S/PV.6217
6217th meeting
Friday, 13 November 2009, 10 a.m.
New York
Briefings by Chairmen of subsidiary bodies of the Security Council
Mr. Gouider (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya) (spoke in Arabic): I wish at the outset to join previous speakers in thanking the Chairmen of the three Security Council Committees and in expressing appreciation not only for their extensive briefings but also for the efforts that they have made along with their fellow members of the Committees and their subsidiary bodies.
These briefings have shown that positive and near-common efforts continue to be made by the three Committees under review. Cooperation has also continued among the Committees, as was made clear in the joint statement that we heard earlier. Programming, structural and procedural improvements to the working methods have also continued to move ahead. A comprehensive review of the implementation of Security Council resolutions is also under way. National capacity building assistance has continued, especially for developing countries. Special efforts have also been made to promote transparency and respect for human rights. We call for the strengthening of those initiatives, which merit our full appreciation.
However, we would like to reiterate that such initiatives will be incomplete unless they are enshrined within the sound and comprehensive context that has been unanimously approved, namely, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The time has come to complement our efforts to combat and prevent terrorism. It is also time for the United Nations and it various organs to address seriously another very important dimension of the Strategy, that is, the root causes of terrorism.
I do not believe that there is any controversy about the fact that occupying peoples lands, offending their cultures and civilizations and denying them their legitimate right to resist occupation provide fertile ground for acts of violence. Such issues cannot be marginalized by continuing to follow an approach of double standards, leveling accusations and adopting temporary palliative measures. Nevertheless, all we can do today is to evaluate the efforts of the three Committees. In that regard, I shall keep my remarks brief.
We welcome the conclusion by the Counter-Terrorism Committee, chaired by Ambassador Ranko Vilović, with the assistance of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), which is chaired by Mr. Mike Smith, of the Preliminary Implementation Assessments of States’ implementation of resolution 1373 (2001). We hope that pending cases will be completed next year. We also look forward to receiving the annual review of the implementation of the resolution before the end of this year. We commend the visits undertaken by the Committee to several States, including Libya. My country would like to place on record its appreciation for CTED and for its expertise and efforts to improve its counter-terrorism activities. I would like to reiterate my country’s readiness to cooperate with CTED and other relevant international bodies and efforts.
We would also like to welcome the progress that has been made in the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), under your wise chairmanship, Mr. President. We also welcome the review that has been carried out of the names listed on the consolidated list. The Chairman spoke about the challenges facing the completion of that process, as well as about arriving at a sanctions list that cannot be challenged through the legal system. There are still names of persons who are long dead on the list. There are also names whose listing is no longer appropriate, including persons who have not been positively identified. That truly hinders the ability of States to implement sanctions. It can also lead to arbitrary implementation merely by virtue of the suspicion associated with a given name. We stress the need for the speedy conclusion of that process and for the inclusion of sufficient identifying primary information for the de-listing of any names for which there are no credible grounds for inclusion on the list.
We welcomed the adoption of resolution 1730 (2006), as well as the establishment of a focal point to receive requests for de-listing. However, we believe that this important step still calls for further complementary measures to set forth transparent and procedurally fair standards. We also encourage the Committee to continue to grant exemptions pursuant to resolution 1452 (2002), so as to steer clear of the abhorrent concept of collective punishment and to avoid harsh sanctions that are not based on the principles of international law and justice and have an impact on families. Moreover, we stress the need for the Committee to review sanctions that hinder the speedy granting of exemptions. In particular, we urge it to review the use of suspensions to obstruct requests for exemption.
Finally, we would like to pay tribute to the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004). We thank Ambassador Urbina for the progress made thus far, especially with regard to the non‑proliferation obligations imposed on all States. Many States, including Libya, have provided the information required under the resolution. We continue to urge all States to do the same. We fully understand the grave danger posed to international peace and security by all sorts of weapons of mass destruction. We regret to note that the current mechanisms are insufficient and not universal, for their provisions have not been incorporated into national legislation.
We once again reiterate that we renounce weapons of mass destruction. We believe that the total elimination of such weapons continues to be the best way to prevent them from falling into the hands of non-State actors. We also believe that the two objectives of disarmament and non-proliferation require sustainable and irreversible progress.
In conclusion, my country, which has suffered the tragedies of international terrorism, continues to support the work of the three Committees and their subsidiary bodies, including any effort that contributes to our collective goal of eliminating the causes and manifestations of terrorism so that we can live in a world where there is genuine security and safety for all peoples.
