Measures to eliminate international terrorism
Report of the Sixth Committee
Rapporteur: Mr. Mahmoud Mohmed Al-Naman (Saudi Arabia)
I. Introduction
1. The item entitled “Measures to eliminate international terrorism” was included in the provisional agenda of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly pursuant to Assembly resolution 55/158 of 12 December 2000.
2. At its 3rd plenary meeting, on 19 September 2001, the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the General Committee, decided to include the item in the agenda of its fifty-sixth session and to allocate it to the Sixth Committee. At the same meeting, the General Assembly decided that the initial debate on agenda item 166 would be held in plenary meeting on the understanding that the technical aspects of the item would be considered by the Sixth Committee.
3. The Sixth Committee considered the item at its 27th and 28th meetings, on 19 and 21 November 2001. The views of the representatives who spoke during the Committee’s consideration of the item are reflected in the relevant summary records (A/C.6/56/SR.27 and 28).
4. For its consideration of the item, the Committee had before it the following documents:
5. Pursuant to paragraph 13 of General Assembly resolution 55/158, the Committee, at its 2nd meeting, on 8 October, established a working group to continue to elaborate a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, to resolve the outstanding issues relating to the elaboration of a draft international convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism as a means of further developing a comprehensive legal framework of conventions dealing with international terrorism, and to keep on its agenda the question of convening a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response by the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. At the same meeting, the Committee re-elected Rohan Perera (Sri Lanka) as the Chairman of the Working Group, which held five meetings, from 15 to 26 October 2001.
6. At the 27th meeting, on 19 November, the Chairman of the Working Group introduced the report of the Working Group, contained in document A/C.6/56/L.9 (see A/C.6/56/SR.27).
II. Consideration of draft resolution A/C.6/56/L.22 and Corr.1
7. At the 28th meeting, on 21 November, the representative of Canada introduced a draft resolution entitled “Measures to eliminate international terrorism” (A/C.6/56/L.22 and Corr.1) and orally revised it by deleting, from the end of operative paragraph 11, the words “and, in view of the important role of the United Nations in this respect, to consider strengthening these institutions”.
8. At the same meeting, the Committee adopted draft resolution A/C.6/56/L.22 and Corr.1, as orally revised, without a vote (see para. 11).
9. Before the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of position were made by the representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic, Lebanon and Cuba; after the adoption of the draft resolution, statements in explanation of position were made by the representatives of Pakistan, Israel, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Canada (see A/C.6/56/SR.28).
10. Statements were also made by the representatives of the Syrian Arab Republic and Lebanon (see A/C.6/56/SR.28).
III. Recommendation of the Sixth Committee
11. The Sixth Committee recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the following draft resolution:
Measures to eliminate international terrorism
The General Assembly,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Recalling the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, 2/
Recalling also the United Nations Millennium Declaration, 3/
Recalling all General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on measures to eliminate international terrorism,
Convinced of the importance of the consideration of measures to eliminate international terrorism by the General Assembly as the universal organ having competence to do so,
Deeply disturbed by the persistence of terrorist acts, which have been carried out worldwide,
Reaffirming its strong condemnation of the heinous acts of terrorism, which have caused enormous loss of human life, destruction and damage in the cities of New York, host city of the United Nations, and Washington, D.C., and in Pennsylvania, which prompted the adoption of General Assembly resolution 56/1 of 12 September 2001, as well as Security Council resolutions 1368 (2001) of 12 September 2001, 1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001 and 1377 (2001) of 12 November 2001,
Recalling its debate on the item entitled “Measures to eliminate international terrorism”, held in plenary meeting from 1 to 5 October 2001,
Stressing the need to strengthen further international cooperation among States and among international organizations and agencies, regional organizations and arrangements and the United Nations in order to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever and by whomsoever committed, in accordance with the principles of the Charter, international law and relevant international conventions,
Mindful of the need to enhance the role of the United Nations and the relevant specialized agencies in combating international terrorism, and of the proposals of the Secretary-General to enhance the role of the Organization in this respect,
Recalling the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, contained in the annex to resolution 49/60 of 9 December 1994, wherein the General Assembly encouraged States to review urgently the scope of the existing international legal provisions on the prevention, repression and elimination of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, with the aim of ensuring that there was a comprehensive legal framework covering all aspects of the matter,
Taking note of the final document of the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Cartagena, Colombia, on 8 and 9 April 2000, 4/ which reiterated the collective position of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries on terrorism and reaffirmed the previous initiative of the Twelfth Conference of Heads of State or Government of Non-Aligned Countries, held at Durban, South Africa, from 29 August to 3 September 1998, calling for an international summit conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, 5/ and other relevant initiatives,
Recalling its decision in resolutions 54/110 of 9 December 1999 and 55/158 of 12 December 2000 that the Ad Hoc Committee established by General Assembly resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996 should address, and keep on its agenda, the question of convening a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,
Noting regional efforts to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever and by whomsoever committed, including through the elaboration of and adherence to regional conventions,
Having examined the report of the Secretary-General, 6/ the report of the Ad Hoc Committee 7/ and the report of the Working Group of the Sixth Committee established pursuant to resolution 55/158, 8/
1. Strongly condemns all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, wherever and by whomsoever committed;
2. Reiterates that criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstances unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature that may be invoked to justify them;
3. Reiterates its call upon all States to adopt further measures in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and the relevant provisions of international law, including international standards of human rights, to prevent terrorism and to strengthen international cooperation in combating terrorism and, to that end, to consider in particular the implementation of the measures set out in paragraphs 3 (a) to (f) of resolution 51/210;
4. Also reiterates its call upon all States, with the aim of enhancing the efficient implementation of relevant legal instruments, to intensify, as and where appropriate, the exchange of information on facts related to terrorism and, in so doing, to avoid the dissemination of inaccurate or unverified information;
5. Reiterates its call upon States to refrain from financing, encouraging, providing training for or otherwise supporting terrorist activities;
6. Reaffirms that international cooperation as well as actions by States to combat terrorism should be conducted in conformity with the principles of the Charter, international law and relevant international conventions;
7. Urges all States that have not yet done so to consider, as a matter of priority, and in accordance with Security Council resolution 1373 (2001), becoming parties to relevant conventions and protocols as referred to in paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 51/210, as well as the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings 9/ and the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, 10/ and calls upon all States to enact, as appropriate, domestic legislation necessary to implement the provisions of those conventions and protocols, to ensure that the jurisdiction of their courts enables them to bring to trial the perpetrators of terrorist acts, and to cooperate with and provide support and assistance to other States and relevant international and regional organizations to that end;
8. Also urges States to cooperate with the Secretary-General and with one another, as well as with interested intergovernmental organizations, with a view to ensuring, where appropriate within existing mandates, that technical and other expert advice is provided to those States requiring and requesting assistance in becoming parties to the conventions and protocols referred to in paragraph 7 above;
9. Notes with appreciation and satisfaction that, consistent with the call contained in paragraph 7 of General Assembly resolution 55/158, a number of States became parties to the relevant conventions and protocols referred to therein, thereby realizing the objective of wider acceptance and implementation of those conventions;
10. Reaffirms the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, contained in the annex to resolution 49/60, and the Declaration to Supplement the 1994 Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism, contained in the annex to resolution 51/210, and calls upon all States to implement them;
11. Urges all States and the Secretary-General, in their efforts to prevent international terrorism, to make best use of the existing institutions of the United Nations;
12. Welcomes the efforts of the Terrorism Prevention Branch of the Centre for International Crime Prevention at Vienna, after reviewing existing possibilities within the United Nations system, to enhance, through its mandate, the capabilities of the United Nations in the prevention of terrorism;
13. Invites States that have not yet done so to submit to the Secretary-General information on their national laws and regulations regarding the prevention and suppression of acts of international terrorism;
14. Invites regional intergovernmental organizations to submit to the Secretary-General information on the measures they have adopted at the regional level to eliminate international terrorism;
15. Welcomes the important progress attained in the elaboration of the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism during the meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee and the Working Group of the Sixth Committee established pursuant to General Assembly resolution 55/158;
16. Decides that the Ad Hoc Committee established by General Assembly resolution 51/210 of 17 December 1996 shall continue to elaborate a comprehensive convention on international terrorism as a matter of urgency, and shall continue its efforts to resolve the outstanding issues relating to the elaboration of a draft international convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism as a means of further developing a comprehensive legal framework of conventions dealing with international terrorism, and that it shall keep on its agenda the question of convening a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;
17. Also decides that the Ad Hoc Committee shall meet from 28 January to 1 February 2002 to continue the elaboration of a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism, with appropriate time allocated to the continued consideration of outstanding issues relating to the elaboration of a draft international convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism, that it shall keep on its agenda the question of convening a high-level conference under the auspices of the United Nations to formulate a joint organized response of the international community to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and that the work shall continue, if necessary, during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, within the framework of a working group of the Sixth Committee;
18. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to provide the Ad Hoc Committee with the necessary facilities for the performance of its work;
19. Requests the Ad Hoc Committee to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session in the event of the completion of the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism or the draft international convention for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism;
20. Also requests the Ad Hoc Committee to report to the General Assembly at its fifty-seventh session on progress made in the implementation of its mandate;
21. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-seventh session the item entitled “Measures to eliminate international terrorism”.
Notes
1/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 37 (A/56/37).
2/ See resolution 50/6.
3/ See resolution 55/2.
4/ A/54/917-S/2000/580, annex.
5/ See A/53/667-S/1998/1071, annex I, paras. 149-162.
6/ A/56/160 and Corr.1 and Add.1.
7/ Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-sixth Session, Supplement No. 37 (A/56/37).
8/ A/C.6/56/L.9.
9/ Resolution 52/164, annex.
10/ Resolution 54/109, annex.
Document Type: Report
Document Sources: General Assembly
Country: Israel
Subject: Agenda Item, Terrorism
Publication Date: 27/11/2001