AL-QAIDA SANCTIONS: INCREASING TRANSPARENCY

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001435

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC EFIN UNSC PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: AL-QAIDA SANCTIONS: INCREASING TRANSPARENCY



1. SUMMARY. The Chairman of the UN Security Council's 1267
(al-Qaida/Taliban) Sanctions Committee, Argentine Ambassador
Cesar Mayoral, held an open briefing and question and answer
session for the general UN membership on July 26. This was
the first such session conducted by Mayoral. The goal was to
increase transparency of the Committee's work, strengthen
dialogue with the wider UN membership, and trumpet specific
Committee accomplishments, specifically the adoption of a
standard coversheet to be used for sanction designation
requests. END SUMMARY.


2. Approximately 30 delegations attended an open briefing by
Argentine Ambassador Cesar Mayoral, the Chairman of the 1267
(al-Qaida/Taliban) Sanctions Committee. Delegations in
attendance included Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil,
and Switzerland. The Committee hoped the briefing would
address concerns among some Member States that it failed to
publicize its important work and that decisions made by the
Committee were somehow lost in the UN's bureaucratic system
of communication via note verbale. The Chairman announced
that the Committee had completed changes to the sanctions
list that would make it more user-friendly, such as
establishing permanent reference numbers for entries on the
list and presenting all names in the original script (often
Arabic).


3. The Chairman highlighted the Committee's agreement on a
way to handle de-listing of deceased persons, which is an
issue of great importance to the Muslim world because of
religious obligations to the dead. The Committee agreed to
examine de-listing requests for deceased persons on a
case-by-case basis, and to ask for proof of death and proof
that no part of the estate would be inherited by any other
individuals or entities under sanctions. Regarding this and
other issues of importance, Mayoral reminded all States that
the Committee is eager to enhance dialogue through direct
meetings and briefings. (NOTE: During the Chairman's recent
trip to Riyadh, the Saudi government accepted an invitation
to brief the Committee on how to combat the misperception
that al-Qaida sanctions target Islam. No date has been set
for the briefing. END NOTE.)


4. The Chairman also announced that the Committee was close
to agreeing on revised guidelines for listing. (NOTE: The
revised guidelines are currently under a No Objection
Deadline, due to expire August 2. END NOTE.) Mayoral also
expressed hope the Committee could achieve consensus on new
de-listing guidelines in the near future. Turning to the
excellent cooperation between the 1267 Committee and
Interpol, Mayoral explained the new Interpol-UN Security
Council Special Notices, which Interpol issues for
1267-sanctioned individuals. These Special Notices
strengthen enforcement by ensuring that vital information
about sanctioned individuals reaches law enforcement agencies
around the world.


5. Mayoral also trumpeted the important adoption by the
Committee of the standard cover sheet for designating States
to use when submitting new names for sanctioning. The U.S.
proposed the cover sheet in our paper on procedural
protections and fairness in the 1267 Committee.


6. Although many delegations criticize the 1267 Committee
for not being "transparent," only Switzerland and Brazil took
advantage of the session by making comments. Both countries
thanked Mayoral for holding the briefing and both delegations
urged the Committee to revise de-listing procedures in order
to afford sanctioned individuals "due process."


7. COMMENT: Although few delegations participated in the
session, the open briefing achieved its desired goals by
underlining important Committee achievements and by stressing
the Committee's desire to strengthen dialogue with the wider
UN membership.
BOLTON