*EPF504 10/22/2004
Text: U.S. Urges "Unrelenting" Global Effort Against Terrorism
(State's Rostow says "deeds matter more than words") (920)

The general counsel to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations says the global anti-terrorism campaign is better coordinated than ever before, but there is much more to be done.

Nicholas Rostow told the U.N.'s Counter-Terrorism Committee in New York October 19 that more countries than ever "have the necessary legal and executive machinery in place to combat terrorism."

Rostow said nations, organizations, and even the committee itself, must examine their contributions "and see where they can do more."

The legal counselor told his audience: "Deeds matter more than words."

The global fight against terrorism, he said, "can only be won with the unrelenting collaborative efforts of all member states of this organization and of all other international bodies."

Following is the text of Rostow's remarks:

(begin text)

Nicholas Rostow: Statement on the Work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee
United States Mission to the United Nations

USUN PRESS RELEASE # 197 (04)
October 19, 2004

Statement by Nicholas Rostow, U.S. Legal Counselor, on the Work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee [CTC], in the Security Council
October 19, 2004

Mr. President,

Let me begin by thanking our CTC Chairman, Ambassador Denisov, and Executive Director Ruperez for their informative briefings and leadership.

Mr. President,

These quarterly public Council meetings help ensure that counter-terrorism remains at the top of the Council's and the broader U.N.'s agenda. This practice should continue.

On October 8 of this year, [U.S.] Ambassador [James] Danforth spoke of the spate of horrific terrorist attacks against innocent civilians. The landscape he described was not a pretty one. The attacks continue despite the international community's efforts to thwart them. The day before the Security Council adopted resolution 1566, in which it delivered its strongest condemnation of the intentional targeting of civilians, more than 30 vacationing civilians were murdered in a horrific terrorist attack in Taba, Egypt. A week before that, the world saw the deliberate murder of 34 children and 7 adults in a terrorist attack in Baghdad and a terrorist attack at a Shiite mosque in Pakistan where dozens of worshippers were killed. Finally, on the day of adoption, terrorists in Iraq beheaded a British civilian hostage.

Strong U.N. resolutions and statements from the floor condemning terrorism and pledging action are meaningful only if they are by followed up with action by all States. Only through concerted and coordinated action will we win the war on terrorism. To this end, my delegation calls upon all States and organizations to look at what they have done to contribute to the fight against terrorism and see where they can do more. The Counter-Terrorism Committee must do the same. Deeds matter more than words. This global fight can only be won with the unrelenting collaborative efforts of all Member States of this Organization and of all other international bodies.

Despite the repeated calls by the General Assembly and the Security Council for States to join the 12 international terrorism instruments, only 57 States are parties to all 12 and 47 are parties to six or fewer of these instruments. Given that these conventions help facilitate cooperation among States to fight terrorism, no one should be satisfied with the current participation levels. We can and must do better. Resources exist to help. We encourage States to take advantage of these resources, including the facilities of the Terrorism Prevention Branch in Vienna. For those States that are party to a regional terrorism convention but not yet parties to all of the 12 international instruments, we reiterate what the Council said in resolution 1566: joining regional conventions cannot be viewed as an alternative to joining the international ones.

Some regional conventions would seem to justify attacks against civilians, depending on the political, philosophical, ideological, racial, or ethnic motivation of the perpetrators. This is not only contrary to the text and spirit of resolution 1566, but also to the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee as well. In Resolution 1566, this Council unanimously endorsed the proposition that the deliberate targeting of civilians is simply unjustifiable in any cause. Until everyone accepts this proposition, we shall not see truly universal collaboration against terrorism. Indeed, we shall not see the end of terrorism.

The United States is pleased to see that the revitalization of the CTC is nearing its final stages. We urge both the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to take the necessary action to ensure that the Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate is up and running as soon as possible. An effective Executive Directorate lies at the heart of improving the CTC's ability to monitor States' efforts to implement their obligations under Security Council resolution 1373, to identify gaps in States' capacities, and to work with assistance providers to fill these gaps. We encourage States to take advantage of this opportunity and to reach out and invite Executive Director Ruperez and his colleagues to visit.

As the Counter-Terrorism Committee begins its fourth year of work, it should feel proud of its accomplishments: more States than ever before have the necessary legal and executive machinery in place to combat terrorism; more states and more organizations than ever before are engaged in the global counter-terrorism campaign. This global campaign is better coordinated than ever before. There is much more to do, however, and we must all do our utmost together in fighting terrorism.

Thank you.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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