Fight against terrorism
Table des matières
The second Global Counterterrorism Forum ministerial meeting will take place on June 7 in Istanbul; this forum was launched in New York on September 22, 2011. The discussions will focus on the work carried out over the last 6 months within the framework of this forum, in areas such as criminal justice, the rule of law, countering radicalization, and capacity building in several regions, notably the Sahel.
On this occasion, France would like to draw the attention of its partners to the troubling situation in northern Mali, where AQIM is present.
On a technical level, this forum will make it possible to compare the means and methods used to combat terrorist groups, and to establish best practices that are helpful to the entire international community.
France will be represented by the Political Director, Mr. Jacques Audibert.
1. Overview 
The United Nations is involved in the fight against terrorism through several mechanisms.
Sanctions regimes against entities and individual associated with Al-Qaida (1267 Committee) and the Taliban (1988 Committee)
The UN introduced a sanctions regime against entities and individuals associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban within the framework of resolution 1267 of 15 October 1999, (arms embargo, travel bans and the freezing of assets). This resolution established a Sanctions Committee, known as Committee 1267, which brings together all of the Security Council members. The Committee benefits from the support of a “Monitoring Team” made up of independent experts appointed by the Secretary-General.
The arrangements put in place by resolution 1267 were improved by resolution 1822 (2008) and by resolution 1904, co-sponsored by France and adopted unanimously by the Security Council on 17 December 2009. Resolution 1904 brought substantial improvements to the functioning of the Sanctions Committee established by resolution 1267 in terms of efficiency, transparency and fairness.
The resolution created an Ombudsperson who will study in an impartial and independent manner the requests for delisting by individuals under UN sanctions, and will report to the Sanctions Committee. These requests will be submitted directly to the office of the ombudsperson. The Secretary General appointed Ms. Kimberly Prost, a Canadian judge, as ombudsperson in June 2010.
The sanctions regime was overhauled with resolutions 1988 and 1989, adopted unanimously on 30 June 2011, which separates the Taliban and Al Qaeda lists. France cosponsored both these resolutions.
— Resolution 1988 creates a country-specific sanctions regime for the Taliban and those associated with them in constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan. It establishes a new sanctions committee. The sanctions remain the same (asset freeze, arme embargo, travel ban). The resolution calls upon Member States to coordinate their delisting requests with the government of Afghanistan.
On 15 July 2011, the Security Council decided to withdraw 14 names from the list sanctioning the Taliban, bringing to 123 the number of sanctioned individuals (learn more about Afghanistan).
— Resolution 1989 maintains the 1267 sanctions committee which now applies only to Al Qaeda. A new delisting process is set up: whereas before, any delisting required a unanimous consent from the Committee (composed of all members of the Security Council), now a delisting recommended by the Ombudsperson or requested by the designating State will be effective after 60 days unless there is a consensus by the Committee that the individual or entity should remain on the sanctions list. Each member of the Committee will have the possibility to request a decision of the Security Council on the matter.
After resolution 1904, resolution 1989 made substantial new improvements to the functioning of the Sanctions Committee established by resolution 1267 in terms of efficiency, transparency and fairness, in particular by strengthening the powers of the ombudsperson.
- Fight against terrorism - 1373 Committee
Resolution 1373, adopted on September 28, 2001, following the September 11 terrorist acts, imposed obligations on all States with regard to fighting terrorism and established the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC, or 1373 Committee). This Committee brings together the members of the Security Council, oversees the implementation of resolution 1373 by the States, which must give regular reports on the measures taken for this purpose.
The Committee benefits from the support of an executive directorate (Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate – CTED) established by resolution 1535 (2004), the mandate of which was defined and extended by resolutions 1805 (2008) and 1963 (2010) for three years.
Through this resolution the Security Council invited the Committee to give an annual report on the global implementation of resolution 1373.
- Measures to prevent non-state entities from having access to weapons of mass desctruction - 1540 Committee
The Security Council decided in resolution 1540 (2004) that the entire international community should adopt appropriate measures to prevent non-state entities, particularly terrorists from having access to nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons or their components.
The main objective is for States to pass legislative and regulatory measures in order to criminalize, monitor and deter any activity that would enable such groups to acquire these assets. The Security Council asks states in particular to control and monitor the possible production, transit and transfer across borders of such goods and also to establish controls with respect to their security and protection.
A committee (1540 Committee) was established to ensure compliance with these measures and to provide crucial assistance to states.
The mandate of the 1540 Committee was successively extended for two years by resolution 1673 (2006), for three years by resolution 1810, and then for ten years by resolution 1977 on 20 April 2011. Adopted under Chapter VII, resolution 1977 reiterates the obligation imposed on States to adopt national measures to control proliferation. It gives the Committee the means to ensure its mandate more effectively by creating a group of experts to assist it and enhancing the action of the Committee regarding assistance, in order to help States to implement resolution 1540.
- The Security Council meets every six months under the item "Threats to international peace and security caused by acts of terrorism", to hear presentations by the chairpersons of committees 1267, 1373 and 1540. The chairmen of these committees are permanent representatives of member countries of the Security Council (currently: Germany for 1267, India for 1373, and South Africa for 1540).
- The General Assembly adopted a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on 6 September 2006. The strategy aims to achieve consistency mechanisms to fight against terrorism and to strengthen existing cooperation between States and international and regional organizations dealing with fight against terrorism. It also calls for the General Assembly to monitor implementation and to conduct examinations and periodic updates. To ensure proper coordination and the implementation of the strategy. a "task force against terrorism" (United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force - CTITF) was created. The task force includes the entities of the UN family involved in this subject and is intended to coordinate them.
A new body to fight against terrorism was created in December 2011 (resolution A/66/10) within this Task Force: the United Nations Centre for the fight against terrorism (UNCCT). This center, funded for three years by Saudi Arabia, also aims to support the Strategy. The Centre has an Advisory Council, to which France belongs, whose function is to provide guidance on the work of the Centre.
- Thirteen conventions and three protocols relating to the fight against terrorism have been adopted since 1963. A draft comprehensive convention on terrorism is under consideration but after several years of work has not yet been finalized due to the fact that, in particular, a consensus on the definition of terrorism has not been reached.
(January 2013)
2. Latest French statements
13 May 2013 - Security Council - The challenges of the fight against terrorism in Africa - Statement by Mr Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
10 May 2013 - Security Council - Fight against terrorism / Sanctions Committee - Statement by Mrs Béatrice Le Fraper, Counsellor for Legal Issues of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
15 January 2013 - Security Council - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Statement by Mr Martin Briens, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
14 November 2012 - Security Council - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Statement by Mr. Philippe Bertoux, Political Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
10 May 2012 - Security Council - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Statement by Mr. Martin Briens, Deputy Permanent representative of France to the United Nations
4 May 2012 - Security Council - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Statement by Mr. Martin Briens, Deputy Permanent representative of France to the United Nations
17 June 2011 - Security Council - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts - Statement by Mr. Gérard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
16 May 2011 - Security Council - Terrorism - Transnational threats to international peace and security - Statement by Mr Martin Briens, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
21 April 2011 - Nonproliferation – Adoption of Resolution 1977 - Statement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
15 November 2010 - Security Council - Acts of terrorism - Statement by Mr. Emmanuel Bonne, Political Counsellor of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
27 September 2010 - Security Council - Terrorist acts - Statement by Mr. Gerard Araud, Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
11 May 2010 - Security Council - Acts of terrorism : Statement by Mr. Nicolas de Rivière, Chargé d’affaires A.I. of France to the United Nations
13 November 2009 - Security Council: Terrorism (1267, 1373 and 1540 Committees) - Statement by Emmanuel Bonne, Political Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations
26 May 2009 - Security Council : Counter-terrorism - Statement by Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United nations
9 December 2008 - Security Council : Counter-terrorism – Statement by Mr. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union
4 September 2008 - United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy - 62nd session of the General Assembly of the UN – Statement by Mr. Francis Delon, General Secretary of National Defence, and Mr. Gilles de Kerchove, European Coordinator of the fight against terrorism
14 November 2007 – Counter-terrorism - Statement by Mr. Jean-Maurice Ripert, Permanent Representative of France to the UN
3. Reference documents
15 January 2013 - Security Council - Presidential Statement - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorists acts
17 December 2012 - Security Council - Resolutions 2082 and 2083 - renewing for 18 months the sanctions regimes against Al Qaeda and the Talibans
19 July 2012 - Security Council - Press statement on terrorist attack in Bulgaria
7 December 2011 - Resolution A/66/10 - United Nations Centre for the fight against terrorism
2 May 2011 - Security Council - Terrorism - Presidential Statement
Resolution 1977 (2011) - Extension of the mandate of the 1540 Committee
Resolution 1963 (2010) - Renewing the mandate of the Counter Terrorism Executive Directorate
Resolution 64/297 - The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
Statement by the President of the Security Council - S/PRST/2010/19 - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorists acts
Resolution 1904 (2009) - Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
Resolution 1810 (2008) - Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction
September 2006 – Resolution A/RES/60/288 - The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy
Resolution 1673 (2006) - Follow-up on resolution 1540
Resolution 1624 (2005) - Threat to international peace and security (Security Council Summit 2005)
Resolution 1540 (2004) - International cooperation in the fight against terrorism
Resolution 1373 (2001) - Threat against international peace and security caused by terrorist
Resolution 1267 (1999) : International cooperation in the fight against terrorism
5. Useful links
Website of the 1540 Committee
Report on terrorism on the website of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Website of the UN action to counter terrorism
Website of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CCT)
