(As delivered)

STATEMENT BY H.E. MR. KENZO OSHIMA
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF JAPAN
AT THE DEBATE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
ON COUNTER-TERRORISM-RELATED ACTIVITIES

28 SEPTEMBER 2006

Thank you, Mr. President.

First, I wish to thank you for holding today's debate. I would also like to thank the respective Chairs of the Council's three counter-terrorism-related committees for their briefings this morning, and especially thank them for their important efforts in leading the work of their respective committees over these many months. Over the past five years, the Council has rededicated its efforts to take measures to prevent terrorism and has taken various initiatives in order to strengthen Member States' counter-terrorism policies. While it is true on the one hand that there have been significant improvements in the counter-terrorism capacity of Member States, it remains a sober, alarming reality that terrorists have grown more audacious and sinister in their designs and acts, with the net result that the threat of terrorism that we face has not actually abated at all. The international community through the United Nations must step up its efforts to fight this scourge using all means available. In this vein, the Japanese government welcomes the General Assembly's adoption of a resolution on a global counter-terrorism strategy on 8 September. The Security Council continues to play a vital role in the global strategy of the United Nations, and, in conducting its activities in the days to come, it is important that the Council bear in mind that the strategy adopted by the General Assembly calls for further improvement in the work of the three counter-terrorism related committees.

Mr. President,

My government welcomes that a report has been submitted to the Council by the CTC pursuant to resolution 1624 of September last year, based on the reports submitted by Member States on the prohibition of incitement to terrorism. The content of the report is of great interest to us. However, in view of the fact that approximately two-thirds of the Member States have not yet submitted their reports, we would like to join in encouraging those Member States to do so at the earliest date, so that it will be possible for the Council and others to gain a better understanding of the status of implementation of resolution 1624.

Mr. President,

One of the areas in which the three committees need to continue their work is the efforts to ease the reporting burden of some of the Member States. There are two aspects to this work. One is to consider possible kinds of assistance that might be provided to those States which have the will to submit reports but lack the capacity to prepare them. Another aspect is to consider the possibility of consolidating in a single questionnaire the questions addressed to Member States. Both these aspects need to be addressed in tandem and with a sense of urgency. Japan appreciates that, on the former objective, that of assistance, the expert groups of the three committees have recently prepared a common strategy paper. We expect that its consideration in the Council will be expedited to make tangible progress in this regard.

With regard to the visits, we understand that the three committees have gradually undertaken measures to consolidate committee visits to Member States. This is welcome. It is also important to ensure that the follow-up of those visits be carried out effectively. Considering that the CTC has already conducted visits to a number of States and that there are more than five States that are expected to be visited by early next year, we need to elaborate and implement even more thorough follow-up activities, so that the visited States will be able to regard the visits as beneficial to them, too. Such an approach will lead to enhancement of this kind of cooperative relationship between the committees and the States visited.

My government continues to attach great importance to the clearing-house role of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), in close cooperation with the Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG), in identifying specific assistance needs of States and providing necessary information to donors to concretize the needed donor support. We appreciate the proactive efforts of Ambassador Ellen Løj of Denmark, the Chairperson of the CTC, and the CTED, since our last meeting on May 30, to enhance the dialogue with some of the Member States requiring such assistance, including, in our part of the world, the Pacific Islands States. Japan wishes to continue sharing its experience and information in this regard, as one of the donor States.

Mr. President,

The listing and delisting of individuals and entities on the consolidated list of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee are also of great interest to many Member States, including Japan. Although it has not yet reached a final conclusion, the Committee has had substantive discussions on the listing issue, and is very close to reaching a conclusion. In order to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the consolidated list and to effectively contain terrorist activities, we intend to actively contribute to the discussion, so that this issue, including the delisting aspect, will be resolved as early as possible. We appreciate Ambassador César Mayoral for his ongoing efforts to resolve this issue.

Finally, with regard to the 1540 Committee, we are grateful to Ambassador Peter Burian of Slovakia, first for his work and particularly for his participation in the United Nations Conference on Disarmament Issues in Yokohama, Japan this August, in which more than thirty countries, mainly from the Asian region, participated. The Chairman of the 1540 Committee made a presentation on the work of the 1540 Committee, which was most timely coming at this juncture, when the international community is faced with some urgent issues that need to be dealt with effectively, decisively, in the fields of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, including in our part of the world, namely Asia, in the North, Far East, Northeast, South, and West Asia. I wish to take the opportunity to commend that the presentation of Ambassador Burian contributed to enhancing the awareness of the significance of resolution 1540 and the importance of its successful implementation.

Mr. President,

Each of the three committees will continue to vigorously pursue their activities as we approach the end of the year. At that point, it will be necessary for each individual committee to review its achievement and to consider ways to for the Council to realize a more efficient and effective counter-terrorism policy. The comprehensive review of the CTED and the review of the mandate of the Monitoring Team of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee will also be a good opportunity in this regard. Taking into consideration its experience in the committees, my government will continue to play an active role in advancing the work and reform of the three committees.

In closing, my delegation wishes to acknowledge the dedicated and excellent work of the members of the CTED, the experts on the Monitoring Team of the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, the experts on the 1540 Committee and the Secretariat.

I thank you, Mr. President.

Related Information (Counter Terrorism)
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