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Statement by the Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations, Ambassador Walter Balzan, ON Measures to eliminate International Terrorism - United Nations, General Assembly – NEW YORK
pr1439
05/10/2001
05/10/2001
Mr. President,
Earlier this week the distinguished Permanent Representative of Belgium delivered a statement on behalf of the European Union and Associated countries including Malta. While endorsing the substance of his statement in its entirety allow me to make a number of comments from Malta’s own perspective.
Mr. President,
| While terrorism has raised its ugly head countless | times in countless places never has a single manifestation of this cowardly and cold-blooded tool sent such waves of panic and fear across the entire world. |
| In our globalised and connected world viewers | thousands of miles away shared through their television screens the same sense of horror and revulsion that the heinous events of September 11th created in all of us here in the host city of the United Nations. |
Mr. President,
| On the very day that this General Assembly was to | begin consideration of its agenda packed with matters of great import and urgency, the reality of the threat of global terrorism on an unprecedented scale imposed itself at the top of our order of the day. |
| But, Mr. President, Terrorism is not new to the | Agenda of the United Nations. In these last days the ongoing discussions on how best to deal with terrorism at the international level have been overtaken by the sheer monstrosity of the tragedy that has moved us all. |
| Its resolve bolstered by these recent events, on | September 28th the Security Council took dramatic and far reaching action aimed at strengthening international cooperation in the exchange of information relating to terrorism and the stifling of financial flows that under-pin it. |
| Drawing largely on existing discussions within the | United Nations, the Council brought many of the proposals and prescriptions directly into the realm of international law with immediate and universal effect. |
| That such measures aimed at the undermining of the | scourge of terrorism have taken on the strength of law is certainly welcome. |
Mr. President,
The new measures on the exchange of operational information on terrorism together with new measures aimed at cutting off the financial lifeline of large-scale terrorist operations, when implemented as single constituent links in a larger chain of strategies and mechanisms, can seriously impair terrorists’ ability to act.
Mr. President
| The Government of Malta is fully committed to the | efforts of the international community aimed at the eradication of terrorism and to the swift and comprehensive implementation of the measures provided for in Security Council resolution 1373 (2001). |
| Malta was amongst the very first countries to sign | the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism when it opened for signature on January 10th, 2000. It prides itself with a strong record of fighting financial crime and works closely on the issue with the OECD and within the Council of Europe and the Commonwealth. |
| The Maltese Government has already embarked on an | intensive investigation together with the national Financial and Regulatory bodies to seek out any links between suspected organisations and transactions through local financial institutions. While the search has so far proved negative, full diligence and scrutiny continue to be exercised. |
Mr. President,
| The Government of Malta stands foursquare behind the | international community in its efforts to deny terrorists the means to repeat the dastardly acts of September 11th. |
| Out of the debris of those events a new sense of | common purpose has been born within the international community. Countries have been swift in their recognition of common interests and a common determination to rid the world of the scourge of terrorism. The remarkable expression of political will and decisive action that has been witnessed in the last three weeks inspires real hope that multilateral efforts to up-root the terrible growth of terrorism can make significant in-roads. |
| In concluding, Mr. President, allow me to declare my | Government’s firm commitment to stand with the international community in this struggle at every step of the way. |
I thank you.
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