Statement by H.E. Ambassador Le Luong Minh, Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations on behalf of ASEAN at the Sixth Committee of the 64^th Session of the UNGA on Agenda Item 106: “Measures to Combat International Terrorism”

New York, 6 October 2009

Mr. Chairman,

I have the honor to address the Committee on behalf of the Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and my own country - Viet Nam. At the outset, let me congratulate you on your election as Chairman of the Committee and express our confidence in your able leadership.

Mr. Chairman,

International terrorism continues to pose serious threats to international peace and security and inflict untold sufferings on innocent people. On 17 July 2009, two heinous terrorist attacks occurred in Jakarta, Indonesia, causing numerous deaths and injuries. The Security Council of the United Nations immediately issued a Presidential Statement condemning in the strongest terms those terrorist attacks. The Foreign Ministers of ASEAN, in their Joint Communiqué issued on 20 July 2009 in Phuket, Thailand, also strongly condemned those bombings and extended their solidarity to Indonesia, while affirming their confidence in the Indonesian Government to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of the terrorist acts to justice.

The ASEAN Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reiterate their call for further strengthened and coordinated efforts in the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We continue to support the negotiations within the Ad hoc Committee, established by UNGA Resolution A/RES/51/210 of 17 December 1996, with a view to finalizing a draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

Mr. Chairman,

In the past years, the ASEAN Member States strived to strengthen ASEAN integration and reinforce its role as the driving force in coping with global challenges in the Southeast Asian region. Within this context, intensifying international cooperation to address non-traditional security issues, particularly in combating terrorism, has been identified as an area of priority in the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint, adopted by the ASEAN Heads of States and Governments at the 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand in March 2009. The APSC Blueprint stipulates concrete actions to be undertaken, such as working towards the entry into force of the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism by 2009, endeavoring to accede and ratify the relevant international instruments on counter-terrorism, promoting effective implementation of the ASEAN Comprehensive Plan of Action on Counter-Terrorism and cooperating to support development initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of terrorism and conditions conducive to terrorism.

The ASEAN Foreign Ministers discussed the theme of “Acting Together to Cope with Global Challenges” at the 42nd AMM in July this year. They renewed their commitment to strengthen all efforts to combat terrorism/extremism in the region and stressed the need to empower moderate sectors of society and the promotion of inter-faith dialogue. In this regard, all ASEAN Member States expressed support for the Philippines’ hosting in December 2009 of the Special NAM Ministerial Meeting on Inter-faith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace.

At the 16th Meeting of the ASEAN Regional Forum in July 2009, a Work Plan for Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes for the period between 2009 and 2010 was adopted. Based on a shared understanding among ARF participants that ARF should focus its counter-terrorism activities on the areas where it could bring the most added value, given its geographic focus and participation, the Work Plan identifies illicit drugs, bio-terrorism, bio-security, cyber-security and cyber-terrorism as areas of priority. Under this Work Plan, projects for capacity-building workshops, technical assistance, training courses, multilateral exercises may be implemented in one or more ARF countries.

 

The 7th ASEM Conference on Counter-Terrorism was held in Manila, Philippines on 22-23 June 2009, with the participation of representatives from ASEM partners as well as counter-terrorism institutions, such as the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (UN-CTED), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The Conference recognized the United Nations’ leading role in the fight against terrorism,  reaffirmed its support for the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy as well as the further institutionalization of the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force. The Conference emphasized the primary responsibility of states to implement the UN Global Strategy, while recognizing that ASEM and other international, regional, sub-regional organizations and fora play a key role in the dissemination of best practices in the implementation of the Strategy. The Conference also welcomed the completion of the UNODC model law on counter-terrorism. 

 

Within the framework of ASEAN-Japan cooperation, the Fourth ASEAN-Japan Counter Terrorism Dialogue was held in Nha Trang City, Viet Nam on 11-12 August 2009. The Meeting considered the status of  11 counter-terrorism projects, of which 3 projects are being implemented in ASEAN countries with funding from Japan and 8 proposed projects are being considered for funding. The Meeting also discussed possible extension of the duration of the Dialogue beyond 2011.

 

ASEAN law enforcement authorities continue their cooperative efforts in combating terrorism and related crimes. In May 2009, the ASEAN Chiefs of Police met at the 29th ASEANAPOL Conference in Viet Nam and discussed terrorism among the 13 topics of mutual interests. The Conference agreed to step up cooperation in training and information sharing, implementing strategies for the detection, deference, rehabilitation, de-radicalization and community engagement in tackling terrorism, providing assistance in tracing, freezing, seizing and confiscating assets related to financing of terrorism, gathering knowledge and expertise for member states in dealing with the aftermath of terrorist attacks.

Mr. Chairman,

In 2009, Viet Nam, as a representative of the Asian and ASEAN Member States in the Security Council, continues to serve as a Vice Chair of the Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee. Proceeding from the cooperative and rule-based approaches in counter-terrorism in ASEAN, we consistently support the CTC to conduct constructive and meaningful dialogues with the Member States and to strengthen its role in facilitating technical assistance and international cooperation in counter-terrorism.

In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the ASEAN Member States take this opportunity to pledge their firm commitment to the fight against international terrorism. We hope that during this 64^th Session, the General Assembly will achieve much progress in its counter-terrorism agenda and the United Nations system’s counter-terrorism support to Member States will be better coordinated through the  activities of  an institutionalized Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force.