UNGA/C-6: UNGA'S 6TH COMMITTEE DISCUSSES TERRORISM

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000942

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PTER UNGA
SUBJECT: UNGA/C-6: UNGA'S 6TH COMMITTEE DISCUSSES TERRORISM

REF: 07 USUN NY 880


1. Summary: The Sixth Committee held its debate on agenda
item 99, "Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism,"
from October 8-9. The majority of speakers called for the
conclusion of the draft Comprehensive Convention for
Combating International Terrorism. Some called for it to
include a definition of terrorism which should exclude acts
in exercise of a people's right to self-determination and in
order to oppose occupying forces. As in last year's debate
(Ref A),Trinidad and Tobago (speaking for the Caribbean
Community) referred to the terrorist bombing of an airliner
that occured in the Caribbean region 32 years ago and has not
been resolved. Cuba and Venezuela reproached the United
States handling of the Luis Posada Carriles case. They
allege that he was responsible for that incident. USUN
responded using the Department's instructions. The
Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK) called U.S.
activity in Iraq and Afghanistan an example of "state
terrorism." In an impassioned address, Sudan highlighted
"creative" new forms of terrorism, calling the International
Criminal Court (ICC) a terrorist organization. Paragraph 8
lists all the delegations that gave statements. End Summary.


SUPPORT FOR UN COUNTER TERRORISM EFFORTS
--------------


2. Many Delegations condemned terrorism and agreed that such
acts can never be justified. A majority of delegates
expressed support for the first review of the 2006 UN Global
Counter Terrorism Strategy (UNGCTS) as an important step in
furthering the work of the United Nations against terrorism.
Speakers lauded the UN General Assembly as the best place to
coordinate an international response to the threat of
terrorism. Additionally, delegations called for the UNGCTS
to be a living document, reviewed regularly. Most speakers
emphasized that the Member States themselves are responsible
for the implementation of the strategy. Many interventions
argued that the United Nations must work to prevent terrorism
and not simply respond. Representatives argued that the
United Nations should address the causes of terrorism through
economic and social development, and should provide
international justice that will facilitate dialogue between
different cultures and religions, fight the trafficking of
drugs and persons, and counter organized crime.


3. Fifty of the sixty-seven interventions expressed support
for the draft Comprehensive Convention for Combating
International Terrorism (CCCIT). Several praised the Ad Hoc
Committee coordinator's compromise proposal. Speakers
identified the key obstacles to consensus as first, the need
for exceptions in describing terrorist acts and second, a
distinction between acts of terrorism and acts of defense
against occupying forces. The Arab Group members emphasized
that terrorism cannot be linked to a particular religion,
race, or culture. Several members supported, in the words of
Pakistan's intervention, the "legitimate right of peoples to
resist foreign occupation" as they claimed is recognized in
International Law, International Humanitarian Law and General
Assembly resolution 46/51. However, Israel argued,
"Terrorism has sought legitimacy in the form of recognition
of a distinction between so called permissible and
impermissible forms of terror." The Israeli representative
cautioned that agreement on a definition of terrorism
requires "legal precision and moral clarity." She continued
that consensus on the CCCIT should not come at the cost of
those principles if Members States want an effective tool
against terrorism.

SECURITY COUNCIL TRANSPARENCY & OTHER PROPOSALS
-------------- --


4. Many speakers acknowledged the importance of the UN
Security Council (UNSC) and its subsidiary bodies in fighting
terrorism. However, a few, including Cuba and Iceland,
argued that the UNSC's work should be more transparent. Cuba
specifically asked the UNSC to streamline the procedure for
listing and de-listing countries in regard to sanctions to
address due process and transparency. A large number of the
non-aligned movement (NAM) members called for a high level
conference to define terrorism, although France said that
this conference should not come until after consensus is
achieved on a CCCIT. The Arab Group members and NAM
advocated for King Abudullah Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud's (Saudia
Arabia) proposal to establish an International Center under
the United Nations to combat international terrorism.
Several countries called for a conference to create an
International Code of Conduct to coordinate multilateral
efforts to prevent terrorism in conformity with international
law.

SUDAN
--------------



5. Sudan condemned not only terrorism but state terrorism.
Listing examples of Sudan's moderation, tolerance and
progress toward countering terrorism, Sudan highlighted its
role in negotiating the release of European Hostages on the
Sudanese-Chad border. Sudan also argued that the
international community's efforts to combat terrorism were
unbalanced. He listed ways that some groups, including the
ICC, committed state terrorism. At one point, he called
occupying forces a "disgusting charicature" and "the second
face on the coin of terrorism." He specifically condemned
the ICC for its decision against Sudan, saying it is
"political extortion" and a "tool for blackmail, a tool for
coercion. Isn't this terrorism?"

ACCUSING THE UNITED STATES OF TERRORISM
--------------


6. After delivering an intervention on behalf of NAM, Cuba
took the floor separately on its own behalf and conveyed a
detailed account of the United States' actions regarding Luis
Posada Carillas. Chiefly, Cuba complained that Posada had
neither been tried for terrorism, nor extradited and has been
free in the United States since May 8, 2008. Further, Cuba
argued that the United States had tried five Cuban "heroes"
and sentenced them to 10 years in prison, although these men
were simply "fighting against terrorism in Miami." Venezuela
also accused the United States of hypocrisy in its dealings
with Posada, stating that Venezuela is still "waiting for a
response" on Posada's extradition. Cuba and Venezuela
repeated their positions while exercising rights-of-reply to
the U.S. intervention. The representative from DPRK accused
the United States of "state terrorism" in Iraq and
Afghanistan. DPRK said that no state should be able to use
counter terroism to accomplish its own political objectives.


7. In its intervention, USUN rebutted the Cuban and
Venezuelan statements on Posada. Drawing on Department
guidance, USUN stated that Posada entered the United States
illegally, was detained, and then was placed in removal
proceedings and that he is currently in the United States
without official status and is under observation by DHS. The
intervention also clarified the facts of the case of the five
men in Miami who were tried in an open and public trial for
espionage. USUN detailed the rights and due process under
U.S. law that these men were afforded.

LIST OF SPEAKERS
--------------


8. Sixty-seven delegations gave statements: Russia (on
behalf of the Shanghai Cooperative Organization),Mexico (on
behalf of the Rio Group),Cuba (on behalf of the NAM),
Australia (on behalf of CANZ),Vietnam (on behalf of ASEAN),
Trinidad & Tobago (on behalf of the Caribbean Community),
Kenya (on behalf of the Africa Group),France (on behalf of
the EU),Pakistan (on behalf of the Organization of the
Islamic Conference),Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Switzerland,
Sudan, UAE, Turkey, Nigeria, Algeria, Israel, DRC, Tunisia,
Guatemala, Indonesia, Columbia, India, Lesotho, Cuba, Yemen,
Uganda, Belarus, Iceland, Tanzania, Republic of Korea, Syria,
Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Mozambique, Oman, Morocco, Egypt,
Japan, Myanmar, Cote d'Ivoire, DPRK, Singapore, Iran,
Senegal, Qatar, Venezuela, Iraq, Norway, Sri Lanka, Angola,
Libya, Malaysia, Cameroon, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Ecuador,
Mali, Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Nicaragua, Kuwait, China,
Maldives, United States. Cuba and Venezuela exercized
rights-of-reply to the United States.
Wolff