UN COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE NEAR AGREEMENT ON

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001409

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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.

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CTED Visits to Malaysia and Paraguay
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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.

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CTED Semi-Annual Report and Directory of Best Practices
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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.

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CTC in Africa, UNSCR 1624 Report, and Macedonia
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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