S/PV.7775 Security Council

I wish to warmly welcome the Heads of State and Government, Ministers and other representatives present in the Security Council Chamber. Their presence today underscores the importance of the subject matter under discussion. In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representatives of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2016/791, which contains the text of a letter dated 16 September 2016 from the Permanent Representative of New Zealand to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, transmitting a concept note on the item under consideration. I now give the floor to Ms. Fang Liu.

I am pleased and honoured to have been invited by the President of the Security Council to attend today’s meeting. (spoke in English) I wish to express my sincere thanks to the President of the Security Council, Mr. Gerard van Bohemen of New Zealand, for inviting the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to address the Council on international civil aviation security issues, and to New Zealand’s Foreign Minister, The Honourable Murray McCully, for presiding over this meeting. ICAO has been contributing to the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy since 2006, as well as to the relevant Security Council resolutions. In particular, I would highlight resolutions 1373 (2001), 1624 (2005) and 2178 (2014). ICAO is one of the 38 entities of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), which is mandated to strengthen the coordination and coherence of counter-terrorism efforts in the United Nations system. We enjoy productive collaboration with all Security Council bodies, in particular the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED). ICAO was established in 1944 upon the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation in Chicago. We work with 191 Member States and industry partners to adopt international civil aviation standards and recommended practices and policies in support of a safe, efficient, secure, economically sustainable and environmentally responsible civil aviation sector. The over 12,000 standards and recommended practices and policies are contained in 19 annexes to the Convention and used by ICAO member States as benchmarks to ensure that local civil aviation operations and regulations conform to global norms. In turn, these harmonized national air transport regulations help States, airlines, airports and others to cooperate in managing over 100,000 daily flights. This currently permits 3.5 billion passengers per year — representing some 10 million travellers each day, and one-third of the world’s trade by value by air — to reach their global destinations safely, securely and efficiently. It is important to stress that the worldwide air transport network will double its volume of flights and passengers by 2030. ICAO also protects civil aviation through the adoption of treaties. Among 19 United Nations counter- terrorism treaties, eight were adopted by ICAO, including most recently the Beijing Convention of 2010 and Montreal Protocol of 2014. In addition to its standards-setting role, ICAO audits States’ civil aviation oversight capabilities in the areas of safety and security, and coordinates targeted assistance and capacity-building, utilizing these monitoring results. Technical assistance is a major component of the ICAO No Country Left Behind initiative, which focuses on assisting all States on prioritized needs to improve implementation under all ICAO strategic objectives. The primary objective of aviation security assistance is to support Member States in resolving significant security concerns identified through the ICAO Aviation Security Audit Programme, and to assist them in implementing security standards and the ICAO Traveller Identification Programme Strategy. ICAO established in 2015 a regional aviation security and facilitation plan for Africa, but importantly, a great deal more is needed in terms of commitments and cooperation on the part of States and other international organizations if these and other technical assistance efforts are to fully meet their objectives. ICAO is also keenly aware of the critical links between sustainable socioeconomic development for States and safe, secure air transport operations, as international aviation contributes roughly 3.5 per cent to the world gross domestic product. While we strive with our member States towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that role is becoming more important than ever. Aviation security — or, more precisely, the prevention of acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation — is one of ICAO’s highest priorities. I mentioned earlier that ICAO’s standards are set out in 19 annexes to the Chicago Convention. Annex 17 is specifically focused on aviation security. They cover a comprehensive range of measures, from national organizational arrangements and allocation of responsibilities to threat and risk assessments, baggage and cargo security, physical security at airports and incident response to international cooperation, among many other matters. The high-profile landside airport attacks in Brussels and Istanbul earlier this year were a tragic reminder of the enormous challenges faced in securing public areas, the inseparability of aviation security and national security and of the significant socioeconomic consequences of terrorism. But they also remind us of the resilience and responsiveness of the global civil aviation network. Subsequent to those attacks, ICAO rapidly developed new amendments to annex 17 aimed at enhancing landside security at airport facilities. It is anticipated that the ICAO Council will adopt them in November. In terms of the outlook for international civil aviation security, at present we consider it to be both promising and challenging. I am pleased to inform the Council that ICAO’s Universal Security Audit Programme continues to record that levels of effective implementation of aviation security standards are steadily improving, at both the global and regional levels. Intensive collaboration by States, under ICAO’s leadership, is also permitting us to refine all the relevant standards, recommended practices and best-practice guidance based on risk management. Another very positive development we have taken note of is the unprecedented level of multilateral cooperation to support aviation security enhancement initiatives. In addition to the ICAO African regional security plan, the States of the Middle East region recently adopted the Riyadh Declaration, which outlines the need to improve aviation security in that region. But at the same time, the threat and risk situation remains complex and rapidly evolving, and so too must the security measures to address them. Threats posed by small weapons carried by passengers, improvised explosive devices concealed in baggage and cargo, and man-portable air defence systems continue to require attention. As well, areas of new or renewed concern, such as landside security, cybersecurity, remotely piloted aircraft systems and insider threats require urgent attention. And while the overall effective implementation of ICAO’s global standards is improving, there remains much room for progress. That is especially the case in States that lack national capacity or may otherwise be characterized by under-developed civil aviation security systems and programmes. A cornerstone of ICAO’s aviation security standards is the obligation of each State to designate and specify to ICAO an appropriate authority within its Administration. Those authorities are responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of the national civil aviation security programme. Those national civil aviation security focal points coordinate the direct involvement of national police, intelligence, customs, immigration, justice, foreign affairs, finance, military and other agencies to ensure a cohesive, whole-of-government national civil aviation security programme. They must also coordinate the involvement of airline and airport operators and air-traffic service providers within that broad national framework. In other words, aviation security at the national level must engage a large number of entities, and each must contribute in a manner consistent with their respective mandates and responsibilities. The same holds true at the international level. But the required coordination can be complex and challenging at times, mainly due to variation among State coordination mechanisms and their resulting impacts on the global framework. States are therefore called upon to help ensure that all of their relevant domestic entities work closely and effectively. To help drive the needed national focus on global harmonization, ICAO therefore coordinates closely with its member States, the CTED, the World Customs Organization, INTERPOL and other members of the CTITF, regional aviation and security organizations and many others to enhance civil aviation security. Throughout those efforts, a recurring theme is securing and mobilizing States’ political will, as well as enhancing national capacities. The Security Council’s focus will serve to heighten the efforts by the global community on aviation security, encourage intensified political engagement by the States to effectively implement ICAO’s security standards and to support ICAO’s technical assistance activities to the States in need. For the coming 2017-2019 triennium of the ICAO work programme, the centrepiece in the field of aviation security will be the development of a new global aviation security plan. Among the goals envisaged for the plan are greater technical assistance to States to build their capacity and achieve higher levels of effective implementation of annex 17 standards on aviation security, accelerate the development of human resources in aviation security, process and technology innovation to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of security measures and greater use of many aviation disciplines to improve security. The global plan will establish and align targets and objectives tailored to States’ needs, together with an effective mechanism for monitoring global progress. Under that new ICAO global aviation security plan, States, regions, industry operators and other stakeholders will be unified through a strategic framework that offers clarity on all priorities for aviation security enhancement. It will establish individual, bilateral and multilateral means to address those priorities, time frames for achieving results and the consequences to be expected when commitments are not delivered. That will provide ICAO with invaluable support in achieving its aviation security objectives and in effectively contributing to the Security Council’s resoluitons and the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

I thank Ms. Fang Liu for her briefing. Members of the Council have before them document A/2016/797, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Angola, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Senegal, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America and Uruguay. The Council is ready to proceed to vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall now give the floor to those members of the Security Council who wish to make statements before the voting.

At the outset, I should like to thank you, Sir, and the New Zealand presidency of the Council for the commendable way in which the proceedings have been conducted during September. I should also like to extend my appreciation to Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her valuable briefing. The timing of the submission of the draft resolution before us is questionable, coming as it does just a few days before the triennial 39th session of the ICAO Assembly, which takes place in the last week of this month. The Assembly gathers all ICAO members to address all aspects related to civil aviation and aviation safety and security. The introduction of today’s draft resolution suggests a desire to meddle in ICAO’s business in order to have the draft resolution adopted before that session. However, as agreed by the members of the Council, the goal of the draft resolution is to raise awareness within the international community about the gravity of the situation and the threats posed to civil aviation security, and to recall the incidents that have taken place since 2011. The threat is growing and aims to influence national economies and relations among States. We must recall the gravity of the threat in order to promote cooperation among countries, provide the technical assistance needed, respect the sovereignty of countries and emphasize the role of ICAO as the global body in charge of such issues. In view of its awareness of the importance of countering the terrorist threat and of protecting its citizens and tourists, Egypt continues to work closely with all countries and with ICAO. A recent review of aviation practices and procedures in Egyptian airports took place, in line with the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, and it is my pleasure to inform the Council that the ICAO audit team has given Egypt a positive assessment for its application of standard security procedures. The Egyptian authorities received a formal letter from ICAO in August, indicating the progress made by Egypt in the field of aviation security. We hope that other countries are at the same level. We believe that the threat to civil aviation requires a collective effort to counter terrorism in a comprehensive manner by addressing the root causes that lead to terrorism within countries and by countering it in all its forms. If we are serious, we ought to engage in intensive cooperation and stop financing terrorism and providing safe haven to terrorists. We should also halt all attempts to use social media to spread messages of hatred and terrorist propaganda. We must equip and assist countries in fighting terrorism in the required manner. We should also keep pace with the fast-changing attitudes and resources of terrorist groups, and adopt uniform measures and standards for countries that have been victimized by terrorism, which seeks to destroy their economies. We should not treat victims differently depending on their origins, but sympathize with all victims of terrorism. It is our ethical and political duty to treat everyone equally. Lastly, we reaffirm Egypt’s commitment to countering the scourge of terrorism on the basis of cooperation, openness and transparency. We will work to offer practical responses to the threat to the field of civil aviation security.

I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2309 (2016). I shall now give the floor to the other members of the Security Council. I give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Boris Johnson, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

I am most grateful to Ms. Fang Liu for her comprehensive briefing on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The United Kingdom wholeheartedly welcomes the unanimous adoption of resolution 2309 (2016) thanks to the strong and united action of the Council. This is the first resolution ever to focus on the threat posed by terrorists to civil aviation, and it demonstrates our joint resolve to protect our citizens from an escalating danger. We have come a long way since the first scheduled commercial flight took off from Florida over 100 years ago. Today, over three billion passengers reach their destinations by air every year, and it is those lives that we are acting to protect today. We only have to remember some of the recent tragedies to see the urgency of our task. The attacks on airports in Brussels and Istanbul, the destruction of the Russian Metrojet aircraft over Sinai last year and the explosion on board a Dallo Airlines flight from Mogadishu in February. All of those outrages posed a serious threat to international peace and security. All were stark reminders of how civil aviation faces an evolving danger from terrorists, who probe relentlessly for chinks in our collective armour. And there is one reality that none of us here can escape — we all depend on each other to provide a secure aviation environment. No country alone can safeguard what is by its very nature a global activity. That is why action here in the Security Council at the global level is so important. By adopting the resolution today, the Security Council has delivered a resounding call to action for the entire international community. The resolution provides for specific arrangements to be consistently applied. It also makes clear that precautions should be adapted in response to the changing tactics of the terrorists. The resolution encourages all countries to observe the security standards laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization. And we recognize that, if all nations are to meet this challenge, assistance will often be required. Targeted capacity development, training and other technical help will all be needed. I believe that such assistance should be provided with the full knowledge that protecting civil aviation represents a vital objective for all of us. In conclusion, over the past two years the Security Council has taken a series of steps to counter the terrorist threat. Just as the danger has evolved, so has our response. We have sought to counter the emergence of Daesh. We have taken steps against the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters. We have tried to block, or otherwise disrupt, the many channels of terrorist financing. The resolution represents another significant step forward in that common struggle. It provides a comprehensive approach to safeguarding civil aviation from terrorism, and it shows the determination of the entire international community to keep our citizens safe. The United Kingdom looks forward to the full implementation of the resolution after this Council’s unanimous show of support. Doing so will involve working both nationally and internationally with our partners. We also welcome the Council’s intention to remain seized of this vital matter. The terrorists will not relent in their efforts to attack civil aviation, so we must never cease to persevere together to thwart their evil desires. Air travel is one of the greatest liberators that the human race has ever known, and the resolution will help us to continue to enjoy that freedom in safety.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States of America.

First, we express our appreciation to the United Kingdom and Secretary Johnson of the United Kingdom for bringing attention to this important issue on aviation security. I thank Secretary Johnson for his leadership on the issue. I also wish to commend the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and its Secretary General, Ms. Liu, on matters of aviation security. We are therefore glad that we are having this meeting, and we welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2309 (2016). I regard aviation security today as an urgent matter. The resolution that we just adopted refers to recent terrorist attacks on civil aviation as a matter of grave concern. We agree with that characterization. For us in the United States, the defining moment for aviation security was 11 September 2001. A whole new Government agency dedicated to transportation security, our Transportation Security Administration (TSA), was created as a result. Today in the United States, the TSA is the agency of our Government that interacts most with the public on a daily basis. The reality is that today there is a continuing international threat to aviation security, including the terrorist threat. Recent attacks have demonstrated that the terrorist threat to aviation security and airport security are as serious as ever. As noted in the resolution, terrorist organizations continue to regard civil aviation as an attractive target for attacks. That is fully consistent with our own Government’s assessment. Terrorist organizations continue to seek to exploit perceived gaps in our aviation security. The good news is that in recent years, the international community has taken significant steps to strengthen aviation security and restore public confidence in aviation. There is still more to do. In the United States, the TSA, led by Administrator Peter Neffenger, has rededicated itself to its aviation security mission. Our airlines have supported that effort. Two years ago, we enhanced aviation security measures at international airports for flights bound to the United States. I am pleased that other nations have adopted similar enhancements. Since last year following the crash of Metrojet Flight 9268, we have focused on enhanced security around passengers, luggage, cargo and other items brought on flights bound for the United States. We are actively researching and investing in new aviation security technology to track current threats. Our Congress has also authorized us to donate aviation security equipment to other countries. After years during which we reduced the number of TSA officers, we have reversed that trend and are hiring more. We have converted large numbers of part-time TSA employees to full-time. We are adding more bomb- sniffing dogs to the aviation security mission. We have embarked upon a programme called TSA Precheck to encourage passengers to submit to a background check in advance of their flight. Earlier this year, despite increased air travel volume in the United States and longer lines at airport screening checkpoints, we refused to shortcut aviation security. We are seeking more agreements with other nations to accept air marshals on commercial flights to and from the United States. We are actively seeking more preclearance arrangements with Governments around the world, under which our customs officers are positioned overseas to screen passengers before they board flights to the United States. We encourage other nations to rededicate themselves to the matter of aviation security. As Secretary Johnson noted, we all depend on each other on this issue. We encourage increased information-sharing on aviation security best practices among nations and continued investments by other nations in aviation security technology. Through ICAO, let us continue to standardize aviation security practices. The United States of America strongly supports full implementation of the resolution that we have just adopted, and we encourage other nations to do so as well. The resolution provides an important opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to aviation security and advance global standards so as to address the evolving terrorist threat. Resolution 2309 (2016) sends a clear message, namely, security for international flights is an issue of concern for the Security Council. The resolution calls on all States to work with the established United Nations structures to develop more effective international standards for aviation security. The resolution calls on States to urgently address any gaps or vulnerabilities and to work vigorously and swiftly to address States’ concerns about threats to international flights. I note in particular the provision in the resolution that calls upon States to ensure that “such measures take into account the potential role of those with privileged access to areas, knowledge or information that may assist terrorists in planning or conducting attacks” (resolution 2309 (2016) para. 6 (c)) We will continue to work with the United Nations, our international partners and ICAO to strengthen standards that keep the global aviation system safe and secure.

I now give the floor to Her Excellency Ms. Ségolène Royal, Minister of Environment, Energy and Marine Affairs of France, responsible for International Climate Relations and President of the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As the Security Council is aware, France has yet again violently and most painfully been struck by terrorist attacks. For that reason, I wish to thank the New Zealand presidency and the United Kingdom for organizing this ministerial meeting of the Council dedicated to aviation security. My ministerial responsibilities include oversight of land, rail and air transport modes. I would like to thank the Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization for her very enlightening statement regarding the vulnerability of civil aviation and possible avenues for improvement. I would like to commend the numerous efforts she mentioned in her briefing by the organization in the area of aviation security. I assure her of France’s continued support in that work. The targeting of civil aviation by terrorists began in Entebbe in 1976, and there have been various other deadly attacks against civil aviation over the past few decades, claiming thousands of lives. Despite considerable strengthening of security measures, this threat remains present and topical, as Mr. Boris Johnson so rightly said, reiterated by Mr. Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Security. Da’esh claimed the attack downing Metrojet Flight 9268 in the Sinai on 31 October, which claimed 224 lives. In Somalia, Al-Shabaab has claimed the attack that struck Daalio Airlines on 2 February. What has changed in these attacks is both the intensity and global nature of the threat, as well as the methods used by terrorists. This is why it is extremely important that the international community continue to mobilize itself against this scourge and that it shows greater solidarity. I welcome the unanimous vote that has just taken place because, as the Secretary General rightly said, , we are all linked to one another: we leave one place and arrive in another. As such, there is clear international solidarity. This is why it is so important for us to be able to detect weak links, which are all chinks in our collective armour. In the past, the Group of Seven (G-7) mobilized itself by granting pride of place to this topic in the action plan adopted at G-7 Summit in Ise-Shima in May. We will have to ensure that commitments undertaken at the Summit are effectively implemented. I will conclude by underlining two important issues. First, as the Secretary General stated, it is important that States implement the standards set out in annex 17 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, to which they have subscribed, by ratifying the text, but also that they move beyond them, without hesitation, when required. Secondly, it is very important to lend assistance to States that request it to ensure that they are able to upgrade their airport infrastructure and bring them in line with international norms. Such States must make the necessary efforts to ensure that the air routes linking them to the rest of the world remain reliable and sustainable, which is also in the interests of their economic development. That is why the mobilization of all the expertise of a State’s administration responsible for aviation security must remain unfailing. I would also like to mention security in airports, to which Ms. Fang Liu also referred, specifically the link between national and international security. Very recently in France there was an attack on a European Thalys train. The attack fortunately claimed no victims, thanks to the courage of a number of individuals on the train, some of whom were American, who were able to incapacitate the terrorists. Following that attack we installed a number of detector gates in stations and, in the same vein, we are currently looking at the possibility of placing security checkpoints at the entrances of airports, not only when one wishes to board the plane but also when one enters the airport itself. Moveable gates have also been deployed, as well as a number of patrol dogs, as was just mentioned by the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States. We have to bear in mind the necessity to exchange best practices in terms of new security technologies, namely, moveable gates, which are much more difficult to identify and are extremely effective. For the fact is that there is a democratization of air transport taking place, with the costs of flying falling, leading to a growing number of travellers. Especially following the tragedy in Nice, one can imagine the awful tragedy that could strike if there were an attack during the holiday period, with airports full of families with children. Reinforcing detector gates in airports is therefore something I believe to be essential. As the minister responsible for safeguarding air transport, this is one of my concerns when I think of the possible damage that could be caused from attacks launched where there are large numbers of people. An example of this is in airports during the holiday period where there are a great many people and a great many families.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Mankeur Ndiaye, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Senegalese abroad of the Republic of Senegal.

It is a pleasure for me to see all Security Council Members here at this public debate on a clearly important and relevant topic. Terrorist attacks on civil aviation have happened with alarming frequency in recent years. They pose yet another threat to international peace and security. The Senegalese delegation also wishes to extend its gratitude to the United Kingdom, sponsor of this initiative, which gives us an opportunity to begin considering the ways and means to effectively rise to the new challenges civil aviation faces. That is why we voted in favour of and co-sponsored resolution 2309 (2016), which the Council has just adopted. This is yet another important step in the right direction. In accordance with the provisions of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), every State has a responsibility to guarantee the effective implementation of all security-related measures to protect civil aviation against unlawful acts. For several years, Senegal has undertaken a vast programme to bolster its civil aviation security in both its territory and in its air space. The policy has enabled the adoption by the National Assembly of my country of a new civil aviation code through its law 2015/10, adopted on 4 May 2015. Senegal has also set up a number of aviation rules and regulations to improve the implementation of security measures and procedures. This regulatory framework was significantlhy updated at the national level within the framework of the implementation of the provisions of annex 17 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and of the related Universal Security Audit Programme. Senegal has also created a platform to exchange sensitive information with other States in order to affectively face the rise in new threats, attacks and unlawful acts using aircraft and airports. Pursuant to decree 2015/1969 of 21 September 2015, Senegal has set up a monitoring system for civil aviation security, based on ICAO’s provisions. That will ensure the security of air transport in our territory for the setting up of a national civil aviation security programmes. The national civil aviation security programme and its annexes cover everything within the framework of civil aviation security. This applies to security measures for domestic flights, threat assessment, airport-safety programmes, operator-safety programmes, personnel selection and background checks, training and performance standards, screening-agent satisfaction, quality-management programmes and cooperation among States. Senegal has also ratified the relevant provisions of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) related to air transport, in particular Regulation 10 (2013), on civil-aviation security, and Decision 11 (2013), dated 26 September 2013, on the implementation of safety practices and procedures within the member States of WAEMU. These provisions are aimed at creating a set of rules for preserving civil- aviation security in the WAEMU space, with regular updates based on the evolution of risks and threats as well as on technological progress. Each member of WAEMU reserves the right to apply more stringent measures to meet a particular requirement following the results of a threat analysis. Senegal supports the idea of ​improved cooperation among ICAO, the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force and the Counter-Terrorism Committee through its Executive Directorate. In conclusion, my delegation welcomes and looks forward to the organization of the upcoming special meeting on threats to civil aviation and awaits with great interest the briefing on the meeting’s results, which will be presented to the Security Council in 12 months.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Dato Sri Anifah Aman, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Malaysia.

First of all, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, as well as the entire delegation of New Zealand, on so ably steering the Security Council’s proceedings and work this month. I am pleased to participate in this very important and timely meeting. We hope it will make a meaningful contribution towards improving the state of global aviation security. Accordingly, I thank Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Ms. Fang Liu, for her insightful briefing. The global aviation industry depends on a vast network that growing ever-more important everyday. The International Air Transport Association estimates that there are over 5,000 aircraft flying at any given time, carrying over 8 million people, while transporting 140,000 tonnes of cargo daily. Moreover, the aviation industry supports over 57 million jobs and generates $2.2 trillion in economic activity. The global economic benefits and significance to human activity today are enormous. As such, the global aviation industry must be protected with measures designed to provide safety and security for its passengers. Malaysia shares the view that the global aviation network is an attractive target for international terrorism. The sharp increase in attempts to disrupt and threaten civil aviation over the past few years is proof of this view. The cold and calculating logic of terrorists was obvious in the attacks against the Brussels International Airport and Istanbul Atatürk Airport earlier this year. When such attacks are successful, the consequences are devastating in terms of both lives lost and undermined public confidence. Taken together, both could bring about even broader negative consequences. With two back-to-back aviation tragedies, Malaysia is acutely aware of the challenges associated with addressing negative public perceptions and loss of public confidence. Against such a background, my delegation concurs that the threats posed to aviation security by terrorism constitute threats to international peace and security. It is therefore right for the Council to be seized of this issue. In this regard, I wish to thank the United Kingdom for leading the Council to adopt resolution 2309 (2016) this morning. Malaysia is pleased to support and co-sponsor the resolution, as it seeks to establish a better and stronger linkage between the Council’s ongoing counter-terrorism work with ICAO’s norms- and standards-setting work. By enabling such linkages between ICAO and the Security Council, especially in the Council’s subsidiary bodies, including the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) and the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, we are hopeful that such cooperation and collaboration would over time result in tangible improvements in global aviation security in all its aspects. At the same time, my delegation believes that resolution 2309 (2016) could also inform discussions within the ICAO General Assembly, scheduled to begin early next week, on possible updates to the Global Aviation Safety Plan. In the span of just four months, Malaysia suffered not one but two civil-aviation disasters, namely, the tragedies of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH-370 and MH- 17. These tragedies continue to hang heavy on our hearts as they do on the hearts of the families and loved ones of the victims. These two civil aviation tragedies — while not ostensibly linked to terrorism  — do offer some instructive lessons relevant to the aims and objectives of resolution 2309 (2016). In that regard, with a view to sharing Malaysia’s experience, I wish to make two key observations. First, with respect to the civil-aviation authorities’ initial instinct or reflex in both cases to investigate and determine whether the air disasters were caused by terrorism or other factors, the immediate provision of expertise and assistance from both States and international organizations, including the ICAO, to determine probable causes, were, in our view, crucial to dispelling the notion that either MH-370 or MH-17 was brought down by acts of terrorism. Such quick action helped maintain public perception and confidence. Secondly, pursuant to the need for increased preparedness and prevention-capacity, Malaysia introduced new security measures, including the deployment of hi-tech monitoring systems and additional security personnel across all international airports in Malaysia. We have taken steps to improve information- and intelligence-sharing through deployment of the Advance Passenger Information System and the Advanced Passenger Screening System to provide early warning and curb possible travel of foreign terrorist fighters, in line with the provisions of resolution 2178 (2014). We have also strengthened our legal and operational framework by revamping the Malaysian National Security Council, which has, among its core functions, the assessment and monitoring of terrorist threats and activities in the country. I am also pleased to share that the South-East Asian region through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is also giving priority to aviation security. The adoption of the ASEAN Transport Strategic Plan 2016-2025, the key regional policy document on aviation security, adopted in December 2015, is an example of increased coordination and cooperation in my region on this issue. I wish to also take this opportunity to reassure all concerned that Malaysia, together with all our partners, remains committed to bringing closure to all outstanding questions on MH-370 and MH-17. We are most grateful for the encouragement and assistance we have received from all our partners and friends to this end. With specific regard to MH-17, I wish to reaffirm Malaysia’s commitment to implementing the provisions of resolution 2166 (2014) and count on the support and cooperation of all concerned partners in this regard. In conclusion, I wish to reaffirm Malaysia’s unwavering commitment to combating and eradicating the scourge of terrorism as part of our shared collective responsibility, including through joint, coordinated and concerted efforts at all levels. These efforts must be premised on the full respect for international law, including human rights and humanitarian law, as well as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Pavlo Кlimkin, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Mr. President, I want to thank you for taking the laudable initiative to convene today’s meeting. I also wish to thank our briefer today, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Ms. Fang Liu, for providing a real and extensive outlook on the topic and the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in this field. It would be remiss of me not to commend the efforts of the United Kingdom, which we really appreciate, in preparing the resolution that was adopted today (resolution 2309 (2016)). The key words here — civil aviation and terrorist attacks — remind me immediately of the tragic events of 11 September, which occurred just a few blocks from here. Fifteen years ago, the international community was prompted to take decisive steps in the fight against terrorism and to strengthen security regulations in civil aviation so as to reduce terrorist risks in this sphere. Nevertheless, the terrorist threat to air transportation systems continues to grow. Such threats take different forms, including terrorist shootings aimed at bringing down aircraft, smuggling explosives on board, hijacking and using an aircraft as an improvised guided cruise missile, and exploiting the airways to move fighters and human or material resources to conflict zones. Other challenges include attempts to compromise security at airports, including cyberattacks as well as conventional terrorist attacks in airports; insider threats; and threats of the use of improvised explosive devices, man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS) and other surface-to- air missiles against civilian targets, including during takeoff or landing. Despite the activities of ICAO and other relevant organizations dealing with issues of aviation security, there is a persistent need to improve mechanisms for States’ cooperation in this field and to increase their capacity to confront the terrorist threat. The holding of today’s meeting at such a high level proves the importance of this issue and the common understanding of the need to improve public confidence in safe air travel. Airports have long been attractive targets for terrorist groups attempting to cause numerous civilian casualties. Owing to the importance of the air transportation system in ensuring the proper functioning of modern societies, its destruction or any disruption of its work are bound to attract a significant level of public attention. Taking into consideration the recent terrorist attacks against airports in Belgium and Turkey, provisions concerning the protection of such critical infrastructure facilities should be duly reflected in terrorism-prevention programmes. States should conduct specialized vulnerability assessments, in collaboration with airport operators and stakeholders, to identify weaknesses, interdependencies and ways of improving the protection of airports against a growing number of diverse threats, both physical and cyberrelated. Close cooperation between the relevant State authorities in this field with private operators should also be maintained. We strongly believe that there is an urgent need for the United Nations and its specialized bodies, together with ICAO, to develop preventive measures against possible threats as well as to ensure strict and effective international and national controls on the import, export, transfer or retransfer and storage of MANPADS and other missile weapons to mitigate potential risks. Regrettably, Ukraine has faced such a problem in dealing with the terrorist activities in the Donbass region of Ukraine carried out with the direct support of the Russian Federation since 2014. On 17 July 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 was shot down by terrorists in the sky over the eastern part of Ukraine, killing 298 people. This terrible atrocity is a potent reminder of the gravity of the threat posed to civil aviation by terrorist groups armed with such sophisticated weapons. In this regard, I wish to underscore the need for the full implementation of resolution 2166 (2014), in particular with regard to the Security Council demand to bring to account those responsible for this incident and to cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability. As the Council may recall, last year’s efforts to set up an international tribunal to prosecute those responsible was sabotaged in this Chamber owing to the veto of the Russian Federation. Such a tribunal, I am confident, would have been our most effective instrument for responding to this heinous crime. Nevertheless, we continue our work with other partner States within the joint investigation team and with other grieving nations to address the situation and to present options for a mechanism to establish full accountability. This should be done within the proper time frame, because justice delayed is justice denied. The aforementioned horrendous crime prompted ICAO to undertake several initiatives related to conflict zones, including establishing the Task Force on Risks to Civil Aviation arising from Conflict Zones, setting up the Conflict Zone Information Repository, and publishing detailed guidance on the threats posed to commercial flights by surface-to-air missile systems. We strongly support such ICAO activities and call for the enhancement of the global system of information-sharing about such threats. It is also imperative that special attention be given to conflict zones in the risk-assessment process during the mapping of flight routes. Here I would like to highlight another important issue. The responsibility for air-traffic services in the high seas over the Simferopol Flight Information Region, which includes Crimea, was delegated to Ukraine by regional air navigation agreements as approved by an ICAO Council decision of February 1997. Ukraine has faithfully fulfilled its responsibilities and provides air- traffic services in accordance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices. Following the illegal occupation of Crimea in April 2014, the Russian Federation started to interfere in the international emergency frequency in the air-traffic service provided by Ukraine. Such actions create serious threats for flights within international airspace over the high seas and run counter to the Chicago Convention and its annexes 15 and 11, as well as the relevant ICAO regulations in this area. The Russian Federation, having unilaterally resorted to the provision of air navigation services within the Simferopol region, has also violated General Assembly 68/262, on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, adopted in March 2014. It is obvious that the publication of aeronautical information by the Russian Federation can only be regarded as an attempt to legitimize its unlawful activities. We wish to emphasize the importance of strict adherence to the Standards and Recommended Practices of ICAO by all Member States without any exception, especially in the airspace over the high seas. At present, the use of explosive devices constitutes a significant threat to civil aviation. The urgency of this risk is underlined by the number of incidents that took place in 2015 and 2016. Moreover, modern technologies that allow for the production of non-traceable weapons components bring this threat to a new level. This calls for introduction of additional security enhancements at airports, including screening protocols to reduce the risk of explosives or weapons entering the premises of being smuggled onboard the aircraft by passengers or facility employees. Information-sharing among international partners is another tool to address the challenges faced by international civil aviation. Therefore, we encourage Member States to strengthen sharing agreements with foreign partners and to continue working closely with the law-enforcement and intelligence communities as well as competent international organizations such as INTERPOL to monitor for watch-listed terrorists. This also brings us to the issue of stopping the flow of foreign terrorist fighters by countering their transit, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions, and implementing the Council’s bans on terrorists. We believe that the primary obligation to prevent the movement of foreign fighters lies primarily with the source countries, which have to spot and stop their flows at the earliest stages. We support universal implementation of Advance Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record data systems throughout the world and an active use of the INTERPOL Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database to check travellers’ information against current sanctions lists. If duly implemented, these measures can be a classical win-win scenario for Governments and airlines. We call for ICAO and other relevant international organizations to assist those Member States in need to ensure universal implementation of the above-mentioned standards. In conclusion, I would like to note that by adopting resolution 2309 (2016) today, we have sent a strong message to the international community on the need to focus its efforts in developing new standards of aviation security and safety to confront terrorist threats to civil aviation. To neutralize these threats effectively, we must ensure that our global and national plans to combat the terrorism scourge, including those introduced within the United Nations, are adaptive and responsive to emerging dangers. The United Nations, its counter-terrorism agencies and bodies — such as the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force — and ICAO must play an absolutely proactive role in strengthening the capacities of Member States to achieve this goal.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. New Zealand welcomes today’s opportunity to discuss the serious threat to international peace and security posed by terrorist targeting of civil aviation. I thank the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, Mr. Boris Johnson, for his leadership on resolution 2309 (2016), which was just adopted by the Council. Air links are critical to New Zealand. More than 99 per cent of our international visitors arrive by air, and around 15 per cent of our exports are transported by air. The security of international civil aviation is therefore of vital importance to my country. As we commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York, we need no reminding that terrorist threats to civil aviation are not a new phenomenon. The Council has already taken action to address the travel of foreign terrorist fighters, including by restricting their access to planes as a means of transport. But recent attacks demonstrate that civil aviation remains an attractive target for terrorists, and advances in technology have made terrorist threats to aviation harder to detect. The international community must remain vigilant in ensuring that international standards are responsive to a constantly-evolving threat environment. As countries gather for the triennial session of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Assembly later this month, we encourage them to reflect on the collective views of this Council in their deliberations. ICAO remains the primary forum for improving international aviation security standards and deserves the support of the international community and of the Council. New Zealand supports an approach to aviation security that is risk-based and tailored to different circumstances. This is particularly important for States with limited capacities and lower risk profiles, including the many small island developing States of our region. It does not make sense to expect the same systems and approach from Tuvalu as we have from the United States. But agreeing to standards is only the first step. The more challenging and important task is ensuring that these are effectively implemented. New Zealand therefore welcomes the focus in today’s resolution on international cooperation, including technical assistance. We continue to provide significant technical support in aviation security efforts, in particular to improve regional air security in the Pacific. However, enhanced aviation security can only ever provide a short-term bandage. The far greater challenge lies in addressing the conditions that motivate and enable those who commit these acts of terrorism. In this respect, we need to reflect on the effectiveness of this organ, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security. The Security Council’s track record of delivering sustainable resolution of major conflicts is poor, and the resources of the United Nations are heavily focused on providing peacekeeping and humanitarian support for victims of conflict rather than preventing conflict in the first place, or resolving conflicts before they become intractable. Major improvements to the United Nations machinery, including this Council, are well overdue in these respects. They are matters that all members of this Council have a responsibility to address. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Ignacio Ybáñez, Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs of Spain.

I thank the presidency of New Zealand and to you, Minister McCully, for convening this meeting. I also congratulate the Foreign Minister of the United Kingdom, Minister Johnson, and his team on their good work in introducing and facilitating the adoption of resolution 2309 (2016), which we have just adopted. I also thank Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her excellent briefing. Spain is aware of the threat posed by terrorism to civil aviation, and has therefore supported and co-sponsored todays’ resolution from the start. It is obvious that civil aviation is a priority target of terrorist groups around the world. It is a critical sector of our economies and no State is free of this threat. Aircraft in flight are particularly vulnerable, and they and their passengers are far from their own national security forces during long periods. The terrorists know this and try to take exploit the opportunities offered by this weakes link in the chain of protection. Often, they have an edge over the States that are entrusted with protecting their civilians. Every State knows that, no matter how effective their security measures may be, the security of its nationals depends on the effectiveness of the measures in the States where they embark, transit and land. Citizens of all countries can be threatened in any corner of the world in the air spaces subject to the sovereignty of one or several States, not one of which may be the issuer of their passports. Terrorism is indeed a global threat and, by definition, its threat to civil aviation makes it a global threat. Joint responses from all Governments and the same security protocols, standards and codes of conduct are therefore critically important. By adopting resolution 2309 (2016), we are hoping that when we fly the security framework will be the same for all citizens, regardless of where they come from or where they are going. We must seek to avoid the vulnerabilities that may arise in any region and do so pursuant to the spirit of ICAO and its motto that no country will be left behind. For reasons of clear solidarity, but also because citizens of any country may be at risk wherever they are, it is in all our interests to ensure that no Government lacks the necessary capacities to address this threat. We commend the extraordinary work of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Our objective in supporting today’s resolution is to give full backing to its work. Indeed, we see here a wonderful example of good practices and cooperation among various actors of the United Nations system that are responsible for the fight against terrorism. We therefore believe it important and strategic for ICAO and the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate to maintain and strengthen their cooperative efforts against terrorism that targets civil aviation. The Security Council reminds countries to abide by the ICAO recommendations and to give it the support it needs not just to prevent but to anticipate this ever- changing menace, ever ready to come up with new threats to security. My country is an active participant in various national and international projects related to the terrorist threat to aviation that are consonant with the provisions of resolution 2309 (2016), which we have just adopted. We are working on areas such as methodologies and the use of technology to detect explosives. We are also working on man-portable air defence systems, drones and ways of identifying terrorists at border points. We are also implementing advanced passenger recognition systems. We believe that the more information we can exchange, the greater and more immediate the effect on improved flight security. I would like to conclude by emphasizing that with the work that is currently under way, coupled with today’s resolution, civil aviation is likely to be ever more safe and secure, but we must ensure that every State complies faithfully with the resolution’s provisions.

China would like to welcome you, Sir, and thank you for presiding over today’s Security Council meeting. I would also like to thank Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her briefing. As globalization continues to advance, the air transport sector is playing an increasingly important role in social and economic development and progress at the national level. However, terror attacks targeting the international civil aviation system are a scourge that destroys lives and property. Maintaining the safety and security of international civil aviation is vital to the promotion of international travel, interaction and cooperation, intraregional and interregional connectivity and global economic recovery and development. In that regard, I would like to share China’s perspective on the issues, focusing on three points. First, we should focus our efforts on improving the civil aviation safety and security system and reinforcing security measures, establishing a multi-pronged approach that covers airport security, ground security screening, industry regulation and internal risk control, and all aimed at strengthening civil aviation security safeguards. Resolution 2309 (2016), which we have just adopted, refers explicity to States’ obligations to do more in such areas as airport security checks, sharing passenger information and security-screening- technology sharing and cooperation. It is incumbent on all States to implement the provisions of today’s resolution, launch more substantive initiatives in the relevant areas and continue to improve civil aviation security standards. Secondly, we should strengthen international cooperation on civil aviation security. States should commit to the notion that humankind is a community with a shared future, and should work to comprehensively strengthen such cooperation. Countries with more developed civil aviation sectors should take the real-life difficulties that developing countries are dealing with seriously, and help them develop their capacities in the areas of building infrastructure, training and providing logistical services. The Security Council, as the world’s primary body for the maintenance of international peace and security, should provide political guidance and secure the commitment of all parties to strengthened international cooperation and civil aviation security. ICAO, as the technical agency responsible for formulating aviation safety and security standards, should help States to comprehensively implement of the relevant international standards. The Council and ICAO should improve their synergy by strengthening their division of labour and collaboration, both working within the purview of their respective mandates. Thirdly, we should work unremittingly to combat terrorist acts that compromise the safety and security of civil aviation. Every State should maintain uniform standards and take a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism, with no distinction between acts of terror, all of which should be firmly countered, regardless of the countries they target or the means they employ. International action against terrorism should promote the greatest possible scope for the leadership of the United Nations and the Security Council, abide by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, strengthen effective coordination, create an internationally united front against terrorism and maintain an uncompromisingly combative posture towards it. In the light of the characteristics of terrorist activities relating to civil aviation, and the requirements of resolution 2309 (2016), all parties should improve their intelligence sharing at both international and regional levels, enhance their cooperation on border control and law enforcement and take effective action against cross-border movements of terrorists, especially when they are returning to their countries of origin. China is an important member of the international counter-terrorism community. We will continue to promote bilateral and multilateral anti-terror cooperation in accordance with our laws on counter- terrorism and civil aviation safety and security, and with international conventions. We will continue to raise our civil aviation safety and security standards and work with the international community to fight terrorism effectively and keep aviation safe and secure.

There can be no doubt as to the urgency of today’s topic. Civil aviation has been and will remain a highly attractive target for terrorists. At the outset, we would like to once again express our condolences to the families and friends of all those who have lost their lives as a result of air transport tragedies. We would also like to thank Ms. Liu Fang, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her detailed briefing on ICAO’s role and efforts in the field of aviation security. The Russian delegation took an active part in developing resolution 2309 (2016), which the Council adopted today, aimed at adding impetus to States’ efforts to implement ICAO standards and the provisions of the counter-terrorism conventions, as well as the relevant Security Council resolutions. In considering the specifics of aviation security, the international community should be guided primarily by the work of ICAO, as the specialized international organization in the field. The ICAO Assembly will meet in Montreal in a few days’ time and is expected to take a number of important decisions related to aviation security and terrorist threats. It will present a report on progress in implementing the ICAO Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy, and will address the issue of developing a global aviation security plan by 2018. We are pleased that the drafters of the resolution took into account our proposals designed to ensure that, without undermining the ICAO mandate, the Security Council’s new initiative is clearly incorporated into its efforts, decisions and plans for the direction its activities should take in the future. Terrorist threats against civil aviation are evolving. Criminals are constantly taking advantage of new technologies to seek new ways to circumvent security systems, including in airports. It is therefore important to continue to strengthen our capacity to react rapidly to new challenges as they appear, particularly those related to cybersecurity, landside security, remotely piloted aircraft systems and improvised explosive devices. One of the key objectives of today’s decision is to urge States to join in increasing the widespread and effective adoption of existing aviation security standards and recommendations. Ultimately, it is our job to combine our efforts to achieve an integrated and sustainable system for protecting international civil aviation against illegal interference. We welcome the productive cooperation between the Security Council’s counter-terrorism entities and ICAO, such as when Ms. Fang Liu briefed the Counter- Terrorism Committee (CTC) in June. ICAO has also begun cooperating with the Monitoring Group of the Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities. We note the regular flow of information from ICAO to the United Nations on efforts to combat terrorism, included in the relevant reports of the Secretary-General. Today’s resolution is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the Security Council and ICAO, primarily through the CTC, in order to identify gaps in States’ aviation security. We urge both the Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force to use that analysis to improve programmes for technical assistance to States. We look forward to a planned special meeting of the CTC in 2017 on the terrorist threats to civil aviation. Our country will continue to undertake decisive steps to counter terrorist threats. That applies fully to the threat to civil aviation. However, that evil will only be defeated by closing ranks. We are convinced that the fight against any form of terrorism will require the further consolidation of efforts with the good-faith implementation of States’ international commitments. I am forced now to say a few words with regard to the statement just made by the Ukrainian delegation. The Ukrainian delegation did not limit itself to the topic that was planned for our discussion. It attempted to hold this meeting hostage so that it could advance unacceptable provocations. We are not going to yield to such provocations. We will limit ourselves to noting that, since the Ukrainian side decided to raise the subject of the disaster concerning Flight MH-17, it would be good to recognize the guilt of Kyiv in that matter and its responsibility for the fact that the Ukrainian authorities did not close the airspace over the eastern part of the country in which Kyiv had deployed major military operations. We have again heard no recognition or acknowledgement of that responsibility. As far as Russia is concerned, we insisted that resolution 2166 (2014) adopted by the Council on the downing of the Malaysia Airlines plane include provisions on the need to carry out an independent international investigation in accordance with the governing principles of international civil aviation and with ICAO playing a leading role. Our delegation called for the active use of the provisions of resolution 2166 (2014), which provides for comprehensive assistance by the United Nations in the investigation. Unfortunately, the Secretary-General has not submitted a range of proposals for United Nations assistance to the Security Council. It would be beneficial, in our view, for ICAO also to join the investigation. We call for the rapid adoption of yet another resolution that would ensure access to the crash site for the investigation mission. Unfortunately, interested parties preferred bilateral agreements with Ukraine, which, regrettably, were overly protracted and did not allow for the immediate launch of an investigation. We insisted on the inclusion of a provision in the text of resolution 2166 (2014) for an immediate cessation of all military activities in the area immediately bordering the crash site. Kyiv violated that provision in August 2014, when the Ukrainian authorities unilaterally declared that they would disengage from the ceasefire, as a result of which the investigation mission was forced to cease its work for a lengthy period. A great deal of time has passed, but the criminal investigation has not yet been concluded. And it has been carried out in a closed format. Can one consider it to be an independent, impartial and unbiased investigation? That is questionable. Only the future will tell. It is nevertheless getting harder for us to accept that after the statements that we have heard here today. In the course of the work on resolution 2309 (2016), which we just adopted, the Ukrainian delegation unilaterally attempted to water down proposals that would confirm the responsibility of States for the security of civil aviation within their air space. I think everyone understands why they did so. Turning to the issue with regard to air traffic control over Crimea and the Black Sea, Ukraine was also unable to refrain from politicizing that topic, including within ICAO, which would have entailed additional costs for carriers and inconvenienced passengers. Above all, it would have created flight safety risks. Russia is able to provide the necessary information in connection with air security in its airspace above Crimea and the Black Sea.

Allow me to express my gratitude to you, Sir, for convening today’s important and timely meeting on aviation security. I also thank Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her briefing. Above all, I would like to thank the United Kingdom and Mr. Boris Johnson for taking the lead in putting today’s meeting together. We believe that it is timely for the Security Council to take this issue up, given the growing threat to the security of aircraft and airports in recent years. Civil aviation has been an attractive target for terrorists over the past decades, as this city remembers very vividly and literally through what it witnessed 15 years ago. There has been much progress in improving aviation security worldwide since that tragedy, but there have been enough instances to remind us that the threat against aviation security remains high. Resolution 2309 (2016), which was just adopted unanimously, provides the political momentum to accelerate global efforts to address the issue. Japan was therefore pleased to co-sponsor the resolution. We believe that it sends a strong political message of our unified determination to the international community. According to statistics published by ICAO, Japan is the world’s seventh largest air-transport State. That single statistic is indicative of the critical importance of aviation security in our national interests. Today, I would like to highlight three ways in which Japan has been working to improve aviation security worldwide. First, there are our domestic efforts. Japan is widely known for its public safety, and, at the same time, Japanese authorities are nevertheless working tirelessly to mitigate possible threats of terrorism to civil aviation. For example, the installation of body scanners in airports throughout the country is under progress, a measure driven by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism. Secondly, we provide international assistance to partner States. Last year, Japan funded the placement of surveillance cameras in international airports in Africa to bolster their security. In South Asia, over the past three years, Japan has provided assistance that can mitigate terrorism risks to civilian aviation to Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have also hosted a seminar on aviation security with our partners from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund. In addition to those past efforts, Prime Minister Abe announced earlier this month that Japan will provide approximately $450 million over the next three years to Asia for comprehensive counter-terrorism measures, including the enhancement of airport security. Japan will remain engaged in assisting other countries to address the threat. Thirdly, I would like to touch upon the role that Japan has played in ICAO. Japan firmly supports the important role that ICAO has played in the area of aviation security and has been actively working on the Aviation Security Panel and various working groups under the Panel, including the meeting of the working group on guidance material that Japan hosted in Fukuoka last January. Beyond our activities on the Panel, Japan has been the second largest contributor to the regular ICAO budget since 1987 and makes large contributions to activities related to security. There is a strong need for the international community to keep taking steps to improve aviation security. In that context, I would like to refer to the Group of Seven (G-7) action plan on countering terrorism and violent extremism, which was developed in May under the Japanese presidency of the G-7 to strengthen the overall capacity of the international community to fight against terrorism and violent extremism, including in the area of aviation security. As mentioned in the action plan, Japan calls upon all States to duly implement the standards of annex 17 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aciation and also to recognize and address the threat to access control and other airport landside-security-related measures covered therein. We also believe that there is room for improvement to fill the gaps between the outcome of ICAO audits and aviation security measures on the ground. We look forward to furthering our discussions at the upcoming session of the ICAO Assembly, which will start next week and at which Japan will contribute to the discussion on the development of a global aviation security plan. Our fight against terrorist threats to civil aviation is far from over. As a responsible member of the international community and of the Security Council, Japan will continue its efforts in tackling our common threat.

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is grateful to you, Sir, for convening this informative meeting to address an issue of particular importance to the international community and our country. We also appreciate the briefing of Mr. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). My delegation voted in favour of resolution 2309 (2016), based on our firm commitment to fight terrorism and our categorical rejection of the commission of terrorist acts, whatever their motivation, whenever or by whomsover they are committed, because such acts deliberately undermine international peace and security and constitute flagrant violations of international law. The most recent terrorist attacks, particularly those committed by Da’esh, are evidence of how vulnerability in the face of that terrible scourge and the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters have become a global one. More than 30,000 persons, including youths and women, from more than 100 countries have joined terrorist groups, as noted in the most recent reports of the Monitoring Group of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999,) concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban and associated individuals and entities. Civil aviation has always been a target of terrorist acts. One only need to consider the attacks against the Cubana de Aviación plane in 1976, which cost the lives of 73 Cuban athletes, among other incidents. However, since the terrible attack in New York on 11 September 2001, we have seen greater awareness of the phenomenon and the need to improve and strengthen civil aviation security regulations. However, the recent attack against Flight 9268 of the Russian airline Metrojet, almost a year ago, reminds us that there is still much to do in this area. We would like to pay tribute to all the victims of such violent acts..We note with regret that, on some occasions, those events have been used to exacerbate the political rhetoric against specific countries. The fight against terrorism in civil aviation requires cooperation and trust among all of us, because terrorist groups continue to come up wiht new ways and means to strike. The security of international civil aviation plays a key role in the complex web of preventing and combating terrorism. While this is ultimately a question in the ambit of the Security Council as the organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security, my country believes that ICAO is the sole specialized agency with the competence to build consensus in developing and monitoring the standards and recommended practices required for international civil aviation. In that regard, Venezuela considers it necessary to continue to strengthen national civil aviation systems, including their evaluation mechanisms, without undermining each State’s authority and sovereignty so that we can effectively and on a sustainable basis tackle the terrorist threat. In that respect, capacity-building, technical assistance, transferring technology on favourable terms and mobilizing resources are of critical importance. Similarly, strengthening international and regional cooperation will prove to be greatly important in that battle. Venezuela considers that, in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, the preventive approach is always the best way to tackle this scourge. It is important that we adopt and implement coordinated initiatives tailored to each national case and reality, geared towards undermining the clear strategy of groups with extremist ideologies that have decided to promote violence and intolerance. It is also important to address the root causes fuelling this reprehensible practice and to devise effective and innovative strategies to counter extremist and terrorist narratives and to help our societies to think critically. The aim is to prevent radicalization, recruitment and the mobilization of resources, including through the inappropriate use of communications and information technologies. It is very important that no country protect or give haven to the perpetrators of terrorist crimes against civil aviation. There can be no justification for any terrorist act. We must all be committed in the fight against this phenomenon. Venezuela believes that the fight against terrorism must take place within the framework of stepped up international cooperation, in accordance with existing international and regional instruments, including the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the norms of international law, with full respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. If we depart from those premises to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism, we will be contributing to its radicalization. In conclusion, I would like to highlight the need that, more than ever, we must be frank and resolute in fighting terrorism and that we do not selectively draw on the provisions set out in the relevant international instruments and resolutions of this multilateral forum that prohibit the transfer of small arms and lights weapons, including the man-portable air defence systems, as well as the financing, training and provision of havens to terrorist groups, as well as the implementation in a comprehensive and balanced manner of the four pillars of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

At the outset, allow me to thank you, Mr. President, for convening this informative meeting on the terrorist threat to civil aviation. As was clearly expressed in the concept note (S/2016/791, annex), the Security Council has focused its attention on other emerging aspects of international terrorism, such as its financing and the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters. Today, the expansion and evolution in aviation terrorism requires us to concentrate our efforts on its prevention and suppression. I would also like to express my appreciation to Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her briefing and to commend the work of the United Kingdom in leading the negotiations that allowed us today to adopt the important resolution 2309 (2016), which Uruguay also co-sponsored. In recent years, terrorist acts against civil aviation have adopted forms that transcend the classic definition of aviation piracy. In addition to the diversion and hijacking of aircraft and hostages, we have also seem other forms of crimes, such as attacks perpetrated on airport facilities. The Beijing Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation and its Protocol of 2010 criminalize, inter alia, the use of civil aircraft as weapons to cause deaths, injuries or harm, the use of dangerous materials to attack aircraft or other objects, as well as cyberattacks against air-traffick-control systems or stations. There is no doubt that terrorists have found civil aviation a useful target, not solely for destructive purposes but also for the media exposure they so eagerly seek. Their acts have huge international impact due to their lethal and multiple side effects, with large-scale psychological and social impacts. The high number of victims of various nationalities in attacks against aviation can produce, without doubt, the most devastating and critical aspect, but it is not the only kind. The economic, trade, political, cultural and other types of consequences are also myriad. I recall that millions of persons use aircraft for the purposes of work, tourism or visiting their families, and that States base and promote their relations on the basis of the numerous exchanges facilitated by that means of transport. Attacks on civil aviation are also attacks on closer relations and dialogue among civilizations, regional integration and the wide range of exchanges unique to the era of globalization. As early as 1944, the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation noted in its preamble that “the future development of international civil aviation can greatly help to create and preserve friendship and understanding among the nations and peoples of the world, yet its abuse can become a threat to the general security”. Resolution 2309 (2016), beyond its unobjectionable purposes, is underpinned by the spirit of cooperation and solidarity that must prevail to address and defeat international terrorism. My country abides by the international legal instruments that make up the counter-terrorism framework for global civil aviation. We attach particular importance to international standards and best practices in addressing civil aviation security. We are party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago on 7 December 1944, and deposited our ratification instrument on 14 January 1954. By way of various national laws, Uruguay approved the Tokyo Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, of 14 September 1963 and The Hague Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft of 16 December 1970 and adhered to its Protocol for the suppression of unlawful acts of violence at airports serving international civil aviation in February 1988. We also approved the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages, adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 1979, and the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purpose of Detection, signed on 1 March 1991. At the institutional level, our national civil aviation and aviation infrastructure directorate is the competent agency tasked with implementing civil aviation policy in Uruguay. Through it, we seek to guarantee the security, regularity and efficiency of aviation operations and the delivery of services in our national airspace throughout Uruguay, in accordance with the relevant international standards and requirements. We have in place regulations to protect civil aviation against unlawful acts of interference, based on Uruguay’s aviation regulation 17 on aviation security and relevant guidelines and directives. In terms of policy, decree 267/003, of 1 July 2003, authorized the national aviation security programme, which is aimed at ensuring the security, regularity and efficiency of international civil aviation in our country. It further provides the necessary safeguards against unlawful acts of interference through regulations, methods and procedures. The programme aims to maintain the security of national and foreign carriers providing services from Uruguay and the security of civilian airports servicing international flights. It is geared towards meeting the international standards and recommendations in annex 17 to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, as well as the relevant provisions on aviation security set out in annexes 2, 6, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14. Through decree 267/003, my country also established the national committee for civil aviation security, which, inter alia, advises the competent security authority regarding necessary safety measures in tackling threats to civil aviation, airports and services. Furthermore, decree 225/010, of 26 July 2010, establishes the policy framework for proper coordination of the State’s intelligence services. Uruguay believes that, in order to address the growing, ever-changing terrorist threat to civil aviation, it is necessary to implement the safety standards approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), so as to achieve better standards, systems and methods linked to the various operational aspects of civil aviation. However it is clear that many countries have neither the technical capacity and knowledge nor financial resources necessary to implement those standards. It is therefore important that the countries with such capacity provide technical assistance, including technology transfer and programmes, as well as financial resources, to the countries in need. Accordingly, cooperation is proven to be the key element for concrete and effective implementation of best practices and the highest standards of civil aviation security. Uruguay considers cooperation as an imperative that must be achieved at both regional and international levels and further complemented by efficient coordination under the aegis of the ICAO. Allow me to conclude by reiterating our firm conviction that the changing and growing challenges generated by terrorist threats to civil aviation can be successfully addressed only from that perspective. That is to say, we must reaffirm our indelible commitment to invest national capacities and resources commensurate with the requisite of achieving that objective.

We thank the New Zealand delegation for convening this meeting on the terrorist threat to civil aviation. We are grateful to Ms. Fang Liu, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), for her comprehensive briefing on the crucial issue of civil aviation in contemporary life. The international community is faced with myriad new threats to peace and security that are a main cause for the weakening of the old system of collective security that the international community relied upon after the Second World War. Among those threats is international terrorism, which has reached an unprecedented dimension and boldness. Terrorism has become a global phenomenon of unpredictable character. As such, dealing with the issue of civil aviation security and the threats posed by international terrorism to that vital sector has become a top priority to be dealt with. International terrorism has changed the way in which international aviation operates traditionally, namely, as a symbol of freedom enhancing increased intimacy among the peoples of the world. It is an evolution that terrorists seek to curb and undermine. Terrorist attacks against civil aviation, as any other kind of international terrorist act, constitute a threat to international peace and security, and as such are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of the motivations or aims of its perpetrators. The terrorist threat to civil aviation has forced a more coordinated response on the part of the international community, mainly towards preventive anti-terrorism measures aimed at foiling such attacks in conformity with international treaties and conventions on civil aviation. We commend the work of the International Civil Aviation Organization and the enactment of regulations, practices and procedures to protect civil aviation against illegal interference and to ensure that those measures are appropriate against the surge of security threats. Angola, as a member of ICAO, has been working closely with that agency with a view to aligning its domestic practice and procedures with ICAO directives, in particular with regard to transportation infrastructure and technical expertise. We have adopted a vast number of measures and legislations to verify and monitor the civil aviation sector by incorporating the norms enacted by ICAO into the national legal framework. This has been at the forefront of our efforts as a means of contributing to the protection and security of civil aviation. The restructuring of the National Institute of Civil Aviation in order to make it an efficient and credible regulatory mechanism; the reform of the the National Company of Airports Exploration and Air Navigation to efficiently manage airport infrastructure; and the restructuring of the TAAG Angola Airlines are some of the measures adopted in line with the recommendations of ICAO. By adopting resolution 2309 (2016), which we were pleased to co-sponsor, the Security Council is sending an unequivocal message on the importance of fighting the threat posed to civil aviation by terrorist groups. It also highlights the importance of adequate security parameters for civil aviation, enhancing technical cooperation and mitigating the threat of attacks in the framework of the global fight against terrorism. In conclusion, we wish to reiterate Angola’s commitment to working towards implementing effective measures to counter and mitigate this threat, particularly through reinforcing partnerships and applying the norms and standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization in order to strengthen security in this vital sector of contemporary life.

The representative of Ukraine has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I would like to make a couple of points in response to the Russian delegation. First, let me remind all those present in the Chamber, especially those who have conveniently forgotten, of what happened two years ago. If it were not for Russian weapons, the presence of Russian troops and the sustained effort to fuel a military conflict in the Donbas region, we would not have to discuss the downing of MH-17. Secondly, Ukraine has cooperated fully with all international partners on this issue. I do not think that any party has anything to say about our readiness to cooperate. There was an issue regarding access to the MH-17 crash site; access was blocked by people wearing not the Ukrainian military uniform, but other military uniforms. We insisted on immediate access right away, but for whatever reason it did not happen. Thirdly, last year the whole world witnessed Russia veto the attempt to establish an international tribunal on MH-17. Ukraine has nothing to hide. We want the truth to become known, and we want the perpetrators to be brought to justice; but somehow this effort has foundered. Why? We all know how it happened. Quite a few of the delegations here were also present last year. Finally, on a different subject, we really appreciate the Russian Federation establishing the new practice of disclosing to the whole United Nations community, in public in the Chamber, details of texts negotiated by Council members. This is a positive step towards implementing transparency, and we look forward to the continuation of this practice on the Russian side.

The representative of the Russian Federation has asked for the floor to make a further statement.

I would like to respond very briefly to the delegation of Ukraine. This is a serious event. We are discussing the fight against terrorism — real terrorism, not that of which he is attempting to accuse the inhabitants of the eastern part of his country. I call on him to join this very important work, rather than continuing to speculate on this topic and the human tragedies that have taken place.

The representative of Ukraine has asked for the floor to make a further statement. I would encourage an early end to this exchange.

I apologize. We have just witnessed a classic case of switching the blame and obfuscating the situation. I have never mentioned or blamed anybody, including any citizens, living in the eastern part of our country. If I am mistaken, I would really appreciate being corrected. I was talking first about Russian military aggression, and secondly, about terrorism. That is what we experienced — State-sponsored terrorism. We may have different opinions regarding this, but this is how Ukraine sees it.