NEWS RELEASES

December 14, 2001 (10:55 a.m. EST) No. 164

CANADA REPORTS TO UN SECURITY COUNCIL ON COUNTERTERRORISM MEASURES

John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada has submitted its report to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), outlining substantial actions that the Government of Canada has taken to combat terrorism. The report was presented in New York today to the Chair of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee, which is monitoring implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373 on fighting terrorism.

"In the last few months the Canadian government has taken decisive action to put in place additional legal and operational measures to fight terrorism," said Mr. Manley. "The substantive measures we have undertaken, including extensive legislation tabled in Parliament, respond and go well beyond actions required under UNSC Resolution 1373."

The Minister emphasized that fighting terrorism is a top priority for Canada, a fact underscored by the additional $7.7 billion allocated to national security in the December 10 federal budget. He noted that additional funding would provide specific departments and law enforcement agencies with more resources and training to stop those who finance, plan, facilitate or commit terrorist acts.

A direct response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, UNSC Resolution 1373 established obligations on member states to undertake a wide range of measures against terrorism. Countries must submit a report to the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee by December 27, 2001, on steps taken to implement the Resolution.

Canada's report covers post-September 11 measures as well as previous initiatives. It focuses principally on sections of proposed legislation, including the Anti-Terrorism Act (Bill C-36), the Public Safety Act (Bill C-42) and the Act to amend the Aeronautics Act (Bill C-44), as well as Canada's implementation of the United Nations Suppression of Terrorism Regulations. Canada will submit a further report to the Committee once the legislation now before Parliament has been passed.

The report and Resolution 1373 will be available at http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/resolution1373-e.asp.

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A backgrounder on the Resolution and Canada's report is attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sanjeev Chowdhury

Press Secretary

Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs

(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

(613) 995-1874

http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca

Backgrounder

UNSC RESOLUTION 1373 AND CANADA'S REPORT

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1373, passed on September 28, 2001, was a direct response to the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001. It reaffirmed the UN's unequivocal condemnation of those events and called on members to work together urgently to prevent and suppress future acts of terrorism. It also reaffirmed the inherent individual or collective right of defence against terrorism, which it recognized as a threat to international peace and security.

Most importantly, Resolution 1373 established obligations for member states to undertake a wide range of measures against terrorism and required them to report back to the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee within 90 days (by December 27, 2001) on steps taken to implement the Resolution.

The Resolution requires actions to be taken by UN member states in two broad categories:

• preventing and suppressing the financing of and other material support for terrorist acts; and

• denying support and safe haven to those who finance, plan, facilitate and/or commit terrorist acts as well as ensuring that a legal framework is in place to prosecute these individuals.

The Resolution also recommends that states take further measures against terrorism by enhancing international cooperation in the investigation, tracking and prosecution of terrorists, with a particular emphasis on information exchange and careful adherence to international standards, laws, conventions and protocols related to terrorism. It also calls on governments to ensure that terrorists do not abuse refugee status.

Canada's report responds to each obligation set out in Resolution 1373, providing an indication of progress to date. While Canada had substantial anti-terrorist measures already in place, it was recognized that further legislation was needed to reinforce the safety and security of Canadians and to fully implement Resolution 1373. The report focuses in large part on proposed legislation, the Anti-Terrorism Act, currently before Parliament. Proposed measures include:

• cutting off financial support for terrorists by making it a crime to knowingly collect or give funds, either directly or indirectly, in order to carry out terrorist acts;

• making it an offence to knowingly participate in, facilitate or contribute to the activities of a terrorist group;

• amending the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) Act to expand its scope to encompass terrorist financing;

• making it easier to deny or remove charitable status from terrorist groups under the Income Tax Act, and making it easier to freeze and seize their assets;

• providing new investigative tools to law enforcement and national security agencies; and

• ratifying the remaining two of twelve United Nations anti-terrorism conventions, the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombing, as well as the Safety of United Nations and Associated Personnel Convention.

Other proposed measures, outlined in the Public Safety Act (Bill C-42) and the Act to amend the Aeronautics Act (Bill C-44), are also described in Canada's report to the United Nations Security Council. These include:

• establishing tighter controls over explosives;

• providing for explicit control over the export and transfer of military and strategically sensitive technology;

• requiring air carriers or those operating aviation reservation systems to provide basic information on specific passengers or flights when it is needed for national security purposes;

• clarifying the Minister's authority to determine to which country a person under a "departure order" (a type of removal order) could be removed;

• suspending or terminating proceedings before the Immigration and Refugee Board if there are reasonable grounds to believe that the claimant is a terrorist, senior official of a government engaged in terrorism or a war criminal; and

• enacting the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Act, which will prohibit biological weapons and agents that do not have a peaceful purpose.

The report also reviews Canada's United Nations Suppression of Terrorism Regulations (October 2, 2001), which make it an offence to collect funds with the intention or knowledge that they be used by suspected terrorists listed by the UN or Canada, as well as to deal in any property of a listed person. The Regulations also prohibit making funds and financial or other related services available to such individuals. Under the Regulations, the assets of designated individuals and entities associated with terrorist activity must be frozen by financial institutions, which are obliged to report monthly on whether they have any such assets in their possession. Canada is listing other individuals and entities under the Regulations, as the government determines that they are associated with terrorist activities. As of November 16, 2001, $344 000 in 28 accounts had been frozen by Canadian financial institutions as assets covered by regulations implemented under the United Nations Act.

Canada's submission also lists measures that have been taken to strengthen Canada's immigration system, including plans to introduce a more secure, fraud-resistant permanent resident card for new immigrants by June 2002, the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, increased front-end security screening for refugee claimants and detention and deportation capacity, and up to 100 new staff to enforce upgraded security at ports of entry.

As well, the report describes existing and new measures being undertaken to enhance the capacity of Canadian law enforcement and intelligence agencies. These include information exchanges with other international law enforcement agencies, strengthening the integrity and security of Canada's passport system and increasing diplomatic and legal efforts through multilateral forums (e.g. G8, G20) to combat terrorism. Finally, the report also describes actions in support of the fight against terrorism that Canada is undertaking in relation to money laundering and financing; chemical, biological, radiation and nuclear threats; and international crime, drugs and illicit trafficking in firearms.