Russia, 2001

This session of the General Assembly is

taking place in the shadow of an unprecedented

challenge to humanity posed by international terrorism.

We all must seriously analyse how this could have

happened. However, it has already become perfectly

clear today that the period of globalization and the

threats and challenges to international and regional

security that it brings with it make it urgent for of all of

us to take fundamentally new approaches to

international affairs.

We face a tough dilemma, whose solution will

truly be of paramount importance. Either we work

together to responsibly construct a genuinely just and

democratic world order that can guarantee equal

security and sustainable development for all States in

the world, or we show ourselves to be unable to

counter real threats to global stability and security.

The most important task of the international

community today is to create a global system to

counteract new threats and challenges, first and

foremost among which is international terrorism. This

topic was the focus of negotiations between the

President of the Russian Federation, Mr. Vladimir V.

Putin, and the President of the United States of

America, Mr. George W. Bush, which recently took

place in Washington, D.C. and Crawford, Texas.

A universal anti-terrorist coalition has been

formed. The Russian Federation is a responsible

participant in this coalition. The creation of this

coalition has involved the United Nations playing a

very important role in consolidating and coordinating

activities. It is precisely the United Nations that has the

necessary universal character and authority to organize

a response to the threats and challenges that confront

mankind today.

The broad decisions taken by the Security

Council and the General Assembly create a solid

political and legal framework for efforts to neutralize

the threat of terrorism. It is now important for these

decisions to be implemented by all States.

If necessary, the use of the most decisive means

against terrorists may be permissible, including the use

of military force. The Charter grants that right. At the

same time, this threat cannot be overcome by force

alone. A comprehensive approach to eradicating

terrorism would imply the use of the whole range of

political, economic, financial and humanitarian

measures.

The consolidation of the international legal

framework for combating terrorism is now on our

agenda. It is extremely important to rapidly complete

and adopt the comprehensive convention on

international terrorism and a convention for the

suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism.

It would be of great importance to establish

within the United Nations a mechanism to monitor the

fulfilment by States of their treaty obligations

concerning the suppression of terrorism.

We consider promising the idea to establish,

under the aegis of the United Nations, a centre for

coordinating assistance to States to resolve crises

caused by terrorist acts. Such a structure could focus on

providing consultative and material and technical

support in managing the consequences of terrorist acts.

The Russian Federation also proposes studying

the possibility of including in international law the

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principle of the responsibility of States for their failure

to take measures against terrorists in their territory or

under their jurisdiction.

Of key importance in the success of the

comprehensive fight against international terrorism is

the maintenance and strengthening of strategic stability

at both global and regional levels and strengthening the

non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The focus of the international community should

continue to be on the interdependence and merging of

international terrorism, drug trafficking and

transnational organized crime. The Russian Federation

favours the rapid entry into force of the International

Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of

Terrorism and the United Nations Convention Against

Transnational Organized Crime and its additional

protocols.

It is perfectly clear that the fight against terrorism

is not aimed at any particular religion, civilization or

culture. This was clearly demonstrated by the

discussions on the dialogue among civilizations during

the current session of the General Assembly. We also

hope that a practical contribution in this area can be

made by the implementation of the initiative put

forward by Islamic religious leaders from the Russian

Federation to organize an international conference

entitled “Islam against terrorism” in Moscow.

Terrorism is rooted in the gap between affluence

and poverty, both within States and in the international

arena. Thus, the task now, as never before, is to ensure

sustainable development throughout the world and to

ensure that the social aspects of the globalization

process are addressed.

The United Nations and its specialized agencies

can do a lot to ensure effective rejection of extremism

of all forms. We suggest that thought should be given

to organizing, under the aegis of the United Nations, a

world forum that would discuss what contribution civil

society and, particularly, the mass media could make to

combating terrorism.

International experience has shown that

successful prevention and settlement of regional

conflicts are an integral part of the counter-terrorist

efforts of the international community. This is yet

another compelling argument in favour of further

developing and ensuring greater effectiveness of

United Nations preventive and peacekeeping activities.

In particular, the Russian Federation advocates the

development within the United Nations of a

comprehensive strategy aimed at reliably blocking

channels for outside fuelling of the conflicts.

We need to ensure that there is regional

cooperation in fighting these new threats. An example

of such successful cooperation is that of the

Commonwealth of Independent States, under the

auspices of which a CIS anti-terrorist centre has been

set up and is working effectively.

Today, the moment of truth has arrived for each

of us. The Russian Federation is in favour of the

international community taking decisions that can

provide for strategic stability and equal security for all

States, sustainable development and prosperity for all

the peoples of the planet and peace and tranquillity for

each family and each individual.

These noble aims can only be achieved jointly, by

working cooperatively and uniting the efforts of the

entire international community. The United Nations has

a vital role to play in this regard. Our Organization

was, and indeed remains, the most important

instrument available to the international community,

whose effective and responsible use will allow us to

create a new democratic and just world order for the

twenty-first century.