12 September 2001
U.N. General Assembly Pledges Solidarity Against Terrorists
(Opens 56th session with resolution condemning attack) (800)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The U.N. 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 U.N. 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 U.N. "The
attack on the United States was also an attack on the U.N. [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 U.N.
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 U.N. 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.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)
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