Ambassador Greenstock (Chairman, Counter-Terrorism Committee) briefed interested Member States on 21 February on the work of the CTC. He said that the CTC was now focusing on reviewing the reports from States. The Sub-Committees were running smoothly. They were inviting the Permanent Missions to participate when their own report was considered. We hoped delegations were finding the meetings useful. There was flexibility not to have the meeting if neither the State nor the Sub-Committee thought it necessary. But the meeting would take place if either the State or the Sub-Committee thought it useful, as had happened most often so far.

The CTC had considered six reports and had agreed letters to the six States concerned. States were invited to submit the further information requested within three months.

Ambassador Greenstock said the pace at which the CTC was working on the reports was set partly by the UN's translation service. The CTC had added an extra 25% to the translating burden. The CTC was indebted to the translators for their work.

The CTC was continuing to investigate the provision of assistance to States in the areas covered by resolution 1373. The next step would be to appoint a new expert to act as a liaison point with potential assistance providers and States seeking assistance.

At its meeting on 19 February, the CTC had been briefed by Clarie Lo (President, Financial Action Task Force, FATF). FATF was an important sister organisation for the CTC. FATF had prepared a self-assessment questionnaire for States to report on compliance with FATF's eight Special Recommendations on terrorist financing. The CTC encouraged States to complete the self-assessment questionnaires because it would help them through the CTC process if they had FATF approval. The CTC would be interested to learn from States about their contacts with FATF.

The CTC had also been briefed by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson. The CTC was clear that it should continue to liaise with OHCHR and be aware of human rights issues as it worked through the reports received from States. But there had been agreement that the CTC should remain focused on the mandate set by resolution 1373 to monitor implementation of that resolution. The CTC's experts had been asked to bring to the Committee's attention any concerns over human rights. But the obligation was on UN Member States to ensure adherence to human rights law and conventions when they implemented resolution 1373.