United Nations Security Council Resolution 1617 – Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts

Resolution 1617 (2005)

The Security Council,

Recalling its resolutions 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999, 1333 (2000) of19 December 2000, 1363 (2001) of 30 July 2001, 1373 (2001) of 28 September2001, 1390 (2002) of 16 January 2002, 1452 (2002) of 20 December 2002, 1455(2003) of 17 January 2003, 1526 (2004) of 30 January 2004 and 1566 (2004) of8 October 2004, and the relevant statements of its President,

Reaffirming that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one ofthe most serious threats to peace and security and that any acts of terrorism arecriminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever and bywhomsoever committed; and reiterating its unequivocal condemnation of Al-Qaida,Usama bin Laden, the Taliban — and associated individuals, groups, undertakingsand entities — for ongoing and multiple criminal terrorist acts aimed at causing thedeath of innocent civilians and other victims, destruction of property and greatlyundermining stability,

Expressing its concern over the use of various media, including the Internet,by Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban, and their associates, including for terrorist propaganda and inciting terrorist violence, and urging the working group established pursuant to resolution 1566 (2004) to consider these issues,

Reaffirming the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter Of the United Nations and international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts, stressing in this regard the important role theUnited Nations plays in leading and coordinating this effort,

Emphasizing the obligation placed upon all Member States to implement, infull, resolution 1373 (2001), including with regard to the Taliban or Al-Qaida, andany individuals, groups, undertakings or entities associated with Al-Qaida, Usamabin Laden or the Taliban, who have participated in financing, planning, facilitating,recruiting for, preparing, perpetrating, or otherwise supporting terrorist activities oracts, as well as to facilitate the implementation of counter-terrorism obligations inaccordance with relevant Security Council resolutions,

Stressing the importance of clarifying which individuals, groups, undertakings and entities are subject to listing in light of information regarding the changing nature of, and threat from, Al-Qaida, particularly as reported by the AnalyticalSupport and Sanctions Monitoring Team (“Monitoring Team”),

Underscoring the importance of Member State designations pursuant to relevant resolutions and robust implementation of existing measures as a significant preventive measure in combating terrorist activity,

Noting that, in giving effect to the measures in paragraph 4 (b) of resolution1267 (1999), paragraph 8 (c) of resolution 1333 (2000) and paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1390 (2002), full account is to be taken of the provisions of paragraphs 1and 2 of resolution 1452 (2002),

Welcoming the efforts of the International Civil Aviation Organization to prevent travel documents from being made available to terrorists and their associates,

Encouraging Member States to work in the framework of Interpol, in particular through the use of the Interpol database of stolen and lost travel documents, to reinforce the implementation of the measures against Al-Qaida,Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban, and their associates,

Expressing its concern over the possible use by Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden,or the Taliban, and their associates of Man-Portable Air Defence Systems(MANPADS), commercially available explosives and chemical, biological, radiationor nuclear weapons and material, and encouraging Member States to consider possible action to reduce these threats,

Urging all States, international bodies, and regional organizations to allocate sufficient resources, including through international partnership, to meet the ongoing and direct threat posed by Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden and the Taliban, and individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them,

Stressing the importance of meeting the ongoing threat that Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden and the Taliban, and individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them represent to international peace and security,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,

1. Decides that all States shall take the measures as previously imposed by paragraph 4 (b) of resolution 1267 (1999), paragraph 8 (c) of resolution 1333(2000), and paragraphs 1 and 2 of resolution 1390 (2002) with respect to Al-Qaida,Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban and other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them, as referred to in the list created pursuant to resolutions1267 (1999) and 1333 (2000) (the “Consolidated List”):

(a) Freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economicresources of these individuals, groups, undertakings and entities, including fundsderived from property owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by them or bypersons acting on their behalf or at their direction, and ensure that neither these norany other funds, financial assets or economic resources are made available, directlyor indirectly, for such persons’ benefit, by their nationals or by any persons withintheir territory;

(b) Prevent the entry into or the transit through their territories of theseindividuals, provided that nothing in this paragraph shall oblige any State to deny entryor require the departure from its territories of its own nationals and this paragraph shallnot apply where entry or transit is necessary for the fulfilment of a judicial process or the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999) (“the Committee”)determines on a case-by-case basis only that entry or transit is justified;

(c) Prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer, to these individuals,groups, undertakings and entities from their territories or by their nationals outside their territories, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel ofall types including weapons and ammunition, military vehicles and equipment,paramilitary equipment, and spare parts for the aforementioned and technicaladvice, assistance, or training related to military activities;

2. Further decides that acts or activities indicating that an individual,group, undertaking, or entity is “associated with” Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or theTaliban include:

– participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, orin support of;

– supplying, selling or transferring arms and related materiel to;

– recruiting for; or

– otherwise supporting acts or activities of;Al

-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Taliban, or any cell, affiliate, splinter group or derivative thereof;

3. Further decides that any undertaking or entity owned or controlled,directly or indirectly, by, or otherwise supporting, such an individual, group,undertaking or entity associated with Al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden or the Talibanshall be eligible for designation;

4. Decides that, when proposing names for the Consolidated List, States shall act in accordance with paragraph 17 of resolution 1526 (2004) and henceforth also shall provide to the Committee a statement of case describing the basis of the proposal; and further encourages States to identify any undertakings and entities owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the proposed subject;

5. Requests relevant States to inform, to the extent possible, and in writing where possible, individuals and entities included in the Consolidated List of the measures imposed on them, the Committee’s guidelines, and, in particular, the listing and delisting procedures and the provisions of resolution 1452 (2002);

6. Decides that the statement of case submitted by the designating State referred to in paragraph 4 above may be used by the Committee in responding toqueries from Member States whose nationals, residents or entities have beenincluded on the Consolidated List; decides also that the Committee may decide on acase-by-case basis to release the information to other parties, with the prior consentof the designating State, for example, for operational reasons or to aid theimplementation of the measures; decides also that States may continue to provideadditional information which shall be kept on a confidential basis within theCommittee unless the submitting State agrees to the dissemination of such information;

7. Strongly urges all Member States to implement the comprehensive,international standards embodied in the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) Forty Recommendations on Money Laundering and the FATF Nine Special Recommendations on Terrorist Financing;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to take the necessary steps to increase cooperation between the United Nations and Interpol in order to provide theCommittee with better tools to fulfil its mandate more effectively and to giveMember States better tools to implement the measures referred to in paragraph 1above;

9. Urges all Member States, in their implementation of the measures calledfor in paragraph 1 above, to ensure that stolen and lost passports and other traveldocuments are invalidated as soon as possible and share information on thosedocuments with other Member States through the Interpol database;

10. Calls on all Member States to use the checklist contained in annex II of this resolution to report by 1 March 2006 to the Committee on specific actions that they have taken to implement the measures outlined in paragraph 1 above with regard to individuals and entities henceforth added to the Consolidated List, and thereafter at intervals to be determined by the Committee;

11. Directs the Committee to encourage the submission of names andadditional identifying information from Member States for inclusion on the Consolidated List;

12. Calls upon the Committee, working in cooperation with the Committee Established pursuant to resolution 1373 (the “Counter-Terrorism Committee” or“CTC”) to inform the Council of specific additional steps that States could take toimplement the measures outlined in paragraph 1 above;

13. Reiterates the need for ongoing close cooperation and exchange ofinformation among the Committee, the CTC, and the Committee establishedpursuant to resolution 1540 (2004), as well as their respective groups of experts,including enhanced information sharing, coordinated visits to countries, technicalassistance, and other issues of relevance to all three committees;

14. Further reiterates the importance of having the Committee follow up via oral and/or written communications with Member States regarding effective implementation of the sanctions measures and provide Member States with an opportunity, at the Committee’s request, to send representatives to meet theCommittee for more in-depth discussion of relevant issues;

15. Requests the Committee to consider, where and when appropriate, visitsto selected countries by the Chairman and/or Committee members to enhance thefull and effective implementation of the measures referred to in paragraph 1 above,with a view to encouraging States to comply fully with this resolution andresolutions 1267 (1999), 1333 (2000), 1390 (2002), 1455 (2003) and 1526 (2004);

16. Requests the Committee to report orally, through its Chairman, at leastevery 120 days to the Council on the overall work of the Committee and the Monitoring Team, and, as appropriate, in conjunction with the reports by the Chairmen of the CTC and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540(2004), including briefings for all interested Member States;

17. Reminds the Committee of its responsibilities as outlined in paragraph 14of resolution 1455 (2003) and paragraph 13 of resolution 1526 (2004), and calls upon the Committee to provide the Council no later than 31 July 2006 with an update of the written assessment referred to in paragraph 13 of resolution 1526(2004) of actions taken by Member States to implement the measures described inparagraph 1 above;

18. Requests that the Committee continue its work on the Committee’sguidelines, including on listing and delisting procedures, and implementation of resolution 1452 (2002) and requests the Chairman, in his periodic reports to the Council pursuant to paragraph 16 above, to provide progress reports on theCommittee’s work on these issues;

19. Decides, in order to assist the Committee in the fulfilment of its mandate,to extend the mandate of the New York-based Monitoring Team for a period of 17months, under the direction of the Committee with the responsibilities outlined in annex I;

20. Requests the Secretary-General, upon adoption of this resolution and acting in close consultation with the Committee, to appoint, consistent with United Nations rules and procedures, no more than eight members, including a coordinator,to the Monitoring Team, taking into account the areas of expertise referred to in paragraph 7 of resolution 1526 (2004);

21. Decides to review the measures described in paragraph 1 above with a view to their possible further strengthening in 17 months, or sooner if necessary;

22. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

Adopted by the Security Council at its 5244th meeting, on 29 July 2005.