UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday calling on states to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism by extraditing or prosecuting anyone who supports, finances and participates in terrorist acts.

    The resolution, passed by the 15-nation council after lengthy negotiations over its wording, was introduced by Russia last monthafter a series of terrorist attacks struck the country, including a mass hostage-taking incident in the southern Russian city of Beslan.

    The measure, co-sponsored by France, China, Romania, Britain, the United States, Germany and Spain, calls upon all nations to "cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism, especially with those states where or against whose citizens terrorist acts are committed."

    It urges them to "find, deny safe haven and bring to justice, on the basis of the principle to extradite or prosecute, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or commission of terrorist acts or provides safe havens."

    It also authorizes the creation of a working group to submit recommendations on punitive measures to be imposed upon "individuals, groups or entities involved in or associated with terrorist activities," not already identified by the council's Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions committee.

    The original draft called for the creation of a new list of individuals, groups or entities who would be subject to stiff sanctions, including freezing of their financial assets and an arms embargo. The present list drawn up by a council committee mainly focus on members of Al-Qaida and Taliban.

    But the provision had to be amended since the council was divided over the establishment of such a new blacklist. Some countries, particularly Muslim states, cited the lack of a universal definition of terrorists and terrorist acts.

    The resolution requests the working group to consider the possibility of establishing an international fund to compensate victims of terrorist acts and their families. The fund might be financed through voluntary contributions and assets seized from terrorist organizations and their members.

    After the vote, Russian Ambassador to the UN Andrey Denisov said there was a need to improve the legal and other operational instruments to combat terrorism and terrorist organizations that are expert at changing their tactics depending on the situation.

    "We are convinced that the resolution further strengthens the essential coordinating role of the United Nations in the international campaign against the terrorist threat," he said.

    Algerian Ambassador Abdallah Baali said the text "has opened up,just in time, the possibility of extending to other groups and individuals the measures imposed on individuals and groups affiliated with Al-Qaida -- a request that Algeria has been makingfor a long time."

    "The resolution avoided putting together acts of terror and thelegitimate right of people to fight against foreign occupation, which was fully enshrined in international law and in the resolutions of international organizations," he said.

    German Ambassador Gunter Pleuger said the resolution came at a particularly appropriate time, "when, after a serious of particularly atrocious terrorist attacks in several parts of the world, the resolve and unity of the international community has been challenged anew."

    "Against that background, it was very important that the resolution has found the support of all Council members," he said.

    "Germany attaches particular importance to an open and inclusive process in the implementation of the resolution, particularly in the working group foreseen in the text. The group should, among other things, consider ways to identify relevant individuals, groups and entities." Enditem