SC – Recommendations on the Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee, the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004)
Recommendations on Cooperation by Ambassador Apakan, Ambassador Heller
and Ambassador Mayr-Harting in their personal capacities
New York, 15 November 2010
Based on our experience as Chairmen of the 1267-, 1373- and 1540-Committee, respectively, we would like to make the following recommendations in our personal capacities with regard to the aspect of cooperation:
1. We would like to propose to the future Chairmen of the three Committees or their representatives to continue to hold regular meetings with the respective groups of experts in order to facilitate cooperation.
2. We recommend quarterly joint town hall style meetings of the expert groups, as well as regular meetings among coordinators and other experts as appropriate.
3. We encourage enhanced and systematized information sharing of all reports about visits, information about facilitating technical assistance and other relevant information among the expert groups.
4. We also encourage better coordination among the expert groups of travel plans, visits to Member States and participation in workshops, within the respective mandates of the expert groups.
5. To maximize the use of such workshops, we propose joint preparations of participation and contributions made at workshops, particularly concerning events organized by one of the expert groups.
6. We also encourage further joint activities to assist Member States in their efforts to comply with their obligations under the relevant resolutions, including through jointly organizing regional and sub-regional workshops.
7. We are of the view that coordinated relations with international, regional and sub-regional organizations, agencies and other UN bodies are necessary. We welcome the latest common strategy of the expert groups on engagement with such organizations and would welcome if this approach was further elaborated. We also see room for further coordination on areas of common relevance to all three Committees, including through common strategies.
8. The above recommendations would be greatly facilitated if the three expert groups were located at the same office and could regularly and more informally interact with each other. We would therefore like to recall the request to the Secretary-General to make the necessary arrangements for the groups to be colocated as soon as possible;
9. The three Committees might also wish to explore new ways to discuss areas of common relevance, including common strategies. One possibility would be to hold joint informal meetings of all three Committees.
The upcoming mandate renewal of CTED at the end of this year might be the next opportunity for the Security Council to provide further guidance on these areas of common interest.
