Remarks by Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, At An Open Security Council Debate on the United Nations' Counter-Terrorism Committees, May 10, 2012

Rosemary A. DiCarlo
Deputy  Permanent Representative to the United Nations 

New York, NY

May 10, 2012

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President. The United States would like to commend the work of the respective Committee Chairs for their exceptional efforts and strong leadership. As we look back on the past decade, the Council’s sustained commitment to promote the implementation of resolutions 1267, 1373, and 1540 has helped cement a global consensus against terrorism in all its forms. As a result, we now have stronger legal and policy tools to fight terrorism at both the national and regional levels.

Mr. President, even though Osama bin-Laden no longer directs the al-Qaeda organization, we remain gravely concerned that al-Qaeda and its affiliates continue to carry out unconscionable acts of terrorism in diverse regions of the world. The 1267 Committee must continue to be vigilant and adapt to this evolving threat. We particularly encourage the Committee, with the support of the 1267 Monitoring Team, to rededicate itself to ensuring full implementation of the 1267 asset freeze, arms embargo, and travel ban. We envision swift and credible responses to reported non-compliance, as well as providing training and capacity-building support. We also welcome recent major improvements to the fairness and transparency of the Committee's work and once again commend the Ombudsperson for her hard work and diligence.

Mr. President, we continue to strongly support the work of the CTC and its Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate to monitor and promote the implementation of resolutions 1373 and 1624. We are particularly pleased that CTED’s work has evolved in recent years to become more "hands-on" and practical in its focus. In a spirit of innovation and collaboration, CTED should continue to strengthen its work at the bilateral, sub-regional, and regional levels to facilitate capacity-building assistance.

We believe the new UN Centre for Counter-Terrorism is already helping focus the UN system on improving coordination on CT issues. We also think that the appointment of a UN Counter-Terrorism coordinator, as proposed by the Secretary-General, can help foster a more strategic and coordinated UN approach to these issues. In this environment, we hope there will be further opportunities for the CTC and CTED to address some of the critical civilian CT challenges of today. For example, more work remains to be done in countering the increase in kidnapping for ransom as a means of financing terrorism and other criminal activity, which poses a threat to all nations and their citizens. As a first step to eradicating this practice, we need to help ensure that terrorist hostage takers cannot enjoy the benefits of ransoms.

As we discussed in last month's Security Council session on illicit cross-border trafficking, the UN must also improve its ability to help Member States secure porous or unguarded borders that allow terrorists to travel with impunity. The UN has a role to play in helping states strengthen the capacity of civilian courts to prosecute and convict terrorists. The United States is pleased to continue to support CTED-led projects that bring together practitioners at regional and subregional levels to address common CT challenges.

Mr. President, this year the United States has promoted the implementation of resolution 1540 through our presidency of the G8 in both the Global Partnership and the Nonproliferation Directors Group. The G8 continues to work closely with the 1540 Committee to find meaningful ways to respond to requests for assistance from Member States, including by engaging with international governmental organizations which are able to provide programs and training.

In September 2011, the United States hosted the first country visit by the Committee and its Group of Experts to review our whole-of-government approach to preventing the proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. We are pleased to see that other states have similarly invited the Committee to conduct such visits and share their best practices for implementing resolution 1540 and hope that this trend continues.

To ensure continued progress, the United States strongly encourages other Member States and regional organizations to contribute to the UNODA Trust Fund for Global and Regional Disarmament. Implementation of resolution 1540 does more than address proliferation issues. It also benefits Member States by focusing on broader security concerns such as border controls, trafficking in drugs and weapons, maritime security, and public health -- all of which contributes to the maintenance of international peace and security.

Mr. President, we are pleased with the progress made by these committees. Under the capable leadership of the chairs, the Council’s counterterrorism efforts will guide and reinforce Member States’ actions to deter terrorism, including the threats posed by al-Qaida and its affiliated groups, as well as proliferation efforts by non-state actors. Thank you, Mr. President.

 

###