S/PV.5855
5855th meeting
Wednesday, 19 March 2008, 10 a.m.
New York
Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this open debate on an issue of great importance. I should also like to join others in thanking Mr. Mike Smith, Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), for his valuable briefing to the Security Council. We have every confidence in his competence and shall continue to support his efforts. We also appreciate the efforts of Ambassador Jurica of Croatia, Chairman of the CTC.
We welcome the CTC’s adoption of the revised organizational plan for CTED, which was submitted in accordance with resolution 1787 (2007), including the proposals and amendments it suggests. The new priorities contained in the organizational plan are not just intended to support CTED’s role as a diplomatic mission of the CTC. They also serve to enhance the fight against terrorism through all the organs and agencies of the United Nations. Given that they are intended to bolster national capacities in the area of counter-terrorism and help to implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy — adopted through General Assembly resolution 60/288 — and also taking into account the obligations established by international law in all its branches, it is our hope that all those steps will pave the way towards eradicating the root causes of terrorism and punishing its perpetrators.
The rationale for developing a counter-terrorism mechanism that includes the entire United Nations system, since the time of the adoption of the original organizational plan for CTED, has evolved into a new reality that the CTC and CTED cannot ignore. The work of the General Assembly to develop the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the efforts to put in place a comprehensive convention on terrorism, and the calls for establishing a clear definition of terrorism should all lead to an internationally agreed transparent and balanced definition of terrorism that ensures the success of counter-terrorism efforts at all levels.
The international community’s efforts to combat terrorism — which constitutes the worst and most flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations as well as of the principal tenets, beliefs and moral values of the world’s main religions — would be more effective if they were more comprehensive and transparent. We cannot reach this objective through selective measures and procedures. If it is not possible to justify terrorism in any way then we should not confuse its justifications and its causes. Our consensus in excluding justifications should not lead us to ignore the causes of terrorism or adjust them to agree with the pretexts of self-defence according to some, or with terrorism according to others.
The diagnosis or objective treatment of the causes of terrorism is at the core of any serious efforts to deal with this disease or scourge. The fact that there is no balanced and transparent diagnosis and treatment of the causes of this disease, makes our meetings and documents no more than mere condemnations and briefings about such repeated human tragedies.
Occupation and its injustices and terrorist aspects; disregard for human rights and the rights of peoples; accusations against cultures and civilizations; ignoring the legitimate objectives of resistance against occupation; and double standards in international legitimacy do not simply represent hatred in a moral sense, but rather contravene all heavenly religions and beliefs. These are all symptoms of frustration, hatred and despair that manifest themselves in many parts of the world in violent acts.
My country, Libya, which has been the victim of terrorist activities in different manifestations and acts, has adopted, within the framework of the United Nations and the geographic groups, various regional and international conventions, agreements and protocols. It condemns all forms of terrorism, including direct and indirect State terrorism. We continue to support international activities that aim at ending this scourge and eliminating its symptoms and causes. Within that context, my delegation supports the extension of the mandate of CTED and would like to express its appreciation of the continuation of its efforts and others’ efforts to bring about the objectives of the international community, namely, to eliminate terrorism. All societies, without exception, suffer from that scourge, and we support any efforts to achieve a world in which security and peace prevail.
