General Assembly pushes debate on terrorism up to 1 October

The United Nations General Assembly has decided to hold its annual debate on terrorism on 1 October, according to a spokesman for the 189-member body.

"I think there will be many speakers and you can expect it to go over two to three days," spokesman Jan Fischer told reporters at a briefing today in New York.

After the item is debated in the plenary, the Assembly's Legal (Sixth) Committee will take over consideration of the matter. Among other tasks, the Legal Committee is currently working on a treaty for the suppression of acts of nuclear terrorism and a comprehensive convention on the elimination of terrorism.

These treaties will join the dozen UN conventions which already form part of the international legal arsenal in the fight against terrorism.