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Security Council briefed by committees on terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation

Security Council briefed by committees on terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation

Amb. Peter Wittig
The Security Council today heard briefings from three committees on issues related to al-Qaida and the Taliban, counter-terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

Ambassador Peter Wittig of Germany, the chairman of the Committee on Al-Qaida and the Taliban and Associated Individuals and Entities, told the Council that its consolidated list of people and entities targeted for sanctions currently has 488 entries, comprising 258 al-Qaida individuals, 138 Taliban individuals and 92 al-Qaida entities.

The names of six individuals have been added to the list since the last chairman’s briefing to the Council last November, while six new names were removed. Over the same period 37 entries were amended on the basis of new information received.

The Committee was established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1267 and oversees the implementation by States of the following types of sanctions – an assets freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo – imposed by the Security Council on individuals and entities associated with the Taliban and Al-Qaida.

The chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri of India, told the Council that major issues considered by the committee in its discussions and workshops include the control of cash couriers and abuse of the non-profit sector for terrorist financing.

The CTC, formed in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, is tasked with ensuring the implementation of Security Council resolutions dealing with terrorism and with pressing Member States to take the necessary steps to prevent and combat terrorism.

Ambassador Baso Sangqu of South Africa, the current chairman of the committee on the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, said the committee had since its last briefing to the Council continued to raise awareness about revised procedures for processing assistance requests and encouraging States to provide updated information on submitted assistance requests or offers of assistance.