PRESS CONFERENCE BY INCOMING PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

PRESS CONFERENCE BY INCOMING PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Ambassador Richard Ryan of Ireland, who has assumed the Presidency of the Security Council for October, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon that the Council’s work during the month would heavily focus on issues concerning Africa and terrorism.

He said particular emphasis would be put on Burundi, which was entering a "very delicate phase" as it led up to the 1 November establishment of a new Government.  Other African nations whose concerns would be addressed by the Council this month were Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola and Liberia.

Ambassador Ryan said that on 31 October the Council would take up a significant report on East Timor.  That meeting of the Council, he said, would be chaired by the Foreign Minister of Ireland, Brian Cowen.

The incoming Council President said, the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan would be receiving attention from the Council membership, which would have to find "the right balance between political and humanitarian" efforts.

Referring to Security Council resolution 1373 on terrorism, which was adopted last Friday, he said immediate focus would be given to the establishment of a Committee that would work on implementing the resolution's binding provisions. 

Asked who would chair the new Committee, Mr. Ryan said that there was a widening view that the appointment would likely come from all members of the Council instead of simply the Chair.  Traditionally, such chairmen came from the elected, and not the permanent, membership of the Council.  The appointment of the chairman should come quickly, he said, since article 6 of the resolution said work should begin within 30 days.  "That clock is already ticking", he said.  "We will have to make very rapid progress."

The President stressed that all members of the Council felt that the new Committee should work “in sync” with the General Assembly -- resolution 1373 was drawn from 12 existing conventions on terrorism, he said.

He noted the provision in the resolution that all States parties had to report to the Council within 90 days about their efforts to implement the provisions contained within.  Warning that the initial reports from some countries would not be perfectly comprehensive, he said Security Council members possibly could have to assist other Member States in their drafting.  "This will be a long-term process", he said, but eventually it was hoped that the entire international community would be enthusiastically supportive of the resolution.

Asked about the Security Council's priorities if military strikes in Afghanistan were to happen, he said that had yet to be raised, and it was unclear what they would be.

Another correspondent asked if the scheduled meeting about general issues relating to sanctions (22 October) might focus on Afghanistan.  The President said that meeting was going to be a briefing by Germany, Sweden and Switzerland on the general situation of sanctions.  Responding to a further question about sanctions because of the recent terrorist attacks, he said they could not be ruled out, "but we haven't got that far".

Several correspondents asked if the new Committee would be able to effectively function without a unified definition of terrorism.  The President said the Committee would be effective because it would use the resolution and the 12 conventions as a "road map".  He stressed that the Committee and the Security Council would not be "going after anybody" and acting as an "investigative body"; rather it would monitor the compliance of States with the provisions of the resolution and 12 conventions.

* *** *