About Competent Authority for Sri Lanka
BACKGROUND
The Security Council of the United Nations acting under the Chapter VII
of the Charter of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 1373
on September 28, 2001, which sets out wide ranging strategies to combat
terrorism and in particular the fight against the financing of
terrorism, which imposes upon Member States a series of obligations
aimed at the suppression of terrorism.
The Security Council of the United Nations acting under the Chapter VII
of the Charter of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 1267
on October 15, 1999. UNSCR 1267 (1999), its modifications and the
subsequent Resolutions set out wide ranging strategies to combat
terrorism and in particular measures to be imposed against the Afghan
faction known as the Taliban and impose upon Member States of the United
Nations a series of obligations to apply sanction measures to any
natural or legal person, group or entity associated with the Al-Qaeda or
Taliban as designated by the Sanctions Committee and whose names appear
on the ‘Consolidated List’ adopted by the Sanctions Committee.
The Security Council of the United Nations acting under the Chapter VII
of the Charter of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 1718
on October 14, 2006. UNSCR 1718 (2006) and its subsequent resolutions
impose a series of economic and commercial sanctions on the Democratic
People's Republic of Korea (the DPRK, or North Korea) in the aftermath
of that nation's claimed nuclear test of October 9, 2006, and impose
upon Member States of the United Nations a series of obligations to
apply sanction measures to any natural or legal person, group or entity
designated by the Sanctions Committee for being involved in the DPRK’s
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program.
The Security Council of the United Nations acting under the Chapter VII
of the Charter of the United Nations unanimously adopted Resolution 2231
on July 20, 2015, endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
on the nuclear program of Iran. UNSCR 2231 (2015) sets out an inspection
process and a schedule while also preparing for the removal of United
Nations sanctions against Iran. However, UNSCR 2231 (2015) impose upon
Member States of the United Nations a series of obligations to apply
sanction measures to a list of individuals and entities designated by
the United Nations Security Council for being involved in the Iran’s
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) program.
Accordingly, following Regulations pertaining to UNSCR 1373, UNSCR 1267,
UNSCR 1718 and UNSCR 2231 were duly gazette by the Sri Lanka
respectively, under United Nations Act No: 45 of 1968:
• Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 1758/19 dated May 15, 2012 (referred to as United Nations Regulation No. 1 of 2012)
• Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 1760/40 dated May 31, 2013 (referred to as United Nations Regulation No. 2 of 2012)
• Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 2039/32 dated October 06, 2017 (referred to as United Nations (Sanctions in relation to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) Regulations of 2017)
• Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 2080/34 dated July 17, 2018 (referred to as United Nations (Sanctions in relation to Iran) Regulations No. 1 of 2018) as amended by Extra Ordinary Gazette No. 2085/11 dated August 21, 2018.
COMPETENT AUTHORITIES
Secretary to the Ministry of Defence is appointed as the Competent
Authority for the implementation of the above Regulations in Sri Lanka.
Responsibilities of the Competent Authorities on the implementation are
clearly stipulated in the above Regulations. The main responsibility of the
Competent Authority is monitoring compliance and enforcing sanctions
pursuant to the Regulations, and engage in wide range of tasks on the
implementation of the same.