Open Security Council Debate on Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts
Statement by Ambassador Thomas Mayr-Harting, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, New York, 9 December 2008:
Mr. President,
At the outset, Austria would like to thank the Croatian Presidency of the Security Council for its timely and important initiative to organize today’s open debate on “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”. In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, we express our solidarity and deep sympathy with the victims as well as with their families. These heinous attacks amply demonstrate the need for a multilateral approach and confirm the pivotal role of the United Nations at the centre of our joint counter-terrorism efforts, as stressed by the Secretary-General in his statement this morning.
Mr. President,
Austria aligns itself with the statement by the French Presidency on behalf of the European Union. I will thus limit my intervention to highlighting three points, to which Austria attaches particular importance:
First, respect for human rights and the rule of law is a fundamental basis of the fight against terrorism. Effective counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting goals, but complementary and mutually reinforcing. On the one hand, the development of an effective and rule of law-based national system of law enforcement and criminal justice is an essential element to prevent terrorist acts and to bring terrorists to justice. On the other hand, we all must ensure that any measures taken to combat terrorism comply with our obligations under international law, in particular human rights law, refugee law and international humanitarian law.
We welcome the steps taken by the Security Council and its subsidiary bodies in this regard, including the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, under the able chairmanship of Croatia, and its Executive Directorate in addressing human rights aspects of counter-terrorism in the context of resolution 1373 (2001)[1], as well as the efforts of the 1267-Sanctions Committee, ably chaired by Belgium, and its Monitoring Team to strengthen the procedures for listing and delisting of individuals and entities in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions. We believe that the Security Council should be proactive in further improving “fair and clear procedures” to protect the rights of individuals affected by its decisions, as recommended in the report of the Austrian initiative on “The UN Security Council and the Rule of Law”[2].
Mr. President,
My second point is that, in order to succeed, our counter-terrorism efforts require an integrated, balanced and multidimensional approach, covering a broad range of both “hard” and “soft” measures. For instance, it is essential to strengthen coordination and cooperation in combating crimes that are connected with terrorism, such as organized crime, human trafficking, drugs trafficking and illicit arms trade. At the same time, we must redouble our efforts to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism and promote a culture of peace, mutual respect and tolerance, including through dialogue among religions and civilizations. Combating the incitement of terrorist acts, radicalization and recruitment of terrorists, especially through the internet, remains one of our key challenges. In this regard, we stress the need for full implementation of resolution 1624 (2005). Finally, we must further encourage active involvement of civil society, including the media, victims’ organizations and the private sector in the fight against terrorism.
Third, and finally, as was explicitly recognized in the UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy, capacity-building is a core element of the global counter-terrorism effort. Many States lack the legal and organisational framework to effectively combat terrorism. Our key challenge is to support States by providing technical assistance to strengthen their capacity to prevent, to protect their citizens from and to respond to terrorist attacks. In this context, Austria calls upon the Counter-Terrorism Committee and CTED to intensify their efforts in facilitating assistance, as well as the Terrorism Prevention Branch of UNODC, which has so far provided technical assistance to more than 150 States, to further enhance its successful activities to develop the capacity of States.
Mr. President,
In conclusion, Austria once again warmly welcomes this open debate and the adoption of a presidential statement today. This will send a strong message to the world that we all stand united to overcome the global threat of terrorism.
Thank you!
[1] Cf. Resolution 1805 (2008) and S/2008/80.
[2] See A/63/69-S/2008/270,recommendations 15 to 17; cf. also www.bmeia.gv.at/newyorkov/rolreport.
