The Security Council is expected to approve new measures Thursday aimed at ensuring that U.N. sanctions target the right people, companies and organizations for links to al-Qaida and the Taliban _ including a new ombudsperson.

Since the council imposed sanctions against the Taliban a decade ago, questions have been raised about the fairness of the list and the rights of those subject to punitive measures to argue their case for being removed. There is also a problem of insufficient information about some on the list which prevents police, border authorities and financial institutions from implementing sanctions.

Austria, which currently heads the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban, said about 30 court cases have been filed by listed individuals in Europe, Pakistan, Turkey and the United States protesting their inclusion.

The U.S.-sponsored resolution hammered out after lengthy negotiations, would strengthen the current sanctions regime, make it more transparent, and try to address these shortcomings.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations have been private, said the resolution is expected to be adopted unanimously on Thursday.

The Security Council imposed sanctions against the Taliban in November 1999 for refusing to send Osama bin Laden to the United States or a third country for trial on terrorism charges in connection with two 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa.

The sanctions _ a travel ban, arms embargo and assets freeze _ were later extended to al-Qaida. In July 2005, the council extended the sanctions again to cover affiliates and splinter groups of al-Qaida and the Taliban.

The draft resolution reiterates the council's "unequivocal condemnation" of bin Laden, the Taliban and al-Qaida "for ongoing and multiple criminal terrorist acts aimed at causing the deaths of innocent civilians and other victims, destruction of property and greatly undermining stability." It expresses concern at the increase in kidnappings and hostage-takings by individuals or groups associated with them "with the aim of raising funds or gaining political concessions."

Currently, governments propose individuals and entities for the sanctions list, and the Security Council committee monitoring sanctions decides behind closed doors who should be subject to the punitive measures.

Requests to be taken off the list go to an official in the U.N. Secretariat who checks with appropriate governments to see whether they recommend "delisting." The official then sends all information to the sanctions committee for a decision.