NEW SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND FIRST

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000062 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREF PREL UNSC SUBJECT: NEW SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ATTEND FIRST COUNTER-TERRORISM COMMITTEE (CTC) MEETING ¶1. This is an action cable, see paragraph 5 below. ¶2. Summary. New members of the Security Council attended their first CTC meeting January 22. The agenda included a discussion of the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate's (CTED) reports on its visits to Niger and Kenya and on the preparation for its future visits to Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. CTED briefed the CTC on a financial donation made by Colombia to the CTC, with CTC members remaining divided on how to utilize that donation. The CTC also considered and approved the draft preliminary implementation assessment (PIA) cover notes and letters for Cambodia and South Africa, and discussed its program of work for the period 1 January - 30 June 2009. End Summary ¶3. CTED briefed the CTC on its visits to Niger (11-15 February 2008) and Kenya (10-14 October 2008). Although Niger has adopted an Act (Title VI) amending and expanding the Niger Penal Code, entitled "Terrorism and the Financing of Terrorism", it still has some work to do in the area of money laundering. CTED's visit to Kenya was a follow-up visit to monitor Kenya's implementation of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). Kenya is in the process of revising its counter-terrorism laws and has drafted the Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2006 (ATB 2006). Although the ATB 2006 has been prepared, it has not been submitted to the Kenyan Parliament. According to CTED, Kenyan officials noted that the political events which followed Kenya's recent elections would likely delay enactment of the ATB 2006. Kenya has made positive strides regulating charitable organizations and is conducting a national verification exercise to ensure that NGOs are registered and that their funds are used for the purpose intended. ¶4. CTED plans to visit Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands 30 January - 6 February 2009. The objective of the visit is to examine all practical measures that each of the four countries uses to implement their obligations under paragraph 1(c) of resolution 1373 (Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts, or provide safe havens),and to understand each country's national strategic priorities in the delivery of technical assistance and training in order to support global implementation of resolution 1373. ¶5. In July of 2008, the UN received a package of voluntary contributions from the Government of Colombia, including one contribution of US $37,726 that was directed to the CTC. Other contributions included resources for the World Food Program in Haiti ($90,000) and for the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF)($50,000). According to the Note Verbale accompanying notification of the contributions, the CTC could use the designated extra-budgetary resources without restriction. CTED raised the idea of creating a CTED trust fund into which the Colombian donation could be placed. France, the UK and Austria said that for various reasons the establishment of a CTED trust fund would not be prudent and suggested that the money be placed into the CTITF trust fund. The U.K. said that in the past, the issue of a CTED trust fund had been discussed and it had problems with the use of such funds for technical assistance. CTED agreed to look into the viability of transfering the funds to CTITF's trust fund and indicated that if any such money intended for use by CTED were placed in CTITF's trust fund, it would be earmarked for joint ventures between the CTITF and CTED. USUN requests the Department's position on the creation of a CTED trust fund, transfer of the Colombian donation to the CTITF's trust fund and/or any suggestions for an alternative use or placement of the funds. ¶6. The CTC's workplan was discussed in an informal meeting following the formal meeting. China raised some concerns with an element of the workplan that indicates the CTC will continue to reflect on additional ways to address the cases of States that do not meet the requirements of resolution ¶1373. The Chair responded that the element has been contained in the CTC's workplan for the last 18 months and that he saw no reason to eliminate it at this point. In closing, the Chair said he would send the workplan out to members of the CTC under a silence procedure for adoption during the week of 26 January. Rice