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UNITED NATIONS, May 2 (Xinhua) -- In a move aimed at
strengthening global anti-terror cooperation, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
Tuesday unveiled his recommendations for the world's first comprehensive
counter-terrorism strategy to the 191-nation General Assembly.
Annan delivered a speech at a plenary session of the
assembly, presenting the 32-page report, entitled Uniting Against Terrorism.
In the address, he highlighted that the report
stemmed from a fundamental conviction shared by all that "terrorism in all its
forms and manifestations, committed by whomever, wherever and for whatever
purposes, is unacceptable and can never be justified."
"All states, in every region -- large or small,
strong or weak -- are vulnerable to terrorism and its consequences. They all
stand to benefit from a strategy to counter it. They all have a role to play in
shaping such a strategy, in implementing it, and in ensuring that it is updated
continuously to respond to challenges as they evolve."
In compiling the report, Annan was assisted by a
multi-agency counter-terrorism task force, and he said that throughout the
document he had built on ideas outlined in Spain in 2005 on the one-year
anniversary of the train bombings that killed and maimed more than 1,600 people.
"In formulating my recommendations, I have built
further on the 'five Ds' -- the fundamental components which I first outlined in
Madrid last year," he said.
The five Ds include dissuading people from resorting
to terrorism or supporting it; denying terrorists the means to carry out an
attack; deterring States from supporting terrorism; developing state capacity to
defeat terrorism; and defending humanrights.
"I believe all five are interlinked conditions
crucial to the success of any strategy against terrorism. To succeed, we will
need to make progress on all these fronts," Annan said, adding that the member
states now had an "historic opportunity" in front of them to agree on such a
strategy.
"By rising to that challenge, you will demonstrate
the resolve of the international community, and lay the foundations of a
trulyglobal response to this vicious global scourge. I hope my recommendations
will help you in that vital mission."
Under the five broad headlines, the report lays out
certain specific recommendations, including urging member states to consider a
proposal to hold a global forum on biotechnology, as part of the strategy to
prevent the use of biological weapons.
The report also has specifics relating to "terrorist
use of theInternet," including an offer to help member states develop
legislation and "other possible actions to counter" this.
In his address to the assembly, Annan also called for
the conclusion "as soon as possible" of a comprehensive convention on
international terrorism, but said that even if consensus couldn't be reached on
this, it was no reason for a delay in agreeing on a strategy.
The General Assembly is scheduled to hold its first
consultations on this strategy and other counter-terrorism issues on May 11.
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