UN General Assembly President urges unity in fight against terrorism

The President of the United Nations General Assembly today urged global unity in the fight against terrorism while calling for relief aid to the people of Afghanistan. "I believe now is the time for the whole world to unite in the fight against terrorism and to pool our wisdom and resources to eradicate this dire threat," said Assembly President Han Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea in a statement released on Monday in connection with the situation in Afghanistan. Urging countries to either extend or continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, the President said, "The fight against terrorism should not be directed at any ethnic or religious group, nor against the Afghan people who are suffering from the actions of the terrorist elements in their country that are beyond their control." Han recalled that during the Assembly debate on measures to combat international terrorism, concluded last Friday, Member States "voiced our unequivocal view that international terrorism constitutes a threat to international peace and security as well as a crime against humanity." The President noted that the Security Council had also adopted resolutions on the issue, condemning the terrorist attacks while reaffirming the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence as recognised in the UN Charter. "I understand that the current military action now being undertaken is predicated on these norms," he said. In addition to highlighting the plight of Afghan civilians, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan stressed on Monday the need for the international community to work "harder than ever" to encourage a political settlement to the conflict in Afghanistan. "The UN is actively engaged in promoting the creation of a fully representative, multi-ethnic and broad-based Afghan Government," Annan said.