12 September 2001

UN General Assembly Pledges Solidarity Against Terrorists

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations -- The UN General Assembly opened its 56th session September 12 by passing a resolution strongly condemning the deadly terrorist incidents in its host city, New York, and in Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Expressing its "condolences and solidarity with the people and government of the United States of America in these sad and tragic circumstances," the General Assembly urgently called for "international cooperation to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of the outrages of 11 September 2001" and "to prevent and eradicate acts of terrorism."

In its resolution, the General Assembly also stressed that "those responsible for aiding, supporting, or harboring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of such acts will be held accountable."

The General Assembly adopted the terrorism resolution by acclamation, just as the Security Council -- the UN body responsible for international peace and security -- had done earlier in the day.

U.S. Ambassador James Cunningham said that the assembly's resolution "demonstrates the determination of the international community to confront and triumph over this evil."

"Together we have demonstrated here today in this historic hall of the General Assembly that we are united and strong in the face of terror," said Cunningham, the acting U.S. representative to the UN "The attack on the United States was also an attack on the UN [and] the entire international community, and the shared values upon which this institution was founded are under assault."

"Yesterday's attack requires that we choose sides between the values of human rights and democracy held dear by all decent people or terrorism and the law of the jungle," the ambassador said. "There are those who oppose terrorism and those who use it."

"Because this attack struck at all of us, it is right that we should work toward a coalition to defend our shared values against terrorism. Working in coalition we can multiply the effectiveness of our response," he said.

Thanking the assembly delegates for their condolences, Cunningham conveyed the gratitude of President Bush and the American people to the many world leaders and others around the world who have shown their support and offered their assistance in this time of grief.

"We in this hall are all New Yorkers in this time of tragedy and I have been struck by how many of you have expressed to me that sentiment and, indeed, many non-Americans will be counted among the victims of this attack," the ambassador said.

"Your decision to open the 56th General Assembly was the right one. I appreciate the support and condolences expressed by the UN membership and the condemnation and their sense of resolve expressed in the comments today," Cunningham said.

In an addendum to the General Assembly's resolution, Azerbaijan charge d'affaires Yashar Aliyev proposed that the United Nations medical offices set up a blood donation center so that UN diplomats could donate blood, which has been urgently called for by New York hospitals.

"We love this city and we are a part of this great city and we want to help it," Aliyev said.

The proposal was met with resounding applause.

The General Assembly also decided to postpone to an unspecified date its Special Session on Children, which had been set for September 19 to 21. More than 80 heads of state had been scheduled to attend. However, Secretary General Kofi Annan pleaded with delegations to "keep the concern of children uppermost in our minds."

"This is only a postponement, not a cancellation. This issue is still very much with us. I think we should stay the course and adopt a concrete agenda for action for this decade," Annan said of the Special Session on Children.

The Assembly elected South Korean Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo as president of its 56th session.

"Mere words cannot express the outrage and disgust we doubtless all feel for the vile actions perpetrated in our host country, the United States," Han said.

"These terrorist crimes were, in effect, acts of war against all the world's peace-loving peoples. Their primary target was, by a vicious twist of fate, located in the very city which is home to the world's foremost institution dedicated to promoting world peace," he said.

The assembly's opening, originally scheduled for September 11, was postponed for a day because of the terrorist attacks, the foreign minister noted. "But no terrorist can ever deflect this body from the task to which it has dedicated itself since 1945 -- ending the scourge of war in whatever form it may take once and for all," He said.