General Assembly President urges unity in fight against terrorism

The President of the United Nations General Assembly today urged global unity in the fight against terrorism while calling for relief aid to the people of Afghanistan.

"I believe now is the time for the whole world to unite in the fight against terrorism and to pool our wisdom and resources to eradicate this dire threat," said Assembly President Han Seung-soo of the Republic of Korea in a statement released in connection with the situation in Afghanistan.

Urging countries to either extend or continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people, the President said, "The fight against terrorism should not be directed at any ethnic or religious group, nor against the Afghan people who are suffering from the actions of the terrorist elements in their country that are beyond their control."

Mr. Han recalled that immediately after the 11 September attacks on the United States, the General Assembly had condemned them in the strongest possible terms and called for international cooperation to bring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors to justice. During the Assembly debate on measures to combat international terrorism, concluded on Friday, Member States "voiced our unequivocal view that international terrorism constitutes a threat to international peace and security as well as a crime against humanity," he said.