VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0820/01 2562315
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 122315Z SEP 08
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 4933

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000820 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER UNGA PREL
SUBJECT: UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY REVIEWS ITS GLOBAL 
COUNTER-TERRORISM STRATEGY 
 
REF: STATE 94862 
 
¶1. Summary.  The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) 
reviewed its Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (UNGA 
Resolution 60/288) on September 4 and 5. The debate went 
smoothly and was without controversy. The Secretariat and 
many delegations mentioned that they support the 
reorganization and institutionalization of the UN's 
Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF). Some 
states also said that the United Nations has to define 
terrorism so that more can be done to combat terrorism. 
Other states registered a need to conclude a UN Comprehensive 
Convention on Terrorism.  At the conclusion of the two day 
debate, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 
(A/RES/62/272) by consensus, reaffirming the Strategy. 
Paragraph 11 of the resolution calls for institutionalizing 
the CTITF.  The full text of the resolution is contained in 
paragraph 9 below.  U.S. Deputy Permanent Representative 
Alejandro Wolff delivered a statement as instructed in reftel 
and praised the Strategy as a pragmatic, action-oriented 
approach to fighting terrorism and highlighted U.S. funding 
of numerous cooperative and capacity building initiatives to 
help partner nations better combat terrorism.   End summary. 
 
Background 
 
¶2. The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, contained in 
General Assembly resolution 60/288, sets forth a plan of 
action to prevent and combat terrorism through four basic 
approaches:  (1) measures to address the conditions conducive 
to the spread of terrorism; (2) measures to prevent and 
combat terrorism, in particular by denying terrorists access 
to the means to carry out their attacks, including financing; 
(3) measures to build States' capacity to prevent and combat 
terrorism; and (4) measures to ensure respect for human 
rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis 
of the fight against terrorism.  The Secretary General 
established the CTITF in July of 2005 to mobilize the UN and 
its constituent agencies to identify concrete deliverables 
under each of the four topical pillars of the Strategy.  The 
Task Force has set up several working groups, but there have 
been some concerns that the Task Force has not been 
sufficiently transparent in its operations. 
 
The Debate 
 
¶3. More than sixty Member States and Observers made 
statements during the two day debate.  Highlights of some of 
the statements follow.  Pakistan, on behalf of the 
Organization of Islamic Conference Member States, expressed 
concern about a lack of transparency by the Task Force, 
including the setting up of working groups without wide 
consultation with Member States.  Pakistan also emphasized 
that the planning of the September 9 Secretariat symposium on 
victims should have included multilateral intergovernmental 
consultation.  Palau made the point that some states lack 
financial capacity to implement the counter-terrorism 
strategy and relevant treaties.  Palau, for example, said 
that it lacks the funds to join Interpol. 
 
¶4. Kuwait, speaking on behalf of the Arab Group, focused on 
the lack of a definition for terrorism and said that the 
absence of an internationally agreed upon definition may 
hinder the efforts to combat terrorism. Referring to the 
CTITF, Malaysia said that from the very beginning, the CTITF 
should have been part of the Secretariat and accountable to 
Member States. 
 
¶5. The resolution, adopted by consensus, reaffirms the 2006 
Counter-Terrorism Strategy without any changes.  It includes 
a paragraph aimed at making the Task Force more transparent, 
including UNGA interaction with the Task Force on a regular 
basis in order to receive briefings and offer the Task Force 
policy advice. Prior to the resolution's adoption, the 
Secretariat read a statement confirming that there would be 
no financial implications under the Program Budget for 
2008-2009. 
 
¶5. Begin text: 
 
"The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy 
 
The General Assembly, 
 
Reaffirming the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism 
Strategy, contained in General Assembly resolution 60/288 of 
8 September 2006, which called for, inter alia, an 
examination in two years of progress made in the 
implementation of the Strategy, and for consideration of 
updating it to respond to changes, as provided for in 
paragraph 3 (b) of that resolution, 
 
Recalling the pivotal role of the General Assembly in 
 
 
following up the implementation and updating of the Strategy, 
 
Renewing its unwavering commitment to strengthen 
international cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism, in 
all its forms and manifestations, 
 
Recognizing that international cooperation and any measure 
undertaken by Member States to prevent and combat terrorism 
must fully comply with their obligations under international 
law, including the Charter of the United Nations and relevant 
international conventions and protocols, in particular human 
rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law, 
 
Convinced that the General Assembly is the competent organ 
with universal membership to address the issue of 
international terrorism, 
 
Mindful of the need to enhance the role of the United Nations 
and the specialized agencies, within their mandates, in the 
implementation of the Strategy, 
 
Stressing that the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task 
Force shall carry out its activities within the framework of 
its mandate, with policy guidance offered by Member States 
through interaction with the General Assembly on a regular 
basis, 
 
Recognizing the importance of institutionalizing the Task 
Force within the Secretariat; 
 
¶1.  Reiterates its strong condemnation of terrorism in all 
its forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever 
and for whatever purposes, as it constitutes one of the most 
serious threats to international peace and security; 
 
¶2.  Reaffirms the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism 
Strategy and its four pillars, which constitutes an ongoing 
effort, and calls upon Member States, the United Nations and 
other appropriate international regional and subregional 
organizations to step up their efforts to implement the 
Strategy in an integrated manner and in all its aspects; 
 
¶3.  Also takes note of the report of the Secretary-General 
entitled "The United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism 
Strategy:  activities of the United Nations system in 
implementing the strategy"; 
 
¶4.  Also takes note of the measures that Member States, as 
well as appropriate international, regional and subregional 
organizations have adopted within the framework of the 
Strategy, as presented at the first biennial review of the 
Strategy, on 4 and 5 September 2008, all of which strengthen 
cooperation to fight terrorism, in particular through the 
exchange of best practices; 
 
¶5.  Reaffirms the primary responsibility of Member States to 
implement the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism 
Strategy while further recognizing the need to enhance the 
important role the United Nations plays, in coordination with 
other international, regional and subregional organizations, 
as appropriate, in facilitating coherence in the 
implementation of the Strategy as the national, regional and 
global levels and in providing assistance, especially in the 
area of capacity-building; 
 
¶6.  Encourages non-governmental organizations and civil 
society to engage, as appropriate, on how to enhance efforts 
to implement the Strategy, including through interaction with 
Member States and the United Nations system; 
 
¶7.  Calls upon the United Nations entities involved in 
supporting counter-terrorism efforts to continue to 
facilitate the promotion and protection of human rights and 
fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism; 
 
¶8.  Calls upon States that have not done so to consider 
becoming parties in a timely manner to the existing 
international conventions and protocols against terrorism and 
upon all States to make every effort to conclude a 
comprehensive convention on international terrorism, and 
recalls the commitments of Member States with regard to the 
implementation of General Assembly and Security Council 
resolutions relating to international terrorism; 
 
¶9.  Notes with appreciation the continued contribution of the 
United Nations entities and subsidiary bodies of the Security 
Council to the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force; 
 
¶10.  Reaffirms the need to enhance international cooperation 
in countering terrorism, and in this regard recalls the role 
of the United Nations system in promoting international 
cooperation and capacity-building as one of the elements of 
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy; 
 
 
 
 
¶11.  Urges the Secretary-General to make the necessary 
arrangements to carry out the institutionalization of the 
Task Force, in accordance with resolution 60/288, in order to 
ensure overall coordination and coherence in the 
counter-terrorism efforts of the United Nations system. 
 
¶12.  Decides to interact with the Task Force on a regular 
basis, in order to receive briefings and reports on its 
current and future work, assess the work being undertaken on 
the Strategy implementation efforts, including the work of 
the Task Force, and offer policy guidance; 
 
¶13.  Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General 
Assembly at its sixty-fourth session a report on progress 
made in the implementation of the Strategy, which could 
contain suggestions for its future implementation by the 
United Nations system, as well as in the implementation of 
the present resolution; 
 
¶14.  Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its 
sixty-fourth session an item entitled "The United Nations 
Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy", in order to undertake in 
two years an examination of the report of the 
Secretary-General requested in paragraph 13 above as well as 
implementation of the Strategy on the part of Member States 
and to consider updating it in response to changes. End Text. 
 
 
 
Khalilzad