SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001151

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PTER UNSC PREL UNGA
SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE
INITIAL PERIOD OF THE COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTORATE UNTIL 31 MARCH 2008



1. The Security Council, on December 10, unanimously adopted
resolution 1787 (text below). The following countries
co-sponsored the resolution: Belgium, Congo, France, Italy,
Panama, Russia, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United
States. The resolution extends the initial period of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) from
31 December 2007, under resolution 1535 (2004),to 31 March

2008. The resolution further requests the Executive Director
of CTED to recommend, within sixty days, such changes as he
deems appropriate to the organizational plan and to submit
them to the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) for its
consideration and endorsement prior to 31 March 2008.


2. Following adoption of the resolution, Panama made a brief
statement to justify the extension of CTED's mandate based on
the recent appointment of Mike Smith (Australia) as Executive
Director. Qatar also made a statement to explain that it
voted in favor of the resolution even though all of its views
were not reflected in the text. Specifically, Qatar said
that the Council has been dealing with terrorism without a
clear definition of the term, and that there has been a
failure to address root causes of the phenomenon. The Qatari
representative went on to question the appropriateness of the
CTC and the CTED, and suggested that the Working Group on the
implementation of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy was
the most suitable body to address terrorism-related issues.
He said that in addition to suffering from a lack of
transparency, the CTC has not done enough to implement
resolution 1624 (2005),which focuses on preventing
incitement to terrorism and distortion of religious or
cultural symbols.


3. Text of resolution:

BEGIN TEXT:

The Security Council,

Recalling resolution 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001,
resolution 1456 (2003) of 20 January 2003, resolution 1535
(2004) of 26 March 2004, resolution 1624 (2005) of 14
September 2005, as well as its other resolutions concerning
threats to international peace and security caused by
terrorism,

Reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations constitutes one of the most serious threats to
peace and security,

Welcoming the adoption by the General Assembly of the
United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, A/60/288,
and the creation of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task
Force to ensure overall coordination and coherence in the
counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations,

Reminding States that they must ensure that any measures
taken to combat terrorism comply with all their obligations
under international law, and should adopt such measures in
accordance with international law, in particular,
international human rights, refugee and humanitarian law,

Commending Member States for their cooperation with the
Counter-Terrorism Committee and calling upon all of them to
continue to cooperate fully with the Committee,


1. Decides to extend the initial period referred to in
paragraph 2 of resolution 1535 (2004) until 31 March 2008;


2. Requests the Executive Director of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, within 60
days of the adoption of this resolution and in consultation
with Council Members, to recommend such changes as he deems
appropriate to the organizational plan referred to in
paragraph 4 of resolution 1535 (2004),and to submit them to
the Counter-Terrorism Committee for its consideration and
endorsement prior to the expiration of the period referred to
in paragraph 1 of this resolution;


3. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

END TEXT.


Khalilzad