By Jim Wurst
Global Security Newswire

UNITED NATIONS — British U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock,  chairman of the Security Council’s Counterterrorism Committee, told the council on Friday that “counterterrorism has now gone global, with the U.N. at the center.”

In his last statement to the council as chairman of the committee, Greenstock said that as a result of its success, the committee could evolve into “a full-time, professional and global body of experts, working with the council.” He added, “The vigor of a central, catalytic body can make a huge difference to the maintenance of global law and order in this vital field.”

The committee was created by Resolution 1373, which was unanimously adopted in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States.  The resolution calls on states to deny safe havens for terrorists, strengthen national antiterrorism laws and work more closely on the regional and global level to combat terrorism.  The committee was established to assist states in fulfilling their obligations and in monitoring the implementation of the resolution.

“Collective effort will pay dividends because no country can prevent terrorism in isolation,” said Greenstock.  “Only governments working together can raise global counterterrorism capacity.  But they have to be organized,” he said.

He said that in 18 months, the committee had received 343 reports from states and had sent 243 detailed letters in response.  Only three states — Sao Tome and Principe, Swaziland and Vanuatu — have not filed any reports as required by Resolution 1373.

Greenstock, who has chaired the committee since its creation, is turning that responsibility over to Ambassador Inocencio Arias of Spain.

Speakers in the meeting said collective action has made a difference and called for greater cooperation within and among regional groups and professions, such as police and customs offices, in combating terrorism.  They also highlighted the need to respect human rights in combating terrorism, the need for greater cooperation to ensure that materials for use in weapons of mass destruction are safeguarded, and the need for more technical assistance to countries that are willing but unable to fulfill the mandates of the resolution.

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