United
Nations
Security Council
Statement on Passing Anti-Terrorism Resolution
September 28, 2001
Reaffirming its unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist acts that took place
in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 11 September, the Security
Council this evening unanimously adopted a wide-ranging, comprehensive resolution
with steps and strategies to combat international terrorism.
By resolution 1373 (2001) the Council also established a Committee of the
Council to monitor the resolutions implementation and called on all
States to report on actions they had taken to that end no later than 90 days
from today.
Under terms of the text, the Council decided that all States should prevent
and suppress the financing of terrorism, as well as criminalize the wilful
provision or collection of funds for such acts. The funds, financial assets
and economic resources of those who commit or attempt to commit terrorist
acts or participate in or facilitate the commission of terrorist acts and
of persons and entities acting on behalf of terrorists should also be frozen
without delay.
The Council also decided that States should prohibit their nationals or persons
or entities in their territories from making funds, financial assets, economic
resources, financial or other related services available to persons who commit
or attempt to commit, facilitate or participate in the commission of terrorist
acts. States should also refrain from providing any form of support to entities
or persons involved in terrorist acts; take the necessary steps to prevent
the commission of terrorist acts; deny safe haven to those who finance, plan,
support, commit terrorist acts and provide safe havens as well.
By other terms, the Council decided that all States should prevent those
who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist acts from using their respective
territories for those purposes against other countries and their citizens.
States should also ensure that anyone who has participated in the financing,
planning, preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist
acts is brought to justice. They should also ensure that terrorist acts are
established as serious criminal offences in domestic laws and regulations
and that the seriousness of such acts is duly reflected in sentences served.
By further terms, the Council decided that States should afford one another
the greatest measure of assistance for criminal investigations or criminal
proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts. States
should also prevent the movement of terrorists or their groups by effective
border controls as well.
Also by the text, the Council called on all States to intensify and accelerate
the exchange of information regarding terrorist actions or movements; forged
or falsified documents; traffic in arms and sensitive material; use of communications
and technologies by terrorist groups; and the threat posed by the possession
of weapons of mass destruction.
States were also called on to exchange information and cooperate to prevent
and suppress terrorist acts and to take action against the perpetrators of
such acts. States should become parties to, and fully implement as soon as
possible, the relevant international conventions and protocols to combat terrorism.
By the text, before granting refugee status, all States should take appropriate
measures to ensure that the asylum seekers had not planned, facilitated or
participated in terrorist acts. Further, States should ensure that refugee
status was not abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist
acts, and that claims of political motivation were not recognized as grounds
for refusing requests for the extradition of alleged terrorists.
The Council noted with concern the close connection between international
terrorism and transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, money laundering
and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other deadly materials.
In that regard, it emphasized the need to enhance the coordination of national,
subregional, regional and international efforts to strengthen a global response
to that threat to international security.
Reaffirming the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter,
threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, the
Council expressed its determination to take all necessary steps to fully implement
the current resolution.
The meeting, which began at 10:50 p.m., adjourned at 10:53 p.m.
Resolution
The full text of resolution 1373 (2001) reads as follows:
The Security Council,
Reaffirming its resolutions 1269 (1999) of 19 October 1999 and 1368
(2001) of 12 September 2001,
Reaffirming also its unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist attacks
which took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 11 September
2001, and expressing its determination to prevent all such acts,
Reaffirming further that such acts, like any act of international
terrorism, constitute a threat to international peace and security,
Reaffirming the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence
as recognized by the Charter of the United Nations as reiterated in resolution
1368 (2001),
Reaffirming the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the
Charter of the United Nations, threats to international peace and security
caused by terrorist acts,
Deeply concerned by the increase, in various regions of the world,
of acts of terrorism motivated by intolerance or extremism,
Calling on States to work together urgently to prevent and suppress
terrorist acts, including through increased cooperation and full implementation
of the relevant international conventions relating to terrorism,
Recognizing the need for States to complement international cooperation
by taking additional measures to prevent and suppress, in their territories
through all lawful means, the financing and preparation of any acts of terrorism,
Reaffirming the principle established by the General Assembly in its
declaration of October 1970 (resolution 2625 (XXV)) and reiterated by the
Security Council in its resolution 1189 (1998) of 13 August 1998, namely that
every State has the duty to refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting
or participating in terrorist acts in another State or acquiescing in organized
activities within its territory directed towards the commission of such acts,
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,
1. Decides that all States shall:
(a) Prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts;
(b) Criminalize the wilful provision or collection, by any means,
directly or indirectly, of funds by their nationals or in their territories
with the intention that the funds should be used, or in the knowledge that
they are to be used, in order to carry out terrorist acts;
(c) Freeze without delay funds and other financial assets or economic
resources of persons who commit, or attempt to commit, terrorist acts or participate
in or facilitate the commission of terrorist acts; of entities owned or controlled
directly or indirectly by such persons; and of persons and entities acting
on behalf of, or at the direction of such persons and entities, including
funds derived or generated from property owned or controlled directly or indirectly
by such persons and associated persons and entities;
(d) Prohibit their nationals or any persons and entities within their
territories from making any funds, financial assets or economic resources
or financial or other related services available, directly or indirectly,
for the benefit of persons who commit or attempt to commit or facilitate or
participate in the commission of terrorist acts, of entities owned or controlled,
directly or indirectly, by such persons and of persons and entities acting
on behalf of or at the direction of such persons;
2. Decides also that all States shall:
(a) Refrain from providing any form of support, active or passive,
to entities or persons involved in terrorist acts, including by suppressing
recruitment of members of terrorist groups and eliminating the supply of weapons
to terrorists;
(b) Take the necessary steps to prevent the commission of terrorist
acts, including by provision of early warning to other States by exchange
of information;
(c) Deny safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit
terrorist acts, or provide safe havens;
(d) Prevent those who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist
acts from using their respective territories for those purposes against other
States or their citizens;
(e) Ensure that any person who participates in the financing, planning,
preparation or perpetration of terrorist acts or in supporting terrorist acts
is brought to justice and ensure that, in addition to any other measures against
them, such terrorist acts are established as serious criminal offences in
domestic laws and regulations and that the punishment duly reflects the seriousness
of such terrorist acts;
(f) Afford one another the greatest measure of assistance in connection
with criminal investigations or criminal proceedings relating to the financing
or support of terrorist acts, including assistance in obtaining evidence in
their possession necessary for the proceedings;
(g) Prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by effective
border controls and controls on issuance of identity papers and travel documents,
and through measures for preventing counterfeiting, forgery or fraudulent
use of identity papers and travel documents;
3. Calls upon all States to:
(a) Find ways of intensifying and accelerating the exchange of operational
information, especially regarding actions or movements of terrorist persons
or networks; forged or falsified travel documents; traffic in arms, explosives
or sensitive materials; use of communications technologies by terrorist groups;
and the threat posed by the possession of weapons of mass destruction by terrorist
groups;
(b) Exchange information in accordance with international and domestic
law and cooperate on administrative and judicial matters to prevent the commission
of terrorist acts;
(c) Cooperate, particularly through bilateral and multilateral arrangements
and agreements, to prevent and suppress terrorist attacks and take action
against perpetrators of such acts;
(d) Become parties as soon as possible to the relevant international
conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, including the International
Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism of 9 December
1999;
(e) Increase cooperation and fully implement the relevant international
conventions and protocols relating to terrorism and Security Council resolutions
1269 (1999) and 1368 (2001);
(f) Take appropriate measures in conformity with the relevant provisions
of national and international law, including international standards of human
rights, before granting refugee status, for the purpose of ensuring that the
asylum seeker has not planned, facilitated or participated in the commission
of terrorist acts;
(g) Ensure, in conformity with international law, that refugee status
is not abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist
acts, and that claims of political motivation are not recognized as grounds
for refusing requests for the extradition of alleged terrorists;
4. Notes with concern the close connection between international terrorism
and transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, money-laundering, illegal
arms-trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and
other potentially deadly materials, and in this regard emphasizes the need
to enhance coordination of efforts on national, subregional, regional and
international levels in order to strengthen a global response to this serious
challenge and threat to international security;
5. Declares that acts, methods, and practices of terrorism are contrary
to the purposes and principles of the United Nations and that knowingly financing,
planning and inciting terrorist acts are also contrary to the purposes and
principles of the United Nations;
6. Decides to establish, in accordance with rule 28 of its provisional
rules of procedure, a Committee of the Security Council, consisting of all
the members of the Council, to monitor implementation of this resolution,
with the assistance of appropriate expertise, and calls upon all States to
report to the Committee, no later than 90 days from the date of adoption of
this resolution and thereafter according to a timetable to be proposed by
the Committee, on the steps they have taken to implement this resolution;
7. Directs the Committee to delineate its tasks, submit a work programme
within 30 days of the adoption of this resolution, and to consider the support
it requires, in consultation with the Secretary-General;
8. Expresses its determination to take all necessary steps in order
to ensure the full implementation of this resolution, in accordance with its
responsibilities under the Charter;