United Nations S/2007/775 Distr.: General 31 December 2007 Original: English Security Council Letter dated 26 December 2007 from the Chairman of the working group established pursuant to resolution 1566 (2004) addressed to the President of the Security Council I have the honour to transmit herewith the report of the working group established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1566 (2004) (see annex). The report contains a summary of the activities of the working group in 2006 and 2007. I would appreciate it if the present letter and its annex were to be brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council and issued as a document of the Security Council. (Signed) Jorge Voto-Bernales Chairman Working Group established pursuant to resolution 1566 (2004) 07-66368 (E) 030108 *0766368* S/2007/775 Annex Report of the working group established pursuant to resolution 1566 (2004) 1. The Security Council adopted resolution 1566 (2004) on 8 October 2004. Under paragraph 9 of the resolution, the Council established a working group consisting of all members of the Security Council to consider and submit recommendations to the Council on practical measures to be imposed upon individuals, groups or entities involved in or associated with terrorist activities, other than those designated by the Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Committee, including more effective procedures considered to be appropriate for bringing them to justice through prosecution or extradition, freezing of their financial assets, preventing their movement through the territories of Member States, preventing supply to them of all types of arms and related material, and on the procedures for implementing these measures. 2. In paragraph 10 of the resolution, the Security Council further requested the working group to consider the possibility of establishing an international fund to compensate victims of terrorist acts and their families, which might be financed through voluntary contributions, which could consist in part of assets seized from terrorist organizations, their members and sponsors, and submit its recommendations to the Council. 3. Upon agreement of the Security Council (see S/2006/7), Ambassador Oswaldo de Rivero, Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, was appointed Chairman of the working group. Subsequently, upon agreement of the Security Council (see S/2007/20), Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales, Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, was appointed Chairman of the working group. 4. Having achieved progress regarding the consideration of recommendations on practical measures to be imposed upon individuals, groups or entities involved in or associated with terrorist activities, other than those designated by the Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Committee, as indicated in the previous report of the working group (S/2005/789), it was considered appropriate to focus the work of the working group on the other two topics set out in its mandate: the scope of the application of the practical measures; and the possibility of establishing an international fund to compensate victims of terrorist acts and their families. 5. At the meeting that took place on 28 April 2006 it was established that the positions that informed the working group in the writing of its previous report remain and that, therefore, the conditions to further advance the consideration of the substance of the above-mentioned topics were not present. Therefore, it was agreed to continue contacts through bilateral consultations. It was also agreed to follow the developments relating to the adoption of a "United Nations counter-terrorism strategy", inasmuch as this framework could provide elements related to the topics under the mandate of the working group. 6. As a result of bilateral consultations, it was confirmed that, regarding the two above-mentioned topics, the conclusions of the working group contained in its previous report are still valid. Therefore, regarding the scope of the application of the practical measures, the working group recalled paragraph 34 of its 2005 report, 2 07-66368 S/2007/775 in which it noted that, "owing to various reasons, including the lack of consensus, agreement was not reached on the expansion of the list of individuals, groups and entities involved in or associated with terrorist activities beyond the one already established under the Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Committee". As regards the issue of the possibility of establishing an international fund to compensate victims of terrorist acts and their families, the working group recalled paragraph 32 of its 2005 report, in which it noted that, "owing to various reasons the resolution of questions about the establishment of a compensation fund for victims of terrorist acts at the international level was premature. While recognizing the importance of helping victims of terrorist acts, the working group recommended that the best approach for the time being was to encourage individual States to determine ways and means to extend assistance to victims of terrorist acts". There was also a general understanding that further work on these topics will be needed at a later stage. 07-66368 3