| Date | 12 September 2001 |
|---|
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Item 8 of the provisional agenda
Adoption of the agenda and organization of work
Condemnation of terrorist attacks in the United States of America (A/56/L.1)
Special session on the General Assembly on Children (A/56/L.2)
The President
I should now like to consult the Assembly with a view to considering immediately draft resolution A/56/L.1 and draft decision A/56/L.2. In this connection, since both documents have been circulated only this afternoon, it will be necessary to wave the relevant provision of rule 78 of the rules of procedure, which reads as follows:
"As a general rule, no proposal shall be discussed or put to the vote at any meeting of the General Assembly unless copies of it have been circulated to all delegations not later than the day preceding the meeting."
Unless I hear any objection, I shall take it that the Assembly agrees to consider draft resolution A/56/L.1 and draft decision A/56/L.2.
The President
I now give the floor to the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General
Thank you, Mr. President -- and congratulations on your election to this important responsibility. I can only regret, as you yourself have done, that you should have to assume it at such a dark day for the United States, and indeed for the whole world, and that this draft resolution should be the first item of business over which you preside.
Our host country, and this wonderful host city that has been so good to us over five decades, have just been subjected to a terrorist attack such as we had hardly dared to imagine, even in our worst nightmares. We are all struggling to find words to express our sense of grief and outrage, our profound sympathy for the untold numbers of injured and bereaved, and our solidarity with the people and Government of the United States in this hour of trial.
We are struggling, too, to voice our intense admiration and respect for the valiant police officers, fire fighters and workers of all kinds who are engaged in the rescue and recovery effort -- and especially for those, far too numerous, whose determination to help their fellow men and women has cost them their own lives.
We are all struggling, above all, to find adequate words of condemnation for those who planned and carried out these abominable attacks. In truth, no such words can be found. And words, in any case, are not enough.
This Assembly has condemned terrorism on numerous occasions. It has said repeatedly that terrorist acts are never justified, no matter what considerations may be invoked. It has called on all States to adopt measures, in accordance with the Charter and other relevant provisions of international law, to prevent terrorism and strengthen international cooperation against it.
We must now go further.
Earlier today, as you know, the Security Council expressed its readiness to take all necessary steps to respond to yesterday's attacks and to combat all forms of terrorism, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter.
I trust that it will indeed take such steps, and that this Assembly -- and all its members -- will follow suit. All nations of the world must be united in their solidarity with the victims of terrorism, and in their determination to take action -- both against the terrorists themselves and against all those who give them any kind of shelter, assistance or encouragement.
I trust that that message will go out loud and clear to the whole world from every member of this Assembly, which represents the whole world.
The President
I now give the floor to the representative of South Africa.
Mr. Kumalo (South Africa)
On behalf of the African Group, it is my honour, Sir, to congratulate you on your election as President of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly. Clearly, this is neither the day nor the time for any celebration. I hope there will be another appropriate time for us to welcome you once more.
The tragedy that befell the people of the United States is senseless, horrific, and totally beyond belief. On behalf of the African Group, allow me to express our sincere and heartfelt condolences to President George W. Bush, the Government and the people of the United States. Our hearts go out particularly to the people of New York, and especially to our colleagues at the United States Mission to the United Nations, led by Ambassador James B. Cunningham.
For those of us who have the honour to serve in the United Nations, yesterday's tragic events serve to remind us of the heavy responsibility we all bear. We would like to assure you, Sir, of our fullest support and cooperation. We are confident that under your leadership we will make significant progress in addressing global challenges. We remain deeply shocked and distressed at the callous terrorist attacks of yesterday. We hope that the perpetrators of these cowardly acts will soon face the full might of the law. We have no doubt that all members of the international community will cooperate in seeing that justice is done.
The tragedies in Washington, D.C.; New York; and Pennsylvania have brought home the unrelenting threat that international terrorism poses to all States. It is now clearer than ever that no one is safe from terrorism. Today it is the people of the United States who are in tears. In truth, it is the whole world that is weeping. The challenge that the United Nations confronts is to intensify our collective efforts to live up to the preamble of the United Nations Charter, which calls upon us to
"practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security".
Therefore, it is my honour to express the support of the African Group for the two draft resolutions that are before the Assembly.
The President
I give the floor to the representative of Viet Nam, who will make a statement on behalf of the Group of Asian States.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chau (Viet Nam)
Sir, on behalf of the Asian Group, I wish to extend to you the warmest congratulations on the occasion of your election to the presidency of the General Assembly. We are fully confident that with your diplomatic skills, you will lead this session to a fruitful conclusion.
We all are profoundly shocked by the acts of barbarism that took place yesterday in New York and in Washington, D.C., which left thousands dead and thousands of others wounded. We strongly condemn these terrorist acts, as they constitute a naked insult to the conscience of humankind.
On behalf of the Asian Group, I wish to convey our deepest sympathy and condolences to the Government and the people of the United States of America, to the cities of New York and Washington, and to the families of the bereaved.
The Asian Group fully supports the draft resolution, contained in document A/56/L.1, condemning these terrorist attacks.
The President
I give the floor to the representative of the Czech Republic, who will make a statement on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.
Mr. Galuska (Czech Republic)
Mr. President, I have the honour to speak here today on behalf of the Group of Eastern European States.
The purpose of today's plenary meeting was to open the new session of the General Assembly. However, under the shadow of the horrifying tragedy that has struck New York; Washington, D.C.; and the whole of the United States, I feel that it is my duty, first of all, to raise our voice in protest against what we witnessed yesterday. Members of the Group of Eastern European States unanimously condemn these terrorist acts, which we perceive to be aimed not only at the United States of America but at the whole civilized world -- indeed, the whole of humanity.
Let me express our Governments' deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims, their families and to the people and the Government of the United States.
We express our readiness to unite to strengthen immediately national and international efforts to prevent and suppress terrorism through increased cooperation and the full implementation of the relevant international anti-terrorist conventions, Security Council resolutions and national and regional security measures. I am convinced that the Group of Eastern European States, for its part, will unanimously support draft resolution A/56/L.1, which you, Sir, have so rightly proposed.
Given the circumstances, our work during the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly will be extremely challenging and responsible. I would like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election, and, at the same time, to express in advance my profound appreciation for the demanding work which lies ahead and which, I am sure, you will carry out in an excellent manner. We believe that, under your able leadership, we will continue to implement the necessary steps towards the fulfilment of the goals of the Millennium Summit Declaration.
I would also like to use this opportunity to express the appreciation and gratitude of the Group of Eastern European States to your predecessor, Mr. Harri Holkeri of Finland, for his active role and devoted work as President of the General Assembly. We hope that his legacy will inspire us during this session of the General Assembly as well.
The President
I give the floor to the representative of Guyana, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States.
Mr. Ishmael (Guyana)
I should like first of all, on behalf of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, to express sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. You are bringing to that post a wealth of experience and skills from an illustrious career in academia and from the ministerial and other appointments that you have held at the highest levels of government. The Latin American and Caribbean Group has every confidence that you will provide the leadership and vision needed at this critical juncture in the history of this Organization, as significant developments in international relations continue to have an important impact on the work and activities of the United Nations.
I should also like at this time to convey the Group's appreciation to the immediate past President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Ambassador Holkeri of Finland, for his excellent stewardship over the past year.
The Latin American and Caribbean Group welcomes draft resolution A/56/L.1, which has just been introduced in the Assembly. The Group takes this opportunity to strongly condemn the almost unimaginable tragedy that occurred yesterday -- a disastrous series of cruel and barbaric acts in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania that resulted in the loss of many, many innocent lives. We extend heartfelt sympathy to the Government and the people of the United States, and particularly to the victims of the dastardly acts. We share the pain of the residents of the host city, New York, and salute the courage of the fire fighters, police officers and others who gave their lives in a display of valour and courage that will be remembered forever.
The terrorist acts of yesterday must strengthen the resolve of the international community to condemn in the strongest possible terms all forms of terrorism, which are a threat to international peace and security. The Group reaffirms that those responsible must be brought to justice, and we stand in full support of the Government and the people of the United States at this time.
We give our full support to draft resolution A/56/L.1, as well as to the resolution adopted this morning by the Security Council on the matter of international terrorism.
The President
I now give the floor to the representative of Greece, who will speak on behalf of the Group of Western European and Other States.
Mr. Gounaris (Greece)
I would like, on behalf of the Group of Western European and Other States, to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session. Indeed, I hope to have another, more propitious opportunity to welcome you in the future.
I would like, on behalf of the Western European and Other States Group, to condemn in the strongest possible terms yesterday's terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere in the United States. It is a tragedy on an unprecedented scale that challenges all humanity. There can be no excuse or justification for these acts.
I would like to express our full solidarity with the Government of the United States and the American people for the hideous acts that led to the tragic loss of human life and extend our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims. These horrendous acts were an attack not only on the United States but on humanity itself and on the values and freedoms we all share. However, the life and work of our societies will continue undeterred.
We appeal to all States to work closely together to bring to justice the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors of yesterday's outrageous acts. The United Nations should spare no effort towards our common goal of preventing and suppressing terrorist attacks everywhere in the world. In this respect, we fully support draft resolution A/56/L.1 and draft decision A/56/L.2, just presented to the General Assembly.
The President
We have heard from representatives of all the regional groups.
I now give the floor to the representative of the United States of America, as the host country.
Mr. Cunningham (United States)
First, on behalf of the United States, I, too, would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its fifty-sixth session and to pledge my Government's support for the success of this session.
Obviously, the hearts of all Americans are heavy today. I would like to thank you, Mr. President, for your words of condolence and sympathy for the victims and their families. I would like to personally convey the gratitude of President Bush and the American people to all the many world leaders and all the others throughout the world who have shown their support and offered their assistance in this time of grief. I would also like to say a special word of appreciation to the Secretary-General for his condolences and, particularly, for his remarks about the city of New York and its public servants and his call for a firm and united response.
We in this Hall are all New Yorkers at this time of tragedy. I have been struck by how many of you have expressed to me that sentiment. Indeed, unfortunately, many non-Americans will be counted among the victims of this attack. We are all grateful to the men and women -- police, fire fighters, doctors and nurses -- who have shown tremendous heroism in coping with the catastrophic aftermath of the terrible events of 11 September 2001. Our thoughts and prayers go to all the victims and their families. We will grieve, and we will heal.
Your decision, Mr. President, to open the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly was the right one. I appreciate the support and condolences expressed by the United Nations membership and the condemnation and sense of resolve expressed in the comments today. Together, we have demonstrated here, in the historic Hall of the General Assembly, that we are united and strong in the face of terror.
In his statement on the attacks of 11 September and his decision to evacuate United Nations Headquarters, the Secretary-General recognized that the attack on the United States was also an attack on the United Nations. The entire international community and the shared values upon which this institution was founded are under assault. Security Council resolution 1368 (2001), adopted just hours ago, demonstrates the determination of the international community to confront and triumph over this evil, as will the General Assembly draft resolution that we are about to address.
Yesterday's attack requires that we choose sides between the values of human rights and democracy, held dear by all decent people, and terrorism and the law of the jungle. There are those who oppose terrorism and those who use it. There should be no doubt that we will deal with those who support and harbour terrorists as we deal with the terrorists themselves.
Because this attack struck at all of us, it is right that we should work towards a coalition to defend our shared values against terrorism. Working in coalition, we can multiply the effectiveness of our response. The victims of this attack and their families need our prayers and the certain knowledge of a unified response. We owe to them and to ourselves swift action to find those responsible for these attacks and to bring them to justice.
None of us or our children will forget yesterday's horrifying images. They will become unfortunate but indelible icons of the twenty-first century. Let them serve as a constant reminder of the need to eliminate this scourge and of the need for determination and action to do so.
The President
We have heard the last speaker in the debate on this item for this meeting.
I thank all representatives for their kind words addressed to me on my assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly.
The Assembly will now take a decision on draft resolution A/56/L.1.
May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt the draft resolution?
The President
The Assembly will now take a decision on draft decision A/56/L.2.
May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt the draft decision?
The President
I call on the Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General
I think we will soon be taking a decision on the summit for children and that, if we decide to postpone it because of this force majeure, I would want to plead with the General Assembly that we keep our concern for children uppermost in our minds. This is only a postponement, not a cancellation, and the issue is still very much with us.
I think we should stay the course and adopt a concrete agenda for action for this decade. I think that, at this critical stage, we cannot afford to fail the children or wrangle indefinitely over text and documents. I believe that the draft outcome document for the special session is so close to being finalized. I would urge representatives that, despite the postponement, we keep up with that work and take up the issue as soon as next week. I think that, within a relatively short period, with good will and determination, we can have an agreed text. We are close and I do not want us to postpone it or relax because the meeting is not taking place next week. That is my plea.
The President
I should now like to refer to the two-day high-level dialogue on strengthening international economic cooperation for development through partnership.
By decision 55/479 of 12 April 2001, the General Assembly decided that the two-day high-level dialogue would take place on Monday and Tuesday, 17 and 18 September 2001. However, after consultations with the Chairmen of the regional Groups, there is an agreement that the two-day high-level dialogue should now take place on Thursday and Friday, 20 and 21 September 2001, instead.
May I therefore take it that the General Assembly decides to hold the two-day high-level dialogue on Thursday and Friday, 20 and 21 September 2001?
The President
I should like to inform members that the first meetings of the six Main Committees will take place consecutively tomorrow afternoon, Thursday, 13 September 2001, at 3 p.m. in the General Assembly Hall for the purpose of electing their respective Chairmen.
Immediately thereafter, the General Assembly will hold its second plenary meeting to elect its Vice-Presidents.
I call on the representative of Azerbaijan.
Mr. Aliyev (Azerbaijan)
I apologize for asking to speak, but I believe that I will be expressing a general view in what I am going to propose.
It is a kind of humanitarian addendum to the resolution we have just adopted. In this very tragic moment, it is our duty to offer our services to New York City and its courageous people. The members of the United Nations diplomatic community are not only parking-rules violators. We do love this city. We do love New York. We are a part of this great city and we want to help it.
Therefore, I would like to request the Secretary-General to establish, through the United Nations medical service, a United Nations diplomatic blood-donation centre to make our modest contribution to the ongoing New York City rescue process. I call upon all representatives to support this proposal.
The Secretary-General
I think the proposal of the representative of Azerbaijan has had a very good response from the ambassadors and representatives here. That means that the medical service will have no problems and will see lots of people queuing up to give blood.
