UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
Statement by H.E. Mr John Dauth LVO Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Australia to the United Nations
Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts
New York 29 July, 2003
Mr President
Australia welcomes the opportunity to address this open meeting of the Security Council on the work of the 1267 al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee and to show our support for the important work of the Committee in preventing treats to international peace and security.
We thank Ambassador Munoz for his comprehensive and informative briefing and for his commitment to making the work of the Committee more transparent. The fight against terrorism is a collective endeavor, and it is substantially assisted by the ready availability of information such as has been provided by Ambassador Munoz this morning.
Mr President
The bombings in Bali on 12 October 2002 exposed Australians to the horror of terrorist attacks on our own doorstep. But Australia stands defiant against the perpetrators of these crimes in their efforts to foster fear. We remain committed to ensuring that justice prevails and to preventing further attacks.
The recent terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco have shown us that al-Qaeda and associated entities remain a threat to international peace and security. Terrorists continue also to challenge the peace and prosperity of the Asia-Pacific region. In these circumstances we acknowledge the continuing importance of the work of the Committee.
We recognize too the importance and utility of the �€˜Consolidated List�€™ which provides a valuable database of the Committee�€™s decisions on the listing of individuals and entities associated with the Tabliban or with al-Qaeda. Australia used this important mechanism to join with 50 other countries in listing the Jema�€™ah Islamiyah terrorist group following the terrorist attacks in Bali last year.
We welcome the reports of the monitoring group established pursuant to resolution 1455 and the focus it has provided on the continuing threat posed by al-Qaeda. As the group�€™s report notes, major challenges for the Committee lie ahead. Ensuring that charities, non-conventional forms of money transfer and the proceeds of crime do not support terrorist activity are particular problems which need still to be addressed.
Mr President
It is necessary also for the 1267 Committee to work effectively with other arms of the UN system to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach to preventing further terrorist attacks. In this regard, we welcome the closer working partnership between the 1267 Committee and the Counter-Terrorism Committee, as encouraged by resolution 1455, and as is being so energetically pursued by the Chairmen of the two committees �€“ Ambassadors Arias and Munoz.
Mr President
Australia, for its part, continues to attach a very high priority to the fight against terrorism. We have created the position of Ambassador for Counter-Terrorism to promote, intensify and coordinate our international counter-terrorism efforts. Australia has also recently streamlined its procedures for freezing terrorist assets pursuant to Security Council resolution 1267.
Australia is working bilaterally, through our network of counter-terrorism arrangements, regionally through forums like the ARF and APEC, and multilaterally in the UN system to ensure a future free from terrorism.
The 1267 Committee is assured of Australia�€™s continuing support for its work in the period ahead.