UN COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE NEAR AGREEMENT ON

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001409 SIPDIS SIPDIS PLEASE PASS TO IO/PSC:BFITZGERALD AND S/CT:SSCHLEGEL E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PTER UNGA SUBJECT: UN COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE NEAR AGREEMENT ON BEST PRACTICES REF: FITZGERALD/WILCOX EMAILS--7/19/06 ¶1. Summary: The Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) met on July 20 to discuss: 1) preliminary conclusions of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) visit to Malaysia and the CTED Executive Director's visit to Paraguay, 2) CTED's Semi-Annual Report and the draft directory of best practices for implementing Resolution 1373, and 3) CTED's outreach to the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). CTED also briefed the CTC on its work to prepare the CTC's report to the Security Council on Resolution 1624 (2005),and Greece made a statement objecting to the deletion of the threat assessment from CTED's report on its recent visit to Macedonia. End Summary. -------------- CTED Visits to Malaysia and Paraguay -------------- ¶2. CTED reported positively on its July 4-10 trip to Malaysia and said Malaysia is in an advanced stage of UNSCR 1373 implementation. Malaysia remains a party to only five of 13 terrorism conventions but its parliament is discussing ratification of another two. Malaysia recently passed money-laundering and financial control legislation, is strengthening aviation security, and is improving border control, although joint patrol systems with neighboring states remain largely uncoordinated. CTED also praised the efforts of the Southeastern Regional Center for Counter-Terrorism in training officials and legal personnel. France expressed concern over the enforcement of Malaysia's penal code amendments and said CTED must assess actual implementation, not just enactment of legislation. ¶3. CTED Executive Director Ruperez expressed "cautious optimism" that his trip to Paraguay to press Paraguay to adopt anti-money laundering and counterterrorism legislation would yield results. Russia, Argentina, and several others stressed that Ruperez should make similar visits to press other states to comply with their 1373 obligations. CTED estimated that some 40 other states have not adopted terrorism financing legislation. ¶4. Qatar argued that CTED should address the root causes of terrorism in its reports and visits. Danish PermRep, the Chairman of the Committee, Ellen Margrethe Loj dismissed this comment and said the CTC and CTED must follow the mandate set forth in UNSCRs 1373 (2001) and 1624 (2005),rather than act as a committee of the UN General Aseembly attempting to explore all aspects of terrorism. -------------- -------------- CTED Semi-Annual Report and Directory of Best Practices -------------- -------------- ¶5. CTC members welcomed CTED's Semi-Annual Report covering states' implementation of UNSCR 1373 between January 1 and June 30, 2006. ¶6. CTC members generally welcomed CTED's draft Directory of International Best Practices, Codes, and Standards for Implementation of UNSCR 1373. After China objected to reference in the directory to the Waasenaar arrangement, the CTC decided to accept the directory without the Wassenaar references, with the Chairman stressing that it is a work in progress. CTED announced it would make a few additional changes, including adding explanatory narratives under the references to paras 2(c) and (d) of UNSCR 1373, and circulate a revision soon. -------------- -- CTC in Africa, UNSCR 1624 Report, and Macedonia -------------- -- ¶7. Most CTC members welcomed CTED's report on its efforts to enhance its coordination with the AU African Centre for Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT),ECOWAS, and IGAD. ¶8. The CTED Director said CTED would submit a draft of the CTC's report to the Council on implementation of UNSCR 1624 by August 20. The CTC must approve the report by September ¶14. CTED has received reports from 55 states in response to a questionnaire the CTC sent to states, requesting information on implementation of UNSCR 1624. ¶9. Greece made a statement expressing regret that the CTC's report on CTED's trip to Macedonia did not contain a threat assessment, particularly given Macedonia's failure to combat organized crime. BOLTON