The United Nations Organization

The UNO plays a leading role in mobilising States and the whole international community to greater involvement in counteracting and combating terrorism. Of key importance for ensuring effective anti-terrorist actions and improving international cooperation is the adoption by all countries of 16 conventions and protocols of the UNO on preventing and combating international terrorism. Full implementation of the UNO agreements by particular Member States is a condition of carrying out the fight against terrorism.

On 8 September 2006 the General Assembly of the UNO adopted a Global Strategy to Combat Terrorism creating concrete measures of actions for the Member States which aim at liquidating reasons for the occurrence of terrorism and extremism, preventing and combating terrorism, reinforcing an individual and collective capacity of the States as well as protecting human rights and ensuring the rule of law during the fight against terrorism.

Currently, within the United Nations there is a discussion on adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). In order to work out the project of the CCIT there was appointed the UN General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee (AHC) on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism. The Ad Hoc Committee was established on the basis of the Resolution of the General Assembly of the UN no. 51/210 (1996) and operates within the VI Committee of the UN.

An obstacle to the adoption of the foregoing document are matters of argument concerning e.g. definition of terrorism, reference to state terrorism, assessment of sources of terrorism and distinguishing the right of nations to self-determination from terrorist actions.

Institutional solutions within the UNO

In order to ensure coordination and cohesion of actions within the system of the UNO on combating terrorism in 2005 the General Secretariat of the UNO appointed a UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), within which operates 9 working groups.

Under the Resolution 1373 (2001) there was established a Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) whose major task is the monitoring and provision of technical assistance in the field of implementing the Resolution 1373 which recommends particular Member States that they should implement international legal instruments and use measures aimed at reinforcing legal and institutional powers in combating terrorism at the national, regional and global level.

Based on the Resolution 1535 (2004) the Security Council appointed a Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) which supports actions of the CTC at the technical level in the field of reinforcing and coordinating the process of monitoring the implementation of the Resolution 1373. The CTED participates in works of the CTITF by organising study visits in the Member States for the purpose of assessing the implementation of the Resolution 1373.

Selected, key Resolutions on combating terrorism of the United Nations Security Council:

Resolution 1267 (1999) – concerns sanctions for Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The Member States are obliged to freeze bank accounts, prevent border crossing and provision of material, technical and training support, arms, etc. for people and institutions connected with Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban. Issues related to fulfillment of the Resolution 1267 are subject to the appointed in October 1999 so-called Committee 1267 (The Al-Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee) whose task is to regularly draw up a list of persons and institutions connected with Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and the Taliban (Consolidated List).
Resolution 1368 (2001) – the UNO unanimously condemned terrorist acts of 11 September 2001 considering at the same time such acts as a threat to peace and security in the world. It expressed the greatest sympathy and condoled with victims as well as their families and the Government of the USA. It called on all States to joint work in order to make those who are guilty of this tragedy bear legal consequences. It also called to accelerate efforts aimed at ratifying by particular States appropriate anti-terrorist conventions passed by the UNO.
Resolution 1373 (2001) – obliges the Member States to prosecute persons or organisations financing terrorism, freeze bank accounts of people towards whom there are reasonable suspicions that they are involved in terrorist activities, refrain from proving help to entities or persons involved in terrorist activities, share information on terrorist activities with other countries. The Resolution covered a large range of Member States i.e. 191.
Resolution 1540 (2004) and 1673 (2006) – concerns prevention of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (CBRN – chemical, biological, radiologic and nuclear weapons. For the monitoring of fulfilling the foregoing Resolution is responsible the so-called Committee 1540.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs