Sri Lanka signs UN terrorism funding convention

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2000, 19:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka was the second country to sign the United Nation's Convention on the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which was opened for signature on January 10 at the United Nations in New York, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in Colombo.

France was the first country to sign the Convention, followed by Sri Lanka's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, John de Saram.

The International Convention on the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 9 1999 and enters into force 30 days after it has been ratified by 22 countries.

Other than France and Sri Lanka, the United States of America, Britain, Finland, Malta and the Netherlands are reported to have signed the Convention on the first day of it being opened for signature.

Sri Lanka, as a Vice-Chairman of the UN Ad-hoc Committee on the Elimination of Terrorism, was closely associated in the negotiation of the Convention, the Foreign Ministry said.

The press release adds that the Convention obliges state-parties to closely monitor the collection or receipt of money by organisations in support of terrorist activities in another country.

The Convention also requires state-parties to freeze and prevent access to such funds by groups supporting terrorist organisations, and also to prosecute or extradite persons found guilty of involvement in such activities for terrorist organisations, the Foreign Ministry said.