REACTION TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE U.S.: Ukraine's statement at the U.N. (10/07/01)

REACTION TO THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON THE U.S.

Ukraine's statement at the U.N.

Below is the text of the statement on terrorism delivered by the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United Nations Valeriy Kuchinsky on October 1 before the U.N. General Assembly.

The start of the new millennium has been marred by a tragedy of enormous proportions. The terrorist attacks of September 11, aimed primarily against civilians, became a direct challenge not only to the people of the United States but to the entire civilized world. Those responsible have put themselves beyond the laws of human civilization and deserve just punishment. Ukraine, together with other nations of the world, mourns the victims of the attacks and expresses its full solidarity with the people of the United States. By joining the global anti-terrorist coalition, my country confirmed its readiness to do its utmost in the global efforts to uproot this scourge. I would also like to use this opportunity to draw attention to the proposal made by my delegation to declare the tragic day of September 11 as an International Day to Combat Terrorism.

The brutality and proportion of the September 11 terrorist attacks have profoundly changed our perception of the global challenges facing mankind. Yet, despite all the imperfections and built-in weaknesses of our increasingly globalized world, the international community cannot afford to remain ill-prepared and ill-equipped in the face of new threats. Fully realizing the magnitude and implications of the recent events, member-states and policy-makers must develop new definitions, new terms and new strategies to stand up to these new realities.

Last week, the U.N. Security Council adopted a historic resolution designed to enhance an international response to threats of terrorism. It is a timely and necessary measure. The complex character of the tasks put forward by the Council compels the members of the United Nations to constantly revisit the progress of their implementation. I am sure that the views expressed during the current debate will provide valuable guidance to the Security Council in its further work. It would also be worthwhile to consider convening a ministerial meeting of the Council, specifically during the forthcoming debate in the General Assembly, to discuss the next steps.

Today, terrorists use new and sophisticated means to commit their hateful acts. One can imagine the consequences if tomorrow they get hold of weapons of mass destruction: nuclear, chemical or biological. This can well be the next stage and it may bring about a catastrophe of global proportions. Ukraine, therefore, considers that problems of non-proliferation of such weapons, their means of delivery and technologies acquire an additional significance.

Ukraine has repeatedly condemned, in the strongest possible terms, international terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We have consistently supported the concerted efforts by the United Nations to eradicate this scourge. My country has ratified most of the instruments of universal character in this field. Last year, Ukraine signed the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The Terrorist Bombing Convention is to be ratified in the near future. We consider adherence and full implementation of the relevant international instruments by member-states as an essential contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security. We also hope that negotiations on two new universal instruments in this field will be concluded shortly. At the same time, we realize that legal instruments alone are not sufficient - there is a need for a strong commitment by states and genuine cooperation between governments and their law enforcement agencies in fighting terrorism.

Terrorist attacks constitute a clear violation of the recognized norms of international law. Their main purpose is to undermine international stability and to provoke a vicious circle of violence in international or inter-ethnic relations. The world community should not, in any circumstances, give way to such provocations. All national and international means of combating and suppressing the terrorism are necessary parts of the entire range of instruments that may be used for this purpose.

Of particular concern is the fact that terrorist organizations are financed through other criminal activities, including arms smuggling, drugs production and trafficking, and money laundering. It is regrettable that the treatment of these diseases is far behind the challenges they represent. It is our deep conviction that an increased international effort towards their virtual elimination would also be instrumental in our fight against terrorism.

What happened in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania last month incontestably proves that no state - big or small, rich or poor - can feel safe against the threat of terrorism, which knows no boundaries and makes no distinction between children and military targets, diplomatic and humanitarian missions. Nor should any state be left alone in its struggle against terrorism. It is only through the concerted efforts of the international community as a whole that we can effectively withstand this challenge.

The role of this organization will become even more crucial in setting a new framework for international cooperation in this field. We welcome the recent adoption by the Commission for Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice of a set of recommendations on specific national and international actions against terrorism. At the same time, my delegation is convinced that enhancing the potential of the United Nations in fighting international terrorism can still go beyond the task of strengthening the Terrorism Prevention Branch of ODCCP. We continue to maintain that there is a need for a proper institutional arrangement to coordinate the individual efforts of member-states in combating international terrorism and to ensure that the legal instruments we elaborated are implemented in the most efficient manner. We realize that more time is needed to consider this idea, and we hope that the Assembly will come back to this matter in due time.

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