What's In Blue

Posted Wed 30 Mar 2011

Insights on the Libya Sanctions Committee

On Monday, 28 March, the Council received its first briefing from the Permanent Representative of Portugal, José Filipe Moraes Cabral, the chair of the 1970 Sanctions Committee. (Resolution 1970 requested a report from the Committee on its work for the first report within 30 days.) This was followed by informal consultations where Council members approved the programme of work. Since the adoption of resolution 1970 the Sanctions Committee has met twice to work out its terms of reference and programme of work.

The Secretariat is in the process of appointing experts for the Panel of Experts created by resolution 1973. Most members are keen to see the Panel of Experts formed quickly. However, past experience has shown that this is often a protracted process. Quite often the selection of experts for sanctions panels have been slowed down by particular Council members seeking to influence the composition, a factor which has become increasingly worrying for the Secretariat in terms of the integrity of its appointment process.

Member states are required by resolution 1970 to report to the Committee by 26 June on the steps taken to implement the sanctions imposed by resolutions 1970 and 1973. In addition 90 days after the Panel of Experts is appointed an interim report is expected to be provided to the Council.

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