New York (ABC Live):The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia decided on 29 November 2013 to Remove of Serbian illicit arms dealer Slobodan Tesic from the list of individuals subject to the travel restrictions imposed by paragraph 4 (a) of resolution 1521 (2003) (the travel ban list). The measures no longer apply to Mr. Slobodan TEŠIĆ.
Back Ground:
The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1521 (2003) concerning Liberia was established on 22 December 2003 to oversee the relevant sanctions measures and to undertake the tasks set out by the Security Council in paragraph 21 of the same resolution. The 1521 Committee is the successor body to two previous Security Council Committees that are no longer in existence, namely the Committee established pursuant to resolution 985 (1997) and the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1343 (2001).
The sanctions regime and the mandate of the Committee have been modified by subsequent resolutions, most notably Security Council resolutions 1532 (2004), 1683 (2006) and 1903 (2009). The regime was most recently extended by resolution 2079 of 12 December 2012. The sanctions measures currently in effect are summarized in the table below.
| Measure | Description (unofficial) | In effect until | Exceptions to the measure |
| Arms Embargo | All States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the supply of arms and any related material and the provision of any assistance, advice, or training related to military activities to all non-governmental entities and individuals operating in the territory of Liberia | 12 December 2013 | Set out in paragraph 5 of resolution 1903 (2009). |
| Travel banTravel Ban List | All States shall take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories of individuals designated by the Committee for inclusion on its Travel Ban List on the basis of the criteria set out in paragraph 4(a) of resolution 1521 (2003) | 12 December 2013 | Set out in paragraph 4 (c) of resolution 1521 (2003). |
| Assets freezeAssets Freeze List | Decides that all States shall freeze without delay funds, other financial assets and economic resources owned or controlled by individuals and entities designated by the Committee for inclusion on the Assets Freeze List on the basis of the criteria set out in paragraph 1 of resolution 1532 (2004) | The measures remain in effect until the Security Council decides otherwise, however the Council is to review the measures at least once a year. | Set out in paragraph 2 of resolution 1532 (2004) |
States implement the travel ban and assets freeze measures in connection with individuals and entities included in the Travel Ban List and Assets Freeze List, which are maintained and regularly updated by the Committee.
While resolution 1903 (2009) terminated the arms embargo with regard to the Government of Liberia, by paragraph 6 of that resolution the Security Council decided that all States shall notify in advance to the Committee any shipment of arms and related materiel to the Government of Liberia, or any provision of assistance, advice or training related to military activities for the Government of Liberia.
Previously, the sanctions regime included prohibitions on the import of all round logs and timber products from Liberia, however the Security Council decided to allow the timber sanctions to expire on 20 June 2006 with the adoption of resolution 1689 (2006) in light of the Government of Liberia’s commitment to transparent management of the country’s forestry resources (see SC/8856).
The Liberia sanctions regime also previously included prohibitions on the import of rough diamonds from Liberia, however the Security Council decided to terminate the diamond sanctions on 27 April 2007, with the adoption of resolution 1753 (2007).
The current Chair of the Committee, for the period ending 31 December 2013, is His Excellency Mr. Masood Khan (Pakistan). The two Vice-Chairs for 2013 are Luxembourg and Rwanda. The Committee publishes annual reports of its activities. The Committee has guidelines for the conduct of its work, including on the listing and de-listing procedures. The latest information on the Committee’s work can be found here. For other selected documents see menu.
The Committee is also supported by a Panel of Experts on Liberia whose reports can be found here.
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