Seychelles, 2001

My delegation would

like to congratulate Mr. Han on his dynamic

stewardship of the deliberations of the General

Assembly at this session. Our felicitations also go to

the Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan, and the United

Nations on being honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize.

The brutal and tragic events that took place in

New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania on 11

September were the result of acts against not only the

United States, but the international community at large.

In his message of condolence to President George

W. Bush, the President of the Republic of Seychelles,

Mr. France Albert René, condemned the terrorist

attacks in the strongest terms, stating

“Our global village cannot tolerate such acts that

disrespect the value of human life and jeopardize

world peace and stability.”

The subsequent military action in Afghanistan

was understood, in principle, by the Seychelles

Government as being in accordance with Article 51 of

the Charter of the United Nations. Our Minister for

Foreign Affairs, in an interview with the local media,

referred to this military action as “self-defence”, and

expressed the wish that only the terrorist networks and

their clearly identified allies would be targeted, as part

of a carefully proportioned action plan, sparing civilian

populations and avoiding any kind of linkage between

religious faiths and ideologically based deviation.

The Seychelles Government agrees with the

following principles. Terrorism is a threat to

international peace and security. There is no political or

religious justification for such violence. We vigorously

condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

Further to the events of 11 September, Seychelles

recognizes the right of the United States Government

to react under guiding principles of international law

and to bring the perpetrators to justice. But there is also

a need to acknowledge the root causes of terrorism,

including extreme poverty, despair and injustice, and to

strongly advocate concerted efforts and collective

commitment throughout the world to eradicate poverty

and underdevelopment. Based on those principles and

concerns, the position of my Government does not

diverge from the views and recommendations

expressed by the international community.

We appreciate the authority of the United Nations

in providing global legitimacy for a universal response

against terrorism. The war on terrorism must be fought

on many fronts. The elaboration of a broad, long-term

strategy for combating international terrorism,

including military, political, diplomatic, legal and

economic means, is of paramount importance.

Seychelles welcomes Security Council resolution

1373 (2001) of 28 September 2001, which outlines

clear steps and measures that all United Nations

Member States must now implement in order to

prevent and suppress terrorist activities. My country is

fully committed to implementing the provisions of the

resolution, despite being handicapped by the

constraints linked to lack of capacities and resources.

Seychelles is a party to six of the 12 existing

United Nations conventions and protocols on terrorism.

My Government is taking steps to accede to the

remaining six. Furthermore, we have also decided to

accede to the 1999 Organization of African Unity

Algiers Convention on the Prevention and Combating

of Terrorism.

Seychelles fully supports the ongoing

negotiations to elaborate a comprehensive convention

on international terrorism. We commend the personal

intervention of Secretary-General Annan in trying to

bridge differences and achieve consensus. It is our

hope that, despite the complex and sensitive nature of

the issues being addressed, the international

community will arrive at an agreement very soon.

Bearing in mind the unprecedented international

mobilization against terrorism and the magnitude of the

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present situation, we consider that the larger,

influential Members of the United Nations, particularly

the permanent members of the Security Council, should

manifest their strong political will and backing in

resolving regional conflicts in all parts of the globe.

Above all, they must intensify their efforts to achieve a

lasting peace in the Middle East. Let us not

underestimate the fact that regional conflicts are often

breeding grounds for terrorism.

It was mentioned earlier that terrorism is rooted

in poverty. The United Nations must engage its full

potential to vigorously pursue its development agenda.

This should comprise, inter alia, the drive for the

alleviation of poverty and achieving sustainable

development, the quest for equitable distribution of the

benefits of globalization, and the achievement of the

Millennium Summit goals, as well as the success of

next year’s International Conference on Financing for

Development and World Summit on Sustainable

Development.

As a small island State whose economy depends

mainly on tourism and related industries, Seychelles’

vulnerability is obviously at issue should the ongoing

military campaign in Afghanistan persist. As a peaceful

community enjoying stability and social harmony,

Seychelles, without questioning its strong moral

support for the cause of international security, also

encourages a dialogue giving the voices of reason and

compassion a chance to be heard, especially with

regard to the needs of the Afghan people, who have

lived three decades of war, resulting in the suffering of

very large numbers of refugees and displaced persons.

Finally, my country would like to lay stress on the

urgency for the United Nations to rethink the world

order, not just in terms of geopolitical balance, but in

terms of a new ethic. International terrorism cannot be

fought by way of offensive weapons, either traditional

or sophisticated. To agree on a common value system

is, in the middle and long terms, a more profitable

orientation for the whole of humanity.

This being said, my country renews its adhesion

to the international coalition of nations that are united

in the war on international terrorism and in the quest

for worldwide peace and security.