Saturday, September 9 2006 14:39 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: Condemning 'unequivocally and strongly' terrorism in all its forms and manifestation, the United Nations General Assembly has adopted a global strategy, based on respect for human rights and the rule of law, to combat the scourge.



The strategy approved yesterday by the 92-member Assembly includes plan of action, measures to prevent and combat terrorism and steps to build capacities of states to fight the scourge.

The strategy, originally prepared by Secretary-General Kofi Annan and modified during discussions by diplomats at various levels, is to be launched at the high-level segment of its annual session beginning Sept 19.

It calls for extraditing or prosecuting any person who supports, facilitates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning or perpetration of terrorist acts or provides them safe haven.

But immediately after the strategy was approved without vote as several nations had reservations on different points, Arab and Israeli diplomats clashed over failure of the strategy to take into account their concerns.

Arab nations which took the floor to express their reservations lamented that groups like Palestinians which were fighting for liberation of their territories" were not exempted by strategy. That prompted Israel to criticize Syria and Iran for their failure to rein in groups which commit terrorism against the Jewish state. However, arguments on both sides were on expected and known lines.

A major point of contention during year long contentious debate was defining terrorism. Several Arab and Islamic states, including Pakistan, argued, that the definition should exempt groups, which in their opinion are fighting for liberation. The Arabs had Palestinians fighting against Israel in mind and Pakistan terrorist groups in Kashmir which are sponsored by it.



Ultimately, Secretary-General Kofi Annan came out a formulation not a definition any act of intentional maiming and killing of civilians as terrorism.



This was accepted though reluctantly by some member states.

The strategy expresses the concern that the member states feel about the scourge engulfing almost all parts of the world but is symbolic in nature as it is for member states to implement it and they cannot for forced to do, for Assembly resolution, unlike those of the Security Council, are not enforceable.

The Assembly called for an early conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism including legal definition so that it can serve as an effective instrument to counter the scourge.

It also agreed to consider calling an international conference to formulate international response to terrorism in all its manifestation and forms.

The strategy stresses on the need for international cooperation to fight terrorism, creating and strengthening counter terrorism measures by regional and sub regional groups, ensuring that asylum seeker has not committed any terrorist acts and measures to prevent terrorist or criminal groups from using biotechnology for their nefarious purposes.