COUNTER-TERRORIM COMMITTEE TOPIC A : INFLUENCE OF TERRORISM IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN

Background of the Comittee: The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee was established after the events of September 9th, 2001. The CTC is assisted by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED), which carries out the policy decisions of the Committee, conducts expert assessments of each Member State and facilitates counter-terrorism technical assistance to countries. It requires its member States to take steps to deny terrorists safe havens, prohibit the raising or transferring of funds, freeze assets and share information about possible terrorists activities. While the ultimate aim of the Committee is to increase the ability of States to fight terrorism, it is not a sanctions body nor does it maintain a list of terrorist organizations or individuals. The obligations are generic rather than aimed at any particular group, state or incident. These features have made it easier for member states to accept the work of the Counter-Terrorism Committee.

Topic Overview: The intenationally accepted definition of terrorism is as follows: Acts committed with the aim of seriously intimidating a population, forcing a government or international organization to abstain from performing any act, or seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organization. Pakistan and Afghanistan are, according to recent surveys, viewed as the "hubs" of terrorism, whether state-sponsored or otherwise. The most notorious terrorist groups are said to have originated in either of these two states. Some of these groups include Al-Qaeda and Tehreek-

e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). It is apparent that these two states are heavily effected by terrorism, and it is the aim of this committe to research, analyze and reach a conclusion regarding the influences of terrorism in these states, since the presence and spread of terrrorism in these countries has had, and will have, a massive global impact. It has forced the state to station many divisions of army for law and order at the cost of earning the opprobrium of use of force against terroists in SWAT and FATA. The loss of foreign direct investment and tourism. Visa and job opportunities for Pakistan is from these areas to the Middle East are being increasingly curtailed. Delegates need to discuss the social, economical, structural, strategical, and environmental impact of terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the ultimate purpose of the committee should be to find and discuss long-term and short-term solutions to the problems faced by these states due to terrorism.

Steps taken by the United Nations: The Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) has launched a global initiative aimed at helping Member States set up effective mechanisms to freeze terrorist assets in accordance with their obligations under Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). The initiative was launched at an expert meeting, hosted on 22 October by the Central Bank of the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The expert meeting will be followed by a series of regional workshops to be held in various regions of the world. Member States; international, regional and subregional organizations; and the private sector were represented at the three-day Amsterdam event. The participants (mainly legal and financial experts) discussed the freezing provisions of resolution 1373 (2001) and the challenges they face in implementing those provisions. They examined the merits and limitations of various freezing regimes; identified good national practices that could be shared with other States; and agreed to incorporate the outcomes of the meeting into the planned regional workshops. Through its country visits on behalf of the CounterTerrorism Committee and other assessment work, CTED has found that many States do not have a designation process in place; that their laws

do not always include provisions for immediate freezing; and that guidance and communication with the financial sector are often insufficient. As a facilitator of technical assistance, our goal is to help States overcome these and other challenges linked to the implementation of resolution 1373, said Mr. Hassan Baage, Deputy Head of CTEDs Assessment and Technical Assistance Office. We believe an effective, fair and balanced asset freezing mechanism is an important component of a national counter-terrorism strategy. Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) requires Member States to freeze without delay funds and other financial assets of people who commit, or attempt to commit, terrorist acts. The assets of those who participate in, or facilitate the commission of such acts must also be frozen in order to disrupt terrorism financing. In order to comply with the resolution, States are required to set up a national designation mechanism that respects due process and be able to review and respond to international freezing requests. While the sharing of best practices is interesting, this forum served as a place for an open discussion on the dilemmas and complications we face in freezing assets, whether they be about due process concerns, the challenge of inter-agency cooperation or information exchange without overstepping privacy and data sharing concerns, Ms. Fenke de Vries, Department Director of the Supervision Expertise Centres at the Dutch Central Bank, underlined in her opening remarks. The regional workshops will give participants a vital opportunity to discuss a range of issues (including their respective States legislative, institutional and operational challenges) and to identify solutions. Eighteen universal instruments (fourteen instruments and four amendments) against international terrorism have been elaborated within the framework of the United Nations system relating to specific terrorist activities. Member States through the General Assembly have been increasingly coordinating their counter-terrorism efforts and continuing their legal norm-setting work. The Security Council has also been active in countering terrorism through resolutions and by establishing several subsidiary bodies. At the same time a number of programmes, offices and agencies of the United Nations system have been engaged in specific activities against terrorism, further assisting

Member States in their counter-terrorism efforts. To consolidate and enhance these activities, Member States in September 2006 embarked upon a new phase in their counterterrorism efforts by agreeing on a global strategy to counter terrorism. The Strategy marks the first time that all Member States of the United Nations have agreed to a common strategic and operational framework to fight terrorism. The Strategy forms a basis for a concrete plan of action: to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism; to prevent and combat terrorism; to take measures to build state capacity to fight terrorism; to strengthen the role of the United Nations in combating terrorism; and to ensure the respect of human rights while countering terrorism. The Strategy builds on the unique consensus achieved by world leaders at their 2005 September Summit to condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. For complete information regarding past UN resolutions, delegates are required to visit http://www.un.org/terrorism/sc-res.shtml

Points to keep in mind while debating: What is the history and cause of terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan? How has the interntional community been effected by the presence of terrorist groups in these two states? How effective have UN laws and resolutions been? What are the ways in which we can rehabilitate the victims of terrorism? What are the log-term and short-term solutions to the global problem of terrorism?

Research and websites:

http://www.un.org/terrorism/strategy-counter-terrorism.shtml

http://www.muimun.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/SCstudyguide.pdf http://www.eurojournals.com/ejss_13_1_15.pdf http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/pakistan/terroristoutfits/group_list.ht m http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/afghanistan/? gclid=CIfigZSct7MCFc2R3godqmYAWQ http://www.cssforum.com.pk/css-compulsory-subjects/essay/essays/32893terrorism-pakistan-causes-effects-solutions.html