologies that could lead to proliferation, whether nuclear, biological or chemical. We believe that the assistance provided by the Committee and the Panel of Experts to States that request it is one of the key elements to implementation. Efforts undertaken at the national, regional and international efforts are of great importance when it comes to providing assistance, exchanging experiences and capacity-building. All of this is aimed at better implementing resolution 1540 (2001). In that regard, I would like to recall the efforts made by the League of Arab States to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their falling into the hands of terrorists. We also wish to stress the importance of making the Middle East a zone free of nuclear weapons. Finally, given the numerous acts of terrorism we have suffered over the years, Lebanon is among the States most familiar with the dangers of terrorism. We would therefore like to reaffirm our cooperation with the three Committees and our full support for counter- terrorism efforts. We believe that the death of Osama bin Laden, leader of Al-Qaida, opens up a new chapter but does not bring an end to terrorism, which continues to claim lives on a daily basis regardless of faith or nationality. We therefore call for continued constructive dialogue among all countries to develop a common definition of terrorism pursuant to international human rights law. This is a scourge that threatens all of our lives, our security and our prosperity. It also threatens the values that unity us. Notwithstanding the resolutions and steps adopted by the United Nations, Lebanon believes that the struggle against terrorism entails dealing with the root causes of this phenomenon, especially by eliminating hotbeds of tension, double standards, foreign occupation, ignorance and violations of human rights and sacred religious principles.

Many thanks indeed to the Chairs of the three Committees for their very helpful briefings today. We commend their commitment and energy in leading the work of these Committees dedicated to the fight against terrorism. This debate comes at an important moment. The death of Osama bin Laden has significant consequences for the fight against terrorism worldwide. As British Foreign Secretary William Hague said, it was a devastating, but not a terminal, blow to Al-Qaida. We will need to be as vigilant and as determined as ever in fighting terrorism. The United Nations, including through the work of these three Committees, has a crucial role to play. Let me turn first to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), which is a unique tool in countering terrorism worldwide and in its potential to support Afghan and international efforts on reconciliation in Afghanistan. This sanctions regime has undergone significant reform since its inception, in 1999. The Committee has made great strides forward in ensuring that procedures are fair and clear. Today, it systematically and regularly reviews all designations. A fundamental development has been the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsperson. We are fortunate to have found such a well qualified and dedicated individual in Kimberly Prost as the first incumbent of that role. We are encouraged by the level of cooperation that States have extended to Ms. Prost, the seriousness with which the Committee approaches this process and the significant improvements that Ms. Prost has already brought to bear on the de-listing process. There is of course more that we can do. We must consider whether today Taliban and Al-Qaida listings belong under one sanctions regime. The death of bin Laden presents an opportunity for us to send a clear message to the Taliban that it is time for them to separate themselves from Al-Qaida and to participate in a peaceful political process in Afghanistan. We must ensure that the list of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) supports, rather than frustrates, this reconciliation process. With regard to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), too, we have come a long way. But the threat from international terrorism is evolving and becoming more diffuse. Our response to it as the international community must therefore evolve. The United Nations should continue to work to build the counter-terrorism capacity of all Member States. It must fill the gaps that would otherwise be exploited by terrorists, their financiers and their supporters. As we take this forward, we must ensure complementarity in the work of States, the United Nations and other multilateral actors to best mitigate the terrorist threat. Finally, let me turn to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), which is a crucial component of international efforts to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction to terrorists. We welcome the recent renewal of resolution 1540 (2004), which placed it on a solid, long-term foundation. Our extension of its mandate by 10 years demonstrates the conviction of the Security Council that international action is essential to combat this threat. The United Kingdom believes that it is key that we continue to move from reporting to implementation over this period. The next 10 years present an opportunity for us to achieve significant progress in implementation and for the 1540 Committee to assist States in meeting their obligations under this resolution. We must ensure that the Committee and the Group of Experts have the architecture in place to ensure that they can work efficiently and effectively to achieve this aim. Within the Committee, we will soon begin a review of the Group of Experts to ensure that the Committee is getting the best possible support and that the Experts are working as effectively as possible to provide support to the States requesting assistance. I should like to close by reiterating the importance that the United Kingdom attaches to the Security Council’s fight against terrorism and our ongoing commitment to the work of the 1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees.

I thank Ambassadors Wittig, Puri and Sangqu for their briefings. I shall now make a statement in my national capacity as representative of France. I should like at the outset to associate myself with the statement to be made later by the representative of the delegation of the European Union (EU) on behalf of the EU. International terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security. The death of Osama Bin Laden does not mean the end of Al-Qaida. The relentless fight against those criminals must continue and involve all States Members of the United Nations. The United Nations must remain mobilized through the work of its three sanctions committees. First, the sanctions regime set up in 1999 against Al-Qaida and the Taliban must continue to evolve, which will not weaken but strengthen it. The upcoming review of resolution 1904 (2009) will provide an opportunity for us to assess the effectiveness of sanctions, their adaptation to a constantly evolving threat and their legitimacy. To that end, we must take into account the changing relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida over the past 10 years and their respective objectives. We should like also to see the sanctions regime have a more direct impact on the quest for a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Thus we wish to bolster the legitimacy of the current regime by responding to a number of criticisms, some of which are justified, by improving the mechanisms set up pursuant to resolution 1904 (2009). Secondly, 10 years after its creation, the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC) is continuing to make progress in the fight against terrorism at the global level, even as States continue to face new challenges. I should like to touch on two areas in which the Committee, as a result of the support of the Counter- Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), adds value that is recognized by all: border protection and the fight against the financing of terrorism. In that context, the regional workshop held recently by the CTED in Nouakchott with the participation of practitioners from the Sahelian region opens the door to improved regional cooperation in an area that is especially affected by terrorism. The combat against terrorism also requires that many States improve their technical capacities. France is making a contribution in this area and is determined to support the work of the CTED in this field. Thirdly, with respect to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), I, too, should like to welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), which extends for a further 10 years the mandate of the Committee. The Council is thus sending a clear and unified signal on the need for long-term action by the international community to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Security Council resolution 1977 (2011) also provides the Committee with the means to more effectively fulfil its mandate. These include the strengthening of the Group of Experts charged with assisting it; the five-year review mechanism; and the drawing up of a list of specific priorities in the area of the sharing of experiences and best practices and in the promotion of an active dialogue, including on the ground, between the Committee and States regarding their implementation efforts. We also welcome the fact that resolution 1977 (2011) strengthens the work of the Committee in the field of assistance, an area to which we attach particular importance. France is thus ready, in cooperation with the Office for Disarmament Affairs, to host a conference in Paris on assistance. We must not only raise awareness about resolution 1540 (2004) but also focus our efforts on its concrete implementation by all Member States. Resolution 1977 (2011) provides us with a clear road map for the next years. It is now up to us to use these new tools, and we intend to work actively in that respect with the other members of the Committee. Finally, coordination is important. That is why France lends its full support to the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force, which will continue to coordinate the work of various actors, including the three Committees we are dealing with today. I now resume my functions as President of the Council.

At the outset, I would like to express my appreciation to the Chairs of the Council’s three counter-terrorism-related committees for their respective briefings on the developments during the last six months. Japan welcomes the recent remarkable progress in the field of counter-terrorism. Yet the death of Osama Bin Laden does not mean the end of the fight against terrorism. The threat of terrorism remains serious, and it is necessary for the international community to cooperate closely in all areas of counter- terrorism. In that regard, the work of the three committees continues to be of high significance. In order to strengthen the counter-terrorism capacity of individual Member States, the enhancement of assistance for capacity-building is a matter of urgency. We welcome the adoption of Security Council resolution 1977 (2011) and the decision contained therein regarding the 10-year extension of the mandate of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). We commend the fact that the resolution focuses on activities such as implementation, assistance, international cooperation and transparency. With respect to the implementation of the relevant resolutions, we must address the issue of Member States’ limited resources, expertise and capacity to fully implement the resolution. We must also increase awareness among Member States through assistance and outreach activities. In this regard, Japan is co- organizing a seminar, to be held on 31 May, to exchange views and experiences on non-proliferation, including with regard to resolutions 1540 (2004) and 1977 (2011). We will continue to cooperate with the activities of the 1540 Committee so that we may achieve the international objective of non-proliferation. In order to strengthen counter-terrorism capacity, an assessment of the shortfall of counter-terrorism measures in Member States is essential. In this regard, we attach great importance to the preliminary implementation assessment by the CTC as a crucial tool and consider the country visits conducted by the CTC to be one of the most valuable mechanisms for making the assessment more effective. Such visits facilitate an accurate assessment of the current situation of counter-terrorism in a given country, as they provide direct contact with the relevant authorities. The CTC has decided to conduct a country visit to Japan by the end of 2013. We anticipate that the visit will be a good opportunity for Japan and the CTC to have a fruitful discussion on the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Japan will continue its efforts to strengthen its national capacity and to assist, to the maximum extent possible, in the enhancement of the counter-terrorism capacities of other States, especially developing States. Even after the death of Osama bin Laden, Member States should continue to implement rigorously assets freezes and other relevant measures against him and against individuals and entities associated with him. In order for the 1267 sanctions regime to be fully effective, continued efforts to ensure the credibility of the Consolidated List are indispensable. To that end, Japan took active part in the negotiations for resolution 1904 (2009) as a member of the Security Council. It is my hope that, at the review in June this year pursuant to resolution 1904 (2009), the legitimacy and credibility of the Consolidated List will be enhanced and the 1267 sanctions regime will be strengthened. In this regard, we call on the members of the Security Council, taking into account the obligations of the Member States under the Charter of the United Nations, to duly consider the proposals by like-minded States, including Switzerland and Costa Rica. Japan will continue to cooperate actively with the 1267 Committee, the Ombudsperson and the Monitoring Team. As we approach the tenth anniversary of September 11 and of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), Japan supports the initiative by the Counter-Terrorism Committee to organize a special meeting open to the wider membership and relevant stakeholders. We expect that, as this year marks a milestone in our collective global counter-terrorism efforts, this meeting will provide a good opportunity for the international community to reflect on and review the progress made so far in the fight against terrorism. At the same time, we strongly request that the three Committees make a determined effort to enhance their mutual cooperation, while avoiding duplication of work, and to cooperate with Member States and other relevant organizations both inside and outside the United Nations to achieve our common goal of eradicating terrorism. The Government of Japan will continue to take all possible measures to counter worldwide terrorism and to cooperate positively and proactively in the efforts of the three Committees.

I give the floor to the representative of Pakistan.

Mr. President, we congratulate you and the delegation of France for the excellent work of the Security Council under your leadership this month. We also felicitate the Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations and his team for their successful presidency of the Council during the month of April. We support the efforts of the Council’s three subsidiary Committees in promoting greater transparency and dialogue with Member States with regard to their respective areas of activities. Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever purposes. Terrorism and extremism should not be associated with any religion, race, ethnicity, faith, value system, culture or society. No religious tradition or doctrine should be depicted as encouraging or inspiring acts of terrorism. Roughly 72 hours ago, two terrorist suicide bombers attacked a paramilitary training centre in northwest Pakistan, killing more than 80 soldiers of the Frontier Corps and injuring more than 70 other persons. The incident has once again highlighted the enormous sacrifices that Pakistan continues to make in order to rid the world of terrorism. Pakistan needs the solid and unwavering support of the international community in its fight against terrorism. Pakistan has deployed 160,000 troops on its border with Afghanistan and has set up 822 border posts to interdict members of A1-Qaida and Taliban. As a result of terrorist acts and our efforts to root out terrorism. Pakistan has lost 30,000 men, women and children and more than 5,000 armed forces personnel. The international community needs to promote economic and social development as part of a holistic approach to curb and eliminate extremism and terrorism. The promotion of socio-economic development in places afflicted by extremism should be a high priority. Pakistan has made considerable progress in countering the financing of terrorism. Pakistan has become a party to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and has enacted a landmark anti-money-laundering bill. A Financial Monitoring Unit has been established in the State Bank of Pakistan to monitor suspicious financial transactions. Hundreds of bank accounts, to the tune of 750.8 million rupees, have been frozen. We are implementing the comprehensive international standards embodied in the 40 recommendations and 9 special recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force. We are active members of the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering. The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) organized a workshop for Pakistani parliamentarians in Islamabad in November 2009 and a study visit of Pakistan’s parliamentarians to Turkey in February this year. Today, the Executive Director of CTED, Mr. Mike Smith, is in Islamabad to organize a workshop for strengthening anti-money- laundering laws and countering financing for terrorism. We have noted the work programme of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for 2011 annexed to document S/2011/223, and we appreciate the Committee’s efforts to enhance transparency by holding informal briefings for Member States. The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee and its Monitoring Team have a difficult task to perform. We appreciate the efforts of the 1267 Sanctions Committee to bring clarity to its working methods, and we note that the Committee has made an effort to improve its guidelines. There are many interesting ideas in the eleventh report of the Monitoring Team (see S/2011/245) to improve the Committee’s performance and enhance transparency in its work. Some of those ideas are hard to implement, and others can be incorporated easily in the current regime. Different ideas to enhance the efficacy of the 1267 sanctions regime need to be studied in detail. We are of the view that the institution of the Ombudsperson must be strengthened and her views on listing and de-listing issues given due weight. In case of disagreement between observations of the Ombudsperson and a decision of the Committee, the rationale for the Committee’s decision should be made public in the interest of greater transparency. We are not surprised that decisions of domestic and international courts and tribunals on the 1267 sanctions regime have garnered worldwide attention. The litigation relating to individuals and entities on the Consolidated List in Canada, the European Union, the European Court of Human Rights, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and the United States has highlighted legal challenges faced by the sanctions regime in various parts of the world. The preventive nature of the sanctions makes the listings very simple and enforcement-friendly. However, the legal community is more inclined to verifiable evidence that could be acceptable in a court of law. The questions of due process and effective remedy are at the heart of court deliberations. We will have to consider exclusive sharing of the verifiable evidence with the courts and fixing a time limit for the effectiveness of a listing. Pakistan was a member of the Security Council when resolution 1540 (2004) was adopted. We agreed that it was a timely measure to address the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery to non-State actors. We have consistently identified the need to make the 1540 follow-up mechanism more inclusive, transparent and balanced in terms of responsibilities of States and the international cooperation available to them to achieve its objectives. We believe that the recently adopted resolution 1977 (2011), which extended the mandate of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), should have been negotiated after an open debate by the Council. In such a debate, all Members of the United Nations would have had the opportunity to express their views on, inter alia, the scope, limitations, future direction, tenure of mandate and experiences in the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). That open debate would have then provided the basis for the negotiations and extension of the resolution. Such an open and inclusive process for discussing an important resolution would have helped to increase the level of confidence of all United Nations Member States in this process, as it is they that are ultimately required to implement the resolution, which has its roots in State-driven efforts.

I now give the floor to the representative of Turkey.

Let me begin by thanking the three Chairmen of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) for their comprehensive and informative briefings. We highly appreciate their leadership and the valuable work undertaken by the Committees they respectively chair. Earlier this month, the Security Council voiced the sentiments of the larger international community when it welcomed the news that Osama bin Laden would never again be able to perpetrate acts of terrorism, and reaffirmed that terrorism could not and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or group (see S/PRST/2011/9). Despite that development, which certainly marks as an important milestone in global efforts to eradicate terrorism, there is no room for complacency. Indeed, today, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continue to pose serious threats to international peace and security. No country is immune to those cross- border threats. We should thus act in an even more steadfast manner and strive to increase the effectiveness of our endeavours. I would like to thank to Mr. Peter Wittig, Chairman of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), for his valuable efforts. Over the past decade, the sanctions regime has proven to be an effective tool in countering Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists and other individuals and entities affiliated with those groups. We believe that it has been instrumental in preventing many possible terrorist attacks by imposing sanctions against individuals and entities on its consolidated list. At this stage, we need to concentrate our efforts on further strengthening the sanctions regime. In that regard, the rulings of national and regional courts concerning some of the names on the list prove to be a priority area that requires further and careful attention. In that context, Turkey will pursue a constructive and flexible approach so that the principles of due process and fair procedures are taken into consideration, as called for in some court decisions, without prejudging the final decisions of the 1267 Committee. We are also following the review process of the consolidated list. With the active contribution of the Monitoring Team, the Committee has already reviewed a significant number of names. We hope that, with the finalization of the review process, the consolidated list will better reflect current threats, and thus become a more credible instrument in coping with the challenges. We welcome the prolongation and refinement of the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate through resolution 1963 (2010). In particular, we appreciate the resolution’s focus on countering incitement to terrorist acts motivated by extremism and on ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law. Both aspects are crucial for combating international terrorism in an effective and legitimate manner. We also would like to thank the members of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and especially the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Hardeep Singh Puri, Permanent Representative of India, for his seamless efforts. We also would like to recognize Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, and his professional and hardworking team for their support and contributions to the work of the Committee. That said, there are still deficiencies in the implementation of resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), deriving from the lack of either political will or capacity. In our view, one of the main challenges of the Committee is to ensure that Member States fully understand their obligations as listed in those resolutions and take the necessary measures to implement them. In that regard, the dialogue between the Committee and Member States should be intensified so that the Committee can more effectively fulfil its monitoring and assistance tasks. For its part, Turkey will effectively and actively strive to achieve further progress in that direction. It is important that the focus be on the practical measures for either expanding the scope of some of the already-existing arrangements or filling in the gaps identified in implementation. Since its adoption, resolution 1540 (2004) has emerged as an important component of the global non-proliferation and counter-terrorism regimes. We are pleased that the level of implementation of the resolution has improved remarkably. We thank the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), under the able Chairmanship of Mr. Baso Sangqu, and the Group of Experts for their diligent work. Turkey continues to support the comprehensive review of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), which in our opinion is a continuous process. Our efforts should therefore continue unabated. We believe that the country visits and outreach events, such as conferences, seminars and workshops, organized at the regional and subregional levels, are also highly beneficial. We therefore support the continuation of such activities within the framework of all three Committees. Before I conclude, let me emphasize again that effectively countering terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction can only be ensured through close cooperation among all Member States as part of an integrated approach. I would like to reiterate the determination of my country to continue to actively support the work of all three Committees.

It is now 12.30 p.m. and I have 10 speakers still inscribed on my list. I intend to continue with the debate until we have heard all speakers. I ask the remaining speakers to make their remarks as succinct as possible. I now give the floor to the representative of Costa Rica.

I have the honour to address the Council on behalf of the informal group of like-minded countries that has taken a specific interest in the question of fair and clear procedures in targeted sanctions. That group currently includes Austria, Belgium, Costa Rica, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. I will concentrate my remarks on the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, in particular the question of improving fair and clear procedures and thereby also strengthening the effectiveness of the sanctions regime. I should underline that the group fully supports and recognizes the application of targeted sanctions as a useful and necessary tool to effectively combat international terrorism. The issue at hand is how to ensure that the Council and its Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee can continue to take effective and decisive action in the face of terrorism while at the same time honouring fundamental rule-of-law and due process guarantees. Our common obligation to implement decisions made by the Council coexists with our obligation to respect fundamental human rights. As is well known, the current sanctions regime continues to face legal challenges, including by proceedings in national and regional courts. That not only poses challenges for Member States, but also creates the risk of diluting the perceived authority vested in the Security Council. Those challenges are not a phenomenon that is specific to one particular region alone. Individuals are pursuing their right to challenge their designation in regional and national courts around the globe. The efficiency of the sanctions regime and the protection of human rights are of global concern. The strengthening of the system has to be pursued on a global level. The like-minded countries welcome the successive improvements that have been made to the 1267 sanctions regime so far, notably the establishment of the focal point, the introduction of narrative summaries and the comprehensive review undertaken and followed by detailed periodic reviews of the consolidated list and the various categories of listings. Most importantly, we see the establishment of the Office of the Ombudsperson as a major step forward. In this regard, we wish to commend the work that Judge Kimberly Prost has already undertaken. However, we believe that still more can and needs to be done. It is against this background, and with a view to the adoption of the follow-up to resolution 1904 (2009) in mid-June, that we sent a letter to the President of the Council early in April outlining several proposals that we believe would merit close consideration by the Council in its continued efforts to improve and strengthen the system. This letter has been distributed as an annex to the written version of this statement. In the interest of time, I will briefly highlight only some of the proposals. A key proposal is to introduce a time limit for all listings. A set time limit would underline the preventive and temporary nature of the sanctions measures. It could also have implications for the level of applicable due process requirements. We would like to stress that the proposed sunset clause would not result in automatic de-listings once the time limit has expired. The Council and its sanctions committee would retain the prerogative of maintaining a name on the list upon review, but by affirmative decision. We call on the Council to seriously consider introducing such time limits for listings. Secondly, a fundamental element of due process is that the listed individual or entity be given access to sufficient information to present an effective defence. Much has already been achieved with the introduction of narrative summaries of reasons for listings. Both the narrative summaries and other information given to a petitioner should be as detailed and comprehensive as possible, which presupposes that States have provided the Committee with such information. Upon request, the Committee should, after consultation with the designating State, inform the petitioner through the Ombudsperson about the identity of the designating State. We encourage the Council to look into every possibility for improving its information base and the petitioner’s legitimate access to such information. A third element that I would like to highlight is the need for the enhanced cooperation of States with the Ombudsperson, which is particularly relevant with regard to access to information. Legal and practical ways should be actively explored to allow the Ombudsperson access to all relevant information regarding a particular listing. We encourage the Council to make express provisions in the upcoming resolution for Member States’ full cooperation with the Ombudsperson. The like-minded group also proposed a series of improvements regarding the procedures for de-listing. Important in themselves, these improvements would also serve to further counter the argument that listing is a one-way street. For instance, the Committee should take its de-listing decisions by majority vote. In cases where, in the view of the Ombudsperson, the retention of a list entry is no longer founded, the Ombudsperson should be competent to recommend de-listing. Absent the Committee’s decision within 30 days to confirm the entry on the list, the entry should be de- listed. The sanctions committee would retain its full prerogative of deciding whether to maintain a name on the list or not. In cases where a de-listing request has been rejected, it is proposed that the Committee provide reasons for its decision to be transmitted to the petitioner through the Ombudsperson and the States concerned. Let me conclude by making some general remarks. Our proposals are not intended to question the legitimacy or prerogatives of the Security Council. On the contrary, the proposals would serve to better safeguard the credibility and efficiency of its work by enabling the Council to continue to assert its powers while advancing fundamental due process principles. The overarching goal is to strengthen the current system. Improving the fairness and clarity of the procedures would be conducive to a more efficient implementation of the sanctions regime by Member States. Rendering the system more sustainable would enhance the authority of the Council and that of the Organization as whole. The like-minded countries wish to continue a constructive dialogue with the Council and are grateful for the interest already expressed by so many of its members. We look forward to fruitful negotiations in June leading to significant improvements to enhance fair and clear procedures in the 1267 sanctions regime. I would now like to make some very brief comments in my national capacity. (spoke in Spanish) Costa Rica supports the comprehensive approach of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy approved by the General Assembly in September 2006, which explicitly acknowledges as part of the Strategy the relevance of the protection of human rights and the rule of law. Costa Rica believes that one of the major institutional challenges to the United Nation system is achieving a consistent policy that does not seek to organize human rights and counter-terrorism into a hierarchy. With regard to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), I would like to focus on two additional aspects. First, despite the major progress made, we still believe that the final aim must be to establish an independent review mechanism. Secondly, we believe that it is appropriate to make public the identity of each designating State. To the extent that there is appropriate transparency in that regard, each designating State will have additional reasons to justify its requests for listing and bear responsibility for them. Costa Rica reiterates its commitment to implementing all resolutions of the Security Council that seek to combat terrorism in all of its manifestations. We trust that these regimes will be strengthened by means of procedures that are increasingly fair and just.

I call on the representative of Cuba.

I thank the Chairs of the Committees for the information they have provided. The three Committees have carried out commendable work that Cuba values and closely follows. My country, as all know, complies strictly with its obligations under resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). Cuba reiterates its firmest rejection of all terrorist acts, methods and practices in all their forms and manifestations, regardless of who commits them, against whom they are perpetrated and where they are carried out. All terrorist acts, for whatever purposes they are carried out, must be condemned. The Cuban people has suffered first hand a broad spectrum of terrorist attacks since the triumph of its Revolution. As indicated by President Raúl Castro, “as early as March 1960, President Eisenhower approved a covert action programme against the island that was declassified a few years ago. The United States Central Intelligence Agency played a leading role in planning, providing logistical support, recruiting and training mercenaries to carry out terrorist acts under the aegis of the Government of that country — arson, bombings, sabotage of every type, the seizing of aircraft, ships and Cuban citizens, attacks against our Government offices and killings of diplomats, machine gunning of dozens of facilities, many attempts to put an end to the lives of the principal leaders of the Revolution, and particularly hundreds of plans and actions targeting the Commander-in-chief”. The Cuban people have lost some 3,478 of their number as victims of terrorism. Another 2,099 have been left permanently disabled by acts of terrorism carried out over the course of half a century against our country. This is precisely why we strongly condemn all acts and manifestations of terrorism, wherever and by whomsoever committed. Cuba has an impeccable record in addressing terrorism, and I wish to reiterate our steadfast resolve not to allow Cuban territory to be used to organize, instigate, support or carry out acts of terrorism. My country has systematically provided a number of comprehensive reports on this topic to the relevant Committee. We have strict and effective controls on our borders, based on our more than 50 years of experience fighting terrorism, that have allowed us to thwart many acts of terrorism. Cuba has subscribed to the 13 international conventions on this topic and strictly complies with its commitments and obligations arising from the resolutions of the General Assembly and Security Council. My country does not possess weapons of mass destruction of any type and has no intention to acquire them. It respects its obligations under relevant international instruments on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. We believe the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288) to be of the utmost importance. My country has implemented various legislative measures in this area, including long before the adoption of the Strategy, with a view to preventing and suppressing all acts and activities directly or indirectly relating to terrorism. For all of these reasons, I reiterate Cuba’s rejection of the unilateral development by the Government of the United States of America of a list of States that supposedly support terrorism, and the inclusion of Cuba on that list. This practice is in violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It is spurious and politically motivated. No Government can arrogate the right to categorize the actions of other nations with regard to terrorism, especially not a Government of double standards that refuses to prosecute confessed perpetrators of horrendous terrorist acts against Cuba and other countries of this hemisphere, such as Luis Posada Carriles, allowing them instead to roam free and participate in political activities. I have here a book entitled Voices from the Other Side: An Oral History of Terrorism Against Cuba, by Keith Bolender, which I make available to the relevant Committee and the Security Council, together with the other materials with which we keep the Committee informed. This book, which was launched here at the United Nations on 26 April, contains a detailed explanation of the many terrorist acts perpetrated against the Cuban people, organized and funded from the United States, with the participation of a mafia that enjoys impunity in this country. I also have here, available to the Committee, a DVD entitled “Cuba’s Reasons: Path of Terror”, with information and testimony from the Salvadorian terrorist Francisco Chávez Abarca, who was recruited by Posada Carriles to carry out criminal acts against Cuba. These materials, together with many others from the same series, can be accessed on the website www.cubadebate.cu. All of these actions against Cuba enjoy the blessing of the United States Government. Incontrovertible proof of that can be seen in the result of the recent legal farce in El Paso against the well- known and self-confessed terrorist Luis Posada Carriles, who was tried not for terrorism but for perjury, despite all the evidence against him in the possession of the United States Government. He was acquitted of all charges and moves freely about this country, enjoying official protection and announcing further terrorist acts with total impunity. On the other hand, five Cuban patriots — heroes in my country — were unjustly sentenced and cruelly imprisoned for trying to prevent terrorist acts against Cuba from the United States. Only three weeks ago, on 25 April, the Prosecutor requested that the habeas corpus petition made by one of them, Gerardo Hernández Nordelo, be rejected, and did the same shortly thereafter with respect to those made by Antonio Guerrero and René González. These three, together with Ramón Labañino and Fernando González, are irrefutable proof of the terrorism perpetrated by the United States against the Cuban people. I reiterate here once again our willingness to make a more detailed presentation on these issues before the Counter-Terrorism Committee and to provide any additional information or clarification deemed necessary. Cuba will continue to strictly comply with the provisions of resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) and to cooperate with the subsidiary bodies created pursuant to those resolutions. In conclusion, I reaffirm my country’s readiness to cooperate with all States, including the United States of America, in preventing and combating international terrorism on the basis of mutual respect, the sovereign equality of States and the principles and norms of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations.

I now give the floor to Spain.

I appreciate the opportunity offered to my delegation to participate in this open debate on the activities carried out by the three Security Council Committees specialized in the fight against terrorism. At the outset, I wish to note that Spain fully aligns itself with the statement to be delivered by the representative of the European Union. Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, constitutes one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. Acts of terrorism are unjustifiable wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. The United Nations system has carried out important work in the fight against terrorism and should continue to play an important role as the guarantor of international law. The implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adopted by consensus by the General Assembly in 2006 (resolution 60/288), is a valuable tool against the global threat of terrorism. The Security Council should carry out its work in a way that is complementary to the efforts of the General Assembly, which should in general be the pre-eminent forum for the international community to formulate its responses to the global problems of our time. I reiterate Spain’s firm commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism, regardless of its motivation or manifestation, and my Government’s wish to see this objective be a permanents priority on the agenda of the United Nations. It is essential to work at the national and international levels to prevent and combat this scourge. In doing so, we must not neglect to address the underlying causes of terrorism, such as radicalization. The Alliance of Civilizations initiative, noted in resolution 1963 (2010), which Spain promoted as a tool for enhancing understanding among countries, societies and individuals, can be useful in this regard. Moral and political reasons compel us to provide assistance and support to the victims of terrorism. The convening by the Secretary-General of a new symposium in support of victims of terrorism, as a continuation of the one convened in 2008, would be much appreciated by Spain. On this matter, we also hope the Security Council will provide the necessary continuity to its intention expressed in resolution 1566 (2004) regarding assistance to victims of terrorism through establishing an assistance fund or a practical assistance mechanism, as set out in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted by the General Assembly (General Assembly resolution 60/288). I would like to thank the Chairmen of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for the information provided and the work they have carried out together with their respective groups of experts. First, Spain would like to highlight the work of the 1267 Committee. We value the efforts to increase the transparency of the review and updating of the names of persons and entities on the sanction regime’s Consolidated List. The adoption of Security Council resolution 1904 (2009) led to an improvement in the application of the sanctions regime in response to concerns expressed by national and regional courts. The creation of the Office of the Ombudsperson is starting to bear fruit. Ms. Prost presented her first report to the Security Council (S/2011/29) early this year and the Security Council, in its presidential statement adopted on February 28 (S/PRST/2011/5), recalled the obligation to ensure that the Office continues to perform its work effectively, to which the renewal of its mandate in June will contribute. Spain wants to highlight as well the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) to monitor compliance with resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 1963 (2010) and to facilitate technical assistance to countries that request it. We welcome the dialogue, in the context of fighting terrorism, between the CTC and relevant bodies promoting and protecting human rights, such as the Council of Europe. Similarly, we want to highlight the new strategy devised by the Executive Directorate to enhance its role as facilitator of technical assistance and to undertake a permanent dialogue between donor and recipient States, in the interest of greater efficiency. The adoption of resolution 1963 (2010), which extended the mandate of the Executive Directorate, will enable the Directorate to increase its participation in the work of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and make it the pre-eminent facilitator of technical assistance, strengthening States’ capacities and thereby reinforcing the desired integral nature of the fight against terrorism. The proliferation and possession of weapons of mass destruction by non-State actors or States outside the scope or in violation of international law constitute serious threats to international peace and security. We express our support for the efforts of the 1540 Committee to design mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of that resolution and its work to extend its universal application. Spain welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011), which extends and strengthens the mandate of the Committee in the essential framework of full and strict compliance with the obligations and commitments incumbent upon Member States in matters of arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation in all its aspects of all weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. In this context, Spain wants to highlight the work of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism and calls for increased cooperation among all stakeholders with expertise in combating nuclear terrorism. I conclude by expressing Spain’s appreciation for the efforts of these three Committees to improve the effectiveness of their work. It is also encouraging to see the growing awareness that all measures taken must respect the rights of individuals. With this essential respect for human rights, the whole international community must demonstrate its firm determination to face down the barbarity of terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Switzerland.

Because I am speaking on behalf of the Human Security Network, I will deliver my statement in English. (spoke in English) It is my honour to speak on behalf of Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Mali, Norway, Slovenia, Thailand, South Africa as an observer, and my own country, Switzerland. The Human Security Network is an informal group of States that advocates a people-centred, holistic approach to security, which complements the more traditional understanding of national and international security. Let me join the other speakers in thanking the Chairs of the three Committees for their informative briefings. Terrorism is undeniably a major threat to human security. The Human Security Network therefore supports the fight against international terrorism based on the principles of the Charter, international law and the relevant international conventions, and it welcomes the strong leading role the United Nations has taken in this field. From a human security perspective, the strength of the United Nations actions against terrorism is commensurate with the respect for the founding objectives of the United Nations. Of particular importance is the adherence to human rights and fundamental freedoms and the observance of the rule of law in situations where the United Nations actions directly affect individual rights, which is the case in the work of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. Against that background, the Human Security Network welcomes the adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (General Assembly resolution 60/288) five years ago — recently reaffirmed, in 2010 (General Assembly resolution 64/297) — which offers a comprehensive framework for a coherent international response to terrorism. We affirm the important role of the United Nations system in strengthening the international legal architecture by promoting the rule of law, respect for human rights and effective criminal justice systems, which constitute the fundamental basis of our common fight against terrorism. The Human Security Network also emphasizes that further international cooperation among States, international and regional organizations and the United Nations is essential in the fight against international terrorism in order not just to combat and eliminate terrorism but also to prevent it. The Human Security Network applauds the considerable efforts of the Security Council to make the procedures of its Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee clearer and fairer, in particular through the adoption of resolutions 1822 (2008) and 1904 (2009), which introduced periodic reviews of the Consolidated List and an enhanced system of notifications and established the Office of the Ombudsperson. We are convinced that clearer and fairer procedures render the work of the 1267 Committee more legitimate and thus more effective. The Network observes, however, that concerns still remain as to the rights of listed individuals and entities. Accordingly, we have taken note with interest of the suggestions of the group of like-minded States on targeted sanctions — as presented earlier by my colleague from Costa Rica — on how the procedures of the 1267 Sanctions Committee could be improved, in particular in the field of listing, de-listing and strengthening the mandate of the Ombudsperson. We therefore encourage the Security Council to consider the recommendations of the group of like-minded States, also in view of the adoption of a follow up to resolution 1904 (2009) in June 2011.

I now give the floor to the representative of Indonesia.

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Permit me, at the outset, to thank the Chairmen of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004) for their comprehensive and informative briefings. ASEAN is deeply supportive of their work and looks forward to continued cooperation and collaboration with them. Today’s meeting comes at a remarkable time for members of ASEAN. For many years, we have recognized the global challenge of terrorism and have worked with the international community in that respect. But we have also worked diligently on a regional basis to complement the efforts of the global community. With this in mind, ASEAN is pleased to announce the imminent entry into force later this month of the ASEAN Convention on Counter Terrorism. This is a very important tool in our arsenal. ASEAN also re-emphasizes the importance of working towards acceding to and ratifying the relevant international instruments on counter-terrorism. During the eighteenth ASEAN Summit in Jakarta last week, ASEAN leaders also agreed to continue promoting the effective implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter-Terrorism and to develop initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of terrorism and conditions that are conducive to terrorism and to promote cooperation on de- radicalization and interfaith dialogues. ASEAN is of the view that these efforts would also contribute to the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. ASEAN is determined to continue to cooperate, not only in the prevention and suppression of extremism and terrorism but also to address and remove the root causes and conditions that give rise to these threats to humanity. ASEAN approaches that task through the promotion of development that is both equitable and inclusive. Such development would also embody peaceful and mutual respect among the various communities and take into account their peculiarities of diversity and historical uniqueness. ASEAN continues to work to coordinate and cooperate with the United Nations on key global issues in general, and with the counter-terrorism Committees of the Security Council in particular. We would, however, like to see further cooperation and coordination among the three counter-terrorism Committees in order to ensure broader support from the wider membership of the United Nations. ASEAN recognizes that, to be effective, a global counter-terrorism strategy should be broad, comprehensive and based on profound respect for human rights, with full adherence and respect for human rights and the dignity of the person. ASEAN therefore acknowledges the important work being done within the United Nations system to spur and sustain development, to provide education and to encourage intercultural and interreligious dialogue as part of the broader efforts to address terrorism and to counter radicalization. ASEAN underscores the importance of implementing resolution 1904 (2009), in particular the provisions regarding coordination and outreach, whereby the expert groups of the Committees are to enhance information sharing and coordination on visits to countries within their respective mandates, on facilitating and monitoring technical assistance, on relations with international and regional organizations and agencies and on other issues of relevance to the three Committees. The resolution further underlines the need for the groups to be co-located as soon as possible. Allow me to now touch briefly on specific references to the individual Council counter-terrorism Committees. With reference to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), ASEAN member States have carried out their obligations under the resolution. We call upon the Security Council to promote the legitimacy and credibility of the Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions regime, in particular by addressing concerns about due process and transparency in its listing and de-listing procedures. Turning to the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), ASEAN member States have also taken measures at the national and regional levels to carry out the various obligations under the resolution. We now have various mechanisms in place to achieve these objectives. However, we urge the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to intensify cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, with a view to enhancing the capacity of Member States to fully implement resolution 1373 (2001) and to facilitating the provision of technical assistance. We would also like to reiterate the importance of cooperation in capacity-building programmes, both for ASEAN and on a country- specific basis, as a two-pronged approach that would benefit all ASEAN stakeholders and the larger international community. On the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), ASEAN member States have taken measures at the national, subregional, regional and international levels to strengthen the global response to the serious challenge and threat to international peace and security posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. Furthermore, ASEAN member States have taken measures to strengthen export controls, to prevent proliferation financing and shipments and to secure sensitive materials that could be used for weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. In conclusion, let me reiterate that ASEAN stands ready to continue to work together and to contribute to the successful outcome of our common efforts in the fight against terrorism.

I now give the floor to the representative of Israel.

Thank you, Mr. President, for convening this important debate. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the Chairpersons of the counter-terrorism Committees for their professional work and for their informative briefings this morning. We welcome the opportunity to engage in such exchanges and in the periodic informal briefings for Member States. We hope that they will continue to be held on a regular basis. The comprehensive briefing held by the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force last week is another encouraging initiative that further demonstrates the significance of close cooperation and coordination among all United Nations counter-terrorism bodies, particularly the Security Council counter-terrorism Committees. Monitoring and ensuring that States fully implement Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) remain at the core of the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s activities. The upcoming tenth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1373 (2001), later this year, serves as a reminder of the vital and ongoing role of the Committee. Earlier this year, Israel submitted its preliminary implementation assessment, reflecting its commitment to a continued, informed and constructive dialogue with this important body. Technical assistance, facilitated by the Counter- Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), is an essential tool for countering terrorism that offers an important means for developing expertise and sharing best practices. In this regard, Israel continues to expand its technical assistance and cooperation on several levels and in a number of regions. To the same end, Israel’s counter-terrorism agencies cooperate with a large number of regional organizations. We recently signed an agreement with the counter-terrorism branch of the Inter-American Committee against Terrorism for a joint cooperation project in Latin America, particularly in the fields of improving aviation security, preventing the financing of terrorism and countering radicalization. The recent removal of Osama bin Laden from the terrorist landscape represents a significant step forward in the fight against terrorism. However, despite recent advances in the fight against terrorism — and indeed, perhaps because of them — we must be ever more vigilant. Preventing acts of terrorism is only one part of the challenge. Addressing incitement to terrorism represents another long-term and equally difficult part of the equation. Resolution 1624 (2005) unanimously condemned the incitement to, justification of or glorification of acts of terrorism. In this regard, the Internet poses both a challenge and an opportunity. We therefore support the efforts of CTED pursuant to resolution 1963 (2010) to produce a global implementation survey of resolution 1624 (2005) by December. We also support its decision to update its global implementation survey on resolution 1373 (2001) by June, in order to assess the evolution of risks and threats. The anguish of countless victims of terrorism provides a powerful reminder that no cause or grievance can ever justify terrorism. Every day, at least one Member State suffers from some form of a terrorist attack. Roadside bombs, rockets, mortars, suicide bombers and kidnappings continue to wreak havoc and bring grief and agony to nearly every corner of the world. Given Israel’s first-hand experience with the devastation caused by terrorism, we attribute particular importance to United Nations initiatives to voice and commemorate the untold stories of the victims of terrorism. Every day, more Israelis fall within the range of terrorist rockets as a result of illegal arms smuggling into Gaza. Hamas’s and Hizbullah’s ever-growing arsenal of missiles and rockets is made possible by the continuous transfer and smuggling of weapons and ammunition by two prime sponsors of terrorism in our region, namely, Iran and Syria. Only two months ago, we witnessed another example of this illegal activity when the cargo vessel Victoria, which set sail from Syria, was found to be carrying some 40 tonnes of concealed weaponry of Iranian origin among a cargo of lentils and cotton. We continued to witness the devastating consequences of this smuggling activity when, last month, members of the Hamas terrorist organization used an anti-tank missile that they had smuggled into the Gaza Strip to strike and completely destroy a school bus travelling in southern Israel, injuring the bus driver and killing a 16-year-old child. The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee remains an important part of the efforts to isolate terrorists and their means to inflict harm. Israel welcomes the considerable progress made towards promoting clear and fair procedures concerning the inclusion of individuals and entities on the consolidated list. In this regard, the work of Judge Kimberly Prost as Ombudsperson represents an important step in addressing concerns over due process. Her informative reports provide a concise outline of her Office’s activities. We believe that it is critical to continue to develop international standards against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and dual- use items. The international community must continue to seek and implement measures that keep the world’s most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the world’s most dangerous individuals, especially in our region. In this regard, I wish to reiterate Israel’s full support for resolution 1540 (2004) and the renewal of its mandate in resolution 1977 (2011). The struggle against global terrorism calls for our political resolve and tireless action. We must not forget the victims of terror, and we must not overlook the culpability of those who seek to incite, sponsor or justify terrorism or of those who provide sanctuary to terrorists. We appreciate this opportunity for dialogue and will continue to actively engage in and support the important work of the Council’s counter-terrorism committees.

I call on the Acting Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations. Mr. Serrano: I thank you, Sir, for inviting the European Union to intervene in this debate. The candidate countries Turkey, Croatia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland and Montenegro; the countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia; as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Armenia align themselves with this declaration. I wish at the outset to thank the Chairs of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004) for their briefings. At the beginning of this month, the Security Council welcomed the news that Osama Bin Laden would never again be able to perpetrate acts of terrorism. It also reaffirmed that any measure taken to combat terrorism must comply with international law, in particular international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. This development could be an opportunity to re-examine the relationship between Al-Qaida and the Taliban, taking into account the evolving nature of terrorist threats and the current political situation in Afghanistan. Action by the United Nations against the scourge of terrorism must be firmly rooted in the rule of law. The European Union therefore welcomes the important improvements to the procedures of the 1267 Committee in the course of recent years. In particular, the establishment under resolution 1904 (2009) of the Office of the Ombudsperson was a significant enhancement of due process at the United Nations level, which from a legal perspective provides persons and entities seeking to be removed from the consolidated list with a remedy that should be utilized to its fullest extent. We welcome the Security Council’s encouragement of individuals seeking de-listing to pursue their case through the Ombudsperson. In addition, the Security Council should also encourage States and relevant international organizations to refer individuals and entities seeking de-listing to the Office of the Ombudsperson. This would be important in respect of proceedings before domestic and regional courts and international human rights bodies pertaining to the implementation of the 1267 sanctions regime, and in the light of legal concerns raised from within the United Nations system. We note that the Security Council will respond to the observations contained in the first activity report of the Ombudsperson in the context of the renewal of her mandate in June. This could be an opportunity to further clarify elements of the implementation of the Ombudsperson process. The renewal, further clarification and enhanced transparency of the Ombudsperson process are also important in the context of recurrent judicial challenges that have arisen worldwide. In this regard, access by the Ombudsperson to information — including, where relevant, to classified information — is necessary. This will require appropriate arrangements to be put in place. The Security Council should encourage all Member States to agree on such arrangements with the Ombudsperson. Furthermore, the Committee should consider publishing the observations contained in the case reports of the Ombudsperson in order to make the information available to the petitioner. Regarding the consolidated list, the Security Council should seriously consider the options proposed by the Monitoring Team in its most recent report, including those pertaining to time limits for listings. This would be in line with the preventive nature of the measures decided by the Security Council. We also note that the Committee’s guidelines already provide for the referral of decisions to the Security Council in case of a lack of consensus within the Committee. As regards the 1373 Committee, the European Union welcomes the prolongation and refinement of the mandate of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate through resolution 1963 (2010), adopted in December last year. In particular, we appreciate the resolution’s focus on countering incitement of terrorist acts motivated by extremism, as well as on ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law. Both aspects are crucial to combating international terrorism in an effective and legitimate manner. In this regard, the European Union is becoming a key supporter of capacity-building measures in third countries, inter alia in the areas of law enforcement, judicial cooperation and counter-radicalization measures. On this occasion, the European Union expresses its appreciation to the Committee for the constructive dialogue with international, regional and subregional organizations on the prevention of terrorism that took place at the special meeting in April in Strasbourg. We would also hope to continue and enhance the dialogue between the Committee and the European Union on all aspects of the global fight against international terrorism, in line with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the relevant Security Council resolutions. Regarding the 1540 Committee, the European Union welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 1977 (2011) on 20 April. It is our conviction that the mandate extension for 10 years will contribute to persistently curbing the risk of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery to non-State actors — one of the most serious threats to international peace and security in our time. The mandate contained therein provides the Committee with an effective basis for its future work. The European Union has been active in ensuring the full implementation of resolution 1540 (2004), both internally and externally. I can inform the Council in this context that the European Union is currently finalizing, in consultation with the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs, a new European Union Council decision in support of the implementation of resolution 1540 (2004). Last but not least, I wish to reiterate the importance the European Union attaches to close cooperation between the three Committees and between their groups of experts, including joint outreach activities, exchange of information and joint meetings, their co-location as requested by resolution 1904 (2009), and their collaboration within the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.

I give the floor to the representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

We appreciate the reports of the Chairmen of the Committees established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001), 1540 (2004) and 1267 (1999), which are useful for Member States. The fateful events of 11 September 2001 shocked the world. All States Members of the United Nations firmly condemned the scourge of terrorism. The Security Council adopted resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005), in which it urged States not to give refuge to terrorists and not to resort to political motivations for refusing requests for extradition. The United Nations thus assumed the commitment to fighting terrorism within the framework of multilateralism and international cooperation based on respect for the self- determination and sovereignty of peoples and non-interference in the internal affairs of States. It was a fight against terrorism within the framework of the United Nations Charter and international law. The events of 11 September 2001 also served as a pretext for unilateralist, imperialist and aggressive actions against sovereign countries. The rubric “war against terrorism” was used to justify a preventive war, regime change and State terrorism and to set aside or undermine the fragile international legal architecture. In the name of the fight against terrorism Afghanistan and Iraq were invaded, thousands of innocent people have been murdered and State terrorism has been promoted. Ten years after the terrible events of 11 September, the world is not a safer place. That same State, claiming to wage a global war against terrorism throughout the world, refuses to condemn the vicious terrorist Luis Posada Carriles or to extradite him to Venezuela, where he was serving a prison sentence for the bombing of a Cubana de Aviación airliner in which 73 Cuban athletes were killed. This notorious international terrorist today walks free through the streets of Miami, Florida, after having been acquitted in a court in El Paso, Texas, not on charges of terrorism but of having lied about his immigration status. A few days ago, Mr. Posada Carriles admitted in an interview on CNN in Spanish to being a CIA agent and boasted of having carried out numerous political assassinations in several Latin American countries. Like him, other terrorists live freely in that country, including Raúl Diaz Peña, José Antonio Colina and Germán Rodolfo Varela, who were sentenced to prison in Venezuela for the 2003 bombing of the Spanish and Colombian consulates in Caracas. While self- confessed, convicted terrorists are protected, five innocent Cubans, who themselves worked in the fight against terrorism, remain detained in United States prisons. As long as the practice of classifying some terrorists as good and others as bad persists; as long as State terrorism is promoted; and as long as innocent people are being killed under the pretext of a supposed fight against terrorism and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law are violated, the world will not be a safer place. The deplorable living conditions in various parts of the world; injustice and inequity; ethnic, religious and other kinds of discrimination; and foreign occupation of and interference in sovereign countries all fuel terrorism. Those terrible scourges, which undermine the dignity of millions of human beings throughout the world, must be eradicated. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and reiterates its commitment to the fight against this scourge, in all its forms and manifestations, whatever its origin or motivation, including State terrorism, which today constitutes an instrument for subjecting countries and peoples to foreign occupation and neo- colonial domination.

I give the floor to the representative of Morocco.

My delegation is pleased to participate in this debate on counter-terrorism, an issue that lies at the very heart of the mandates of the Committees established pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1373 (2001) and 1540 (2004). I should like to take this opportunity to express to the Council and to the Secretary-General Morocco’s gratitude for the statement of support and solidarity following the terrorist attack that struck my country on 28 April. That cowardly attack, far from weakening the resolve of the Kingdom of Morocco, strengthened the country’s commitment to continue its efforts to consolidate the rule of law and reform. The spontaneous, energetic and unanimous response of the Moroccan people in the face of that criminal act remains the main bulwark with respect to this challenge and made clear the absolute rejection by the entire Kingdom of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, regardless of its perpetrators or aims. The three Committees set up by the Security Council resolutions, which I mentioned earlier, represent important elements of the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture. My country is pleased to be able to engage in exemplary cooperation with the three Committees and their Groups of Experts. My delegation supports the overall approach of the 1373 Committee, which is aimed on the one hand at continuing to deploy strategic and transparent efforts and, on the other, at strengthening its role in facilitating the provision of technical assistance for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), so as to build up the capacities of Member States in the fight against terrorism, in close cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and bilateral and multilateral donors. Turning to the 1267 Committee, my country has followed with interest the efforts undertaken to implement the provisions of resolutions 1822 (2008) and 1904 (2009), aimed at improving the quality of the consolidated list and the effectiveness of the sanctions system. My delegation continues to advocate greater cooperation with Member States in the listing and de- listing procedures so as to ensure that they are considered partners in the decision-making process. The Committee would benefit from taking into account the lessons learned from the first review of the consolidated list, carried out under paragraph 25 of resolution 1822 (2008), with a view to beginning, under the best possible conditions, the reviews to be conducted under paragraphs 23 and 42 of resolution 1904 (2009). In that respect, we have taken note with interest of the proposals contained in paragraphs 44 to 46 of the eleventh report (S/2011/245) of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team. My delegation also shares the concerns set out in paragraph 56 of the report on the lack of clarity regarding certain entries on the consolidated list that yield false positive matches during screenings by private financial institutions. These lead to practical difficulties and complications that can have a very real impact on the social status and state of mind of the law-abiding individuals and members of their families who are the victims in this respect. We would like special attention to be devoted to this issue. My delegation would like to reiterate its support for the programme of work for 2011 of the 1540 Committee and welcomes the activities that have been planned with a view to strengthening cooperation with Member States and to assisting them in their efforts to implement their commitments under resolution 1540 (2004). We also support the overall approach of the Committee, which is aimed at facilitating the provision of technical assistance so as to overcome the difficulties experienced by countries in the full implementation of the resolution. At the national level, the Kingdom of Morocco has continued its efforts aimed at bringing its legislation in line with its commitments, pursuant to the international conventions and agreements it has ratified as well as resolution 1540 (2004). Morocco, which has an export-control system for dual-use materials, is on the verge of adopting new legislation in the area of external trade that will incorporate recent developments in this field, including dual-use materials.

I now call on the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The delegation of the Islamic Republic of Iran would like to thank the Chairs of the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council for presenting their reports to the Council. Terrorism is one of the gravest threats to international peace and security. Addressing this problem requires an integrated and comprehensive approach. Clearly, the United Nations has made considerable progress in the areas of both standard- setting and the implementation of counter-terrorism measures. However, despite all those efforts and activities, we have, unfortunately, witnessed an escalation in terrorist attacks in various parts of the world. Genuinely combating terrorism very much depends upon how we identify its root causes. Foreign intervention, aggression and occupation, exclusion, selectivity and expansionist economic and political policies are among the root causes that create conditions conducive to the spread of violent acts and terrorism. Furthermore, the double standard exercised by certain States in dealing with terrorism has aggravated the situation. On the one hand, they appear to confront some terrorist groups while, on the other, they overlook others. Perhaps one reason for the rise in terrorist activities in recent years, in terms of frequency and the advanced tactics used by terrorists, is the wrong and selective approach by certain States in dealing with terrorism. Distancing the international order and today’s dialogues from justice is perhaps among the most fundamental damage inflicted upon the structure of fighting for peace. Just peace is a discourse to answer the challenges of today and the tomorrow’s world peace, including preventing and fighting terrorism. Based on that discourse, the Islamic Republic of Iran hosted a two-day conference in Tehran on counter- terrorism from 15 to 16 May. Peace activists and representatives of non-governmental organizations from more than 60 countries took part in the conference entitled “Global alliance against terrorism for a just peace”. The Conference was an occasion to work on identifying the concepts and the theoretical foundations of modern terrorism, its root causes, actors, tools and consequences for world peace and security, as well as feasible strategies to counter terrorism. We are of the belief that establishing a just peace not only prevents terrorism; it also certainly strengthens the pillars supporting the world’s efforts to confront terrorism by respecting human dignity. The conference was a prelude to an international meeting on countering terrorism to be held late June in Tehran with the participation of high Government officials and relevant international organizations. On the work of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), we believe that it should not have operative impact on the rights enshrined in internationally negotiated instruments such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, as well as the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Islamic Republic of Iran also believes that any emphasis on the concept of prohibiting access by non-State actors to weapons of mass destruction and nuclear materials should not divert the attention of Member States from nuclear disarmament as the highest priority of the international community. The Islamic Republic of Iran has taken serious steps in implementing the Security Council’s resolutions on terrorism, including resolution 1373 (2001). We have submitted six national reports on our implementation of that resolution, in which we have set out the concrete steps that our country has taken to implement the provisions of that and other relevant resolutions. Those steps include stepping up border control security and surveillance measures at border entry and exit checkpoints. Moreover, we have intensified our fight against drug trafficking mafias. Given the fact that this menace constitutes a breeding ground for terrorism, Iran’s efforts in that regard have undoubtedly made a fundamental contribution to the global fight against terrorism. As one of the first victims of terrorism in the region, Iran has made unwavering efforts to fight it. We have always strongly condemned this vicious menace in all its forms and manifestations. As I said earlier, the application of double standards in dealing with terrorism and terrorist groups is a matter of grave concern that seriously undermines the international community’s collective fight against terrorism. The Islamic Republic of Iran has been subject to various acts of terrorism by certain terrorist groups over the past three decades. In that regard, particular reference should be made to the Mujahidin-e Khalq Organization terrorist group, which has thus far perpetrated numerous terrorist operations in Iran, resulting in the killing and wounding of tens of thousands of civilians and officials and damage to private and Government property. That terrorist group has also devised many atrocious ploys to incite acts of terrorism inside and outside the country. This terrorist group was long supported and sheltered by the former regime in Iraq. It was also engaged in Saddam’s bloody campaigns against the Iraqi people. Despite its heinous and appalling record of terrorist acts and incitement to terrorism, some attempts are being made to delist the group from the terrorist lists of some States. Any decision in that regard would be another indication of the selective approach and double standard with which some States deal with terrorism. It is obvious that this kind of attitude towards terrorist groups weakens the international consensus against terrorism and encourages terrorists to continue their inhuman activities. Such support is indeed in clear violation of the provisions of Security Council resolutions, particularly resolutions 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005). In the past several years, the Jundullah terrorist group has attacked and killed dozens of people in the eastern and south-eastern parts of our country, in an attempt to create an environment of intimidation and insecurity. At the same time, the group Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan is active at our western borders, and recently carried out a number of terrorist attacks. Those groups also enjoy the support of some foreign countries. We expect all countries to uphold their international obligations in this regard. I would like to reiterate that we should all strengthen our cooperation in the fight against terrorism. Only through a coordinated and comprehensive approach will the international community’s fight against terrorism yield lasting results. Before I conclude, I would like to respond to the reference made to my country by the representative of the Israeli regime. I should like to place on record that my delegation rejects the baseless allegations and distortions made in the Chamber that were intended to distract the international community’s attention from the facts concerning the State terrorism, criminal policies and abhorrent atrocities in the region by the Israeli regime, in particular the heinous crimes committed against the people of Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, to say the least. Just in the past few days, at least 20 people lost their lives at the hands of this regime’s brutal forces in the Golan Heights, Ramallah and Lebanon.

I now give the floor to the representative of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The representative of Israel has asked to make a further statement. I now give him the floor.

I would like to respond. It is somewhat surreal to hear a representative of a regime that brutally killed hundreds of its own civilians and citizens over the past few weeks, and which continues to do so as we speak, talk about terrorism. As a country that actively supports, harbours and finances terrorist organizations, and that hosts the headquarters of internationally recognized terrorist organizations, Syria’s practices indeed reflect its long- standing perspective on sponsoring terrorism. It is a shame and a disgrace for Syria to exploit the memory of the victims of the Holocaust.

There are no further speakers inscribed on my list. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.