General Assembly Security Council

Open debate on Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts - Statement by Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin, Permanent Representative, at the United Nations Security Council on   April 14, 2016

 

Mr. President,    
 

     Thank you for organizing the open debate on 'Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts'. Terrorism is a global phenomenon to which no country or society can today remain immune or indifferent to.  According to authoritative accounts 2850 lives have been lost and nearly 4500 others have been injured in terrorist related violence in 38 countries during the first 3 months of this year. In effect, terrorism is extracting a deadly price. We, therefore, welcome your initiative to hold this debate as a step in a 'global' approach to a collective challenge. 
 

Mr. President,
 

    The international community has made progress in evolving a rule based order to manage diverse aspects of globalization, however, it still has some way to traverse in addressing evolving security threats such as terrorism.  Terrorists are now globally networked. They have expanded their footprint and have mutated into hydra headed monsters. Alas, the international community's counter terrorism efforts are still in an embryonic form.  
 

The United Nations is uniquely placed to provide the platform necessary for real cooperation and coordination in our common fight against terrorism. This cooperation needs to encompass norm-setting, rule-making as well as practical and specific ways to counter terrorism. It is for this reason we feel that the actions of the Security Council alone, no matter how effective in responding to identified threats, cannot provide a sufficient response to the global scourge of terror.  
 

 To put the counter terror efforts that many governments now undertake in a broader normative construct the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism is an imperative.  This will put in place a framework that enables local action to fit with global norms. It will generate coherence in national responses against what is a challenge to all of us collectively.   
 

Even as we work to advance the prospects of a normative framework in the form of the CCIT, there are several other steps that can be taken to delegitimize terrorism. 
 

One, we agree with the proposition in the Concept Note that all terrorist acts are criminal, no matter whenever, wherever and by whomsoever these are committed.  The world today does not accept any 'cause' as justification for terrorism. Every outcome document referring to terrorism needs to reinforce this approach. Statements of solidarity when attacks happen and expressions of policy independent of happenings have a value often underestimated. 

 

Two, frameworks like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) that sets standards with respect to combating money laundering and terrorist financing or the Egmont Group, which is an informal network of Financial Intelligence Units   are important elements in degrading and defeating terrorist organizations.
 

Three, we need to effectively control upstream and downstream activities associated with terrorism and also address the ecosystem that spawns terrorism. We therefore support the formulation of a legal framework to criminalise Foreign Terrorist Fighters. 
 

Four, in terms of tangible support the Security Council Sanctions Committees need to foster greater responsiveness to Member States requests for preventive listings to counter terror.  They also need to follow up complaints against violations by listed individuals and entities more vigorously.
 

Five, the procedures of unanimity and anonymity of the Al Qaeda, Taliban & ISIS Sanctions Committees need to be revisited.  Currently, they result in a lack of accountability. Each of the 15 members now has a veto and none except these 15 members are told of who is it that has wielded the veto in a specific instance. The general membership of the UN is never ever formally informed of how and why requests for listing terrorists are not acceded to. Counter terror mechanisms such as the Sanctions Committees that act on behalf of the international community need to build trust not engender impunity by the use of this form of a 'hidden' veto.
 

Mr. President, 
 
 I hope that deliberations of this debate feed in positively to the ongoing consolidation on the CCIT and also the upcoming discussions on the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS).  Although we have made progress on some fronts, forging a broad based approach on an issue like countering terrorism is a test we have yet to pass at the United Nations.  Yet, it is also a test we cannot afford to fail.


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