Gathering to decide what to do.

• Position: General Assembly Debate

The most hopeful thought about the United Nations is the name itself. During the high-level general debate of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly, Member States and Observer groups affirmed that hope--speaking in one voice--against terrorism and the conditions that spawn it. The debate, usually held for two weeks in September, was compressed to a week and rescheduled to 10 to 16 November. As the United States mourned its innocent dead, and as the world united in condemnation of the terrorist acts, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in his opening remarks, said:

"When a family is under attack, it is in their common house that its members gather to decide what to do. One is tempted to say that we must focus all our energies on the struggle against terrorism. Yet, if we do so, we should give the terrorists a kind of victory.... In short, my friends, the agenda of peace, development and human rights set forth in the Millennium Declaration is no less pressing. If anything, it has taken on a new urgency."

Here, the UN Chronicle reproduces excerpts from all speeches delivered at the week-long session. Among the speakers were 42 heads of State or Government, 9 Deputy Prime Ministers and 96 Foreign Ministers.

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Just One Thought

We face two possible futures: a mutually destructive clash between so-called "civilizations" based on the exaggeration of religious and cultural differences; or a global community, respecting diversity and rooted in universal values. The latter must be our choice.

Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations

The Islamic State of Afghanistan rejoices the new developments as a victory not only for the people of Afghanistan, but also for the international community in our shared campaign against terrorism.

Ravan Farhadi, Chairman of the Delegation of Afghanistan

The fight against terrorism must not be perceived as a clash of civilizations. It is a fight between good and evil. The only way to win the war is to unite against the common enemy.

Rexhep Meidani, President of Albania

It is necessary to confront the very roots of terrorism to deal with those problems which form a breeding ground for terrorism. ... Islam, a religion of peace and tolerance, cannot be associated with terrorism. ... The antiterrorist struggle is not aimed at any country, religion or civilization.

Abdelaziz Belkhadem, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Algeria

We must all play our part in the battle against mindless death, and debate both the reasons for and the responses to terrorism. ... We should never forget that the very act of debate, the very idea of this forum, is anathema to those whose modus operandi is silence.

Juli Minoves-Triquell, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Andorra

The struggle against terrorism requires that, beyond the measures encompassed by Security Council resolution 1373, special attention is devoted to the completion of an international convention against terrorism.

Joao Bernardo de Miranda, Minister for External Relations of Angola

International terrorism is an act of war against the world's peace-loving peoples. It is imperative that all countries of the world address the underlying social, economic and political problems that cause human misery and perpetuate injustice.

Patrick Albert Lewis, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda

Terrorism can hit any State. It is an international threat that must be confronted by the only existing institution with global reach--the United Nations.

Fernando De La Rua, President of Argentina

The problems and realities that we collectively face requires genuine, radical rethinking. The deep dissatisfaction, injustice, poverty, hopelessness do not justify terror but serve to validate it, legitimize it, guard it, must be addressed and eradicated too.

Vartan Oskanian, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Armenia

The events of 11 September underline how important it is that we maintain and strengthen international non-proliferation regimes governing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

John Dauth, Permanent Representative of Australia

The menace of an unprecedented, devastating terrorism is compelling us to take a fresh look at the root causes of much that is unacceptable in our world. ... I refer to abject levels of poverty, inequality, injustice.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Austria

Nothing can justify terrorism. There should be no room for double standards, palliatives and narrow national interests.

Vilayat Mukhtar ogly Guliyev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan

We must be visionary and creative in ensuring that the resources and energies of the United Nations are used to deal effectively and resolutely with terrorists and terrorism, and also continue to positively impact human rights, economic and social development and other common objectives.

Anthony Charles Rolle, Chairman of the Delegation of the Bahamas

Violence and extremism contradict the teachings of Islam and its tolerant values, and all high cultural and human concepts in which we believe and support.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bahrain

Terrorism is but one aspect of many negative forces that shape the substance of what we call globalization. ... They call for collective approaches and concerted global action.

Reaz Rahman, State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh

The quest against terrorism can never hope to succeed if it is viewed simply as a military campaign. ... It is from conditions of hopelessness and despair that spring new converts to the cause of terrorism.

Billie A. Miller, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Barbados

We see it as critical that the UN Member States have come to the realization of ... the unbreakable links between development, peace and security in the context of globalization. The recent tragic events reaffirmed this interdependence.

Mikhail Khostov, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belarus

It was the fundamental values constituting the foundation of the United Nations which were attacked in so cowardly a fashion.

Louis Michel, President of the Council of the European Union, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium

Today, despots seek refuge among the weak, preying upon the vulnerabilities of the less fortunate. ... For us, securing a better future for the millions who live in poverty continues to be the most noble of challenges.

John Briceno, Deputy Prime Minister of Belize

Terrorists cannot be silenced without eliminating the conditions they can use to justify their actions. ... Those include poverty, injustice, marginalization and exclusion.

Kolawole Idji, Minister for Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Benin

Clearly, there is a need to better define and understand the scope and limits of the war on terrorism so that the fears of a broader clash that is being spoken of are calmed.

Lyonpo Jigmi Yoser Thinley, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bhutan

The long struggle for freedom and against terrorism is just beginning and will only end when all the citizens of the world are entitled to vote and elect, to offer their opinions and profess their faith, to freely move about and, above all, to live free from fear of terror.

Jorge Quiroga Romirez, President of Bolivia

Coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, a multi-ethnic, multicultural Balkan country, I am especially sensitive to terrorism that is misusing religious feelings and, by doing so, jeopardizing local and global society.

Zlatko Lagumdzija, Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina

We need to reaffirm our commitment to the full implementation of all conventions on the combat of terrorism. The other major challenge that presents extraordinary danger to humanity is the HIV/AIDS pandemic, whose devastating impact on our societies and our economies, particularly in Africa, is well documented.

Mompati Merafhe, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Botswana

The victims of terrorism will not be forgotten, nor will those responsible for these acts go unpunished. Yet, ... the struggle against terrorism cannot rely exclusively on self-defense measures or on the use of military force by individual countries.

Fernando Henrique Cardoso, President of Brazil

Terrorism is a grim reminder that the United Nations agenda set over the last half of the 20th century has yet to be completed. There are many unwelcome legacies from the past 50 years.

Serbini Ali, Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam

One year after the Millennium Summit, we reaffirm that the United Nations enjoys even greater prestige as a tool to meet the challenges of our time. International terrorism has become threatening, not only to States but also to the freedom of the world.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Prime Minister of Bulgaria

The campaign against terrorism must be part of a coherent, solid world coalition based on the United Nations, and must also take into consideration the realities and constraints facing the international community. While terrorists are enemies, the manner in which we combat them must not provide them with allies.

Youssouf Ouedraogo, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burkina Faso

We fully subscribe to the relevant resolutions in the fight against terrorism. Strengthening coordination of efforts at the sub-regional, regional and international levels is in order.

Therence Sinunguruza, Minister for External Affairs of Burundi

To find solutions to the problems facing our world, especially terrorism, we need to look into not only the root causes of, but also the other contributing factors to terrorism confronting the world today.

Hor Namhong, Senior Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia

Those who endanger the new world order use a double standard to justify their acts. They claim to be carrying out a crusade and also put forward the living conditions of hundreds of millions of people who...