Mister President,
I would like to thank the Chairs of the committees for their leadership. Their presentations show the scale of the challenges and the urgent need to strengthen our collective response.
Allow me to make a few observations on the work of the committees.
Targeted sanctions against Daesh, al-Qaeda and their affiliates are a key instrument in limiting the ability of these groups to commit their heinous crimes. Sexual and gender-based violence is often used as a deliberate strategy to achieve their goals. We welcome the Council's recognition that these offenses might be used criteria for designation. This marks a crucial step in the fight against impunity and support for victims in their quest for justice, and reinforces the dissuasive effect of sanctions.
The Office of the Ombudsman plays an invaluable role in guaranteeing the rule of law and protecting human rights, thus reinforcing the credibility and effectiveness of our actions. I would also like to express my gratitude to the monitoring team, which provides a solid factual basis for our work. Resolution 2664 is another indispensable instrument, ensuring that humanitarian actors can continue their vital work unhindered by sanctions. The humanitarian exemption facilitates the rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to people in need, as required by international humanitarian law. It is therefore essential to maintain its application to the 1267 sanctions regime.
As far as the Counter-Terrorism Committee is concerned, we are grateful to CTED for its efforts. Country assessments are important for strengthening the capacities of member states to prevent and combat violent extremism and terrorism in full compliance with international law, in particular human rights law.
We encourage further efforts to improve the effectiveness of these assessments through more targeted recommendations and the integration of virtual components, such as hybrid visits. The participation of civil society is paramount in these efforts, and we remain committed to ensuring that their voices are heard.
In this respect, we continue to stress the importance of transparency, and insist on the implementation of Resolution 2617, which calls for the timetable for country visits to be made available before the visits take place. Furthermore, gender-sensitive approaches to assessments are crucial, and we must not hesitate to address the issue of sexual and gender-based violence used by terrorist groups to terrorize and destroy communities and social structures. While the improvements to the 1267 listing criteria are a step in the right direction, our efforts must not stop there.
The 1540 Committee continues to be an essential part of the non-proliferation architecture. Strengthening measures to prevent non-state actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction - one of the commitments made with the adoption of the Pact for the Future - must guide our work. We are delighted that the expert group was finally strengthened this summer, after a long period of discussions within the Committee. Thanks to this reinforced presence, we feel that the Committee's work is regaining momentum. This applies to the revision of the assistance mechanism, the implementation of operational paragraph 12 of resolution 2663, and the development of optional technical reference guidelines. We call on the members of the Committee to live up to the importance of the expert group and to quickly fill the three positions that will be vacant at the end of 2024, based on the skills of the candidates.
In conclusion, today's meeting reaffirms our collective determination to combat terrorism and prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The challenges that lie ahead require a coordinated and joint response, based on the idea that security is inseparable from the protection of human rights and respect for international law.
Thank you.