S/PV.6034
6034th meeting
Tuesday, 9 December 2008, 10 a.m.
New York
Peace and security – terrorist acts
Mr. Ettalhi (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): At the outset, Mr. President, allow me to say how honoured we are to see you presiding over the work of the Security Council today. We would also like to welcome the presence among us today of the Secretary-General. I also wish to commend your country’s delegation, Sir, for having convened this meeting and chosen this subject for our consideration. Following the terrorist attacks on Mumbai, the entire world has once again seen the destruction that terrorism can inflict and the magnitude of the threat it poses for peace. This meeting is also taking place following the terrorist acts inflicted on Palestinians in Hebron by Israeli extremists.
The concept paper (see S/2008/738) that has kindly been prepared and circulated by your country’s delegation, Mr. President, for which we are very grateful, has served to establish the framework and objectives for our debate, namely, an exchange of views on the relationship between global security and international terrorism in order to revitalize and strengthen efforts to combat terrorism and bolster the leading role of the United Nations in global counter-terrorism. It is indeed a well-known fact that we all have a common objective: establishing a world of peace and security for all peoples and eradicating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, whether committed by States, individuals or organizations, as well as addressing its causes and symptoms. Nevertheless, I regret to say that there continue to be disagreements about how to achieve those goals.
Although my country appreciates the progress made and the work done by the Council, seven years following the emergence of unprecedented solidarity and momentum in combating terrorism, the Council’s efforts are still just a series of partial reactions to circumstances focused narrowly on security only. In that period, the emphasis has been on preventing and combating terrorism. As emphasized by the concept paper, we cannot achieve the goal of maintaining international peace and security merely by declaring war on terrorism. Terrorism is a multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be effectively addressed through punitive measures alone. In fact, preventive measures and a flexible and comprehensive approach are needed.
There have been several efforts in the Council to achieve consensus on a set of draft resolutions. The Council’s committees and working groups have played a prominent role in various bodies of the Council. While they have had considerable achievements, they have nevertheless worked within the confines of fixed mandates drafted in line with partial measures and the narrow focus of combating and preventing terrorism. Increased participation in those bodies has sometimes served to sap synergy from their efforts. In particular, it has served as a drag on the momentum of the efforts of the international community, as represented by the General Assembly. In some instances, that has had an impact on effectiveness and efficiency in combating the phenomenon of terrorism, as well as on active cooperation between Member States and the United Nations.
Libya believes that there is a need to assess and reconsider the steps taken to prevent and combat terrorism in recent years. Without going into detail about all the relevant measures, we believe that preventing the financing of terrorism must be given special attention and should be the subject of more comprehensive and effective measures. We also think that it is incumbent upon the United Nations, and the Security Council in particular, to adopt more robust measures to oversee flows of financing moving through transparent financial institutions. Banking practices in some countries and in some so-called free zones require particular attention from the international community in order to bring an end to suspicious financial transactions that can serve to finance terrorism. In addition, the granting of asylum to third-country citizens must be subject to controls that ensure that asylum is based solely on humanitarian reasons and is not used for any other ulterior motive.
Over the past years, we have emphasized the combating and prevention of terrorism at the expense of basic aspects of the problem. We have not discussed the reasons and causes for the spread of terrorism, building the capacities of Member States or respect for human rights of all and the rule of law: the basic and important principles that have been adopted by Members of the United Nations in the context of a global strategy to combat terrorism. We are still waiting for effective practical measures that will deal with the circumstances and causes of the spread of terrorism. Libya believes that our agreement on removing the justifications of terrorism must not be at the expense of dealing objectively with its causes. The causes for the discontent that feeds violence and counter-violence include: occupation, denying the legitimacy of fighting against occupation, making charges against peoples and their cultures, applying double standards in the application of international legitimacy and the injustices that have been suffered by the Palestinians and other peoples.
Still more effort is needed to develop technical assistance in a manner that will strengthen and build the capacity of Member States to respond to their practical needs in combating terrorism. We appreciate the development of the subsidiary bodies of the Security Council in this respect, and it is our hope that technical assistance provided within the context of the United Nations, as an alternative to bilateral assistance, will be developed. We also commend the efforts of those organs responsible for the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the cooperation among United Nations institutions and specialized agencies.
There is no doubt that respect for the human rights of all and for the rule of law are the cornerstones of any effective strategy for combating terrorism. National and international measures within such strategies must conform with obligations under international law, in particular international human rights law, the laws of refugees and international humanitarian law.
In brief, it is incumbent on all of us to strengthen international solidarity to enhance the leading role of the United Nations in combating terrorism. This is the objective of our debate today: to implement the global strategy to combat terrorism in all its aspects and dimensions and to expedite the conclusion of a comprehensive treaty to combat terrorism and to reach a clear definition of this phenomenon.
In conclusion, I wish to commend the delegation of Croatia for preparing the draft presidential statement before us. We support it and we look forward to adopting it at the end of our meeting.
