New York's Mayor, Mr Rudolph Giuliani, yesterday told the UN the attack on the city they both call home left the world body "no room for neutrality" and urged it to isolate and hold accountable any nation supporting terrorism.
"The evidence of terrorism's contempt for life and the concept of peace is lying beneath the rubble of the World Trade Centre, less than two miles from where we meet today," he told the UN General Assembly at the start of a five-day debate on a long-term global strategy against terrorism.
"Look at that destruction, that massive, senseless cruel loss of human life. And then I ask you to look in your hearts and recognise that there is no room for neutrality on the issue of terrorism. You're either with civilization or with terrorists," he said.
Hailed for his leadership following the attacks that left nearly 5,800 people dead or missing in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, Mr Giuliani appeared before the world body as he weighed an attempt to stay in office beyond the two terms allowed under current law. His second four-year term ends on December 31st. He was the first New York leader to address the General Assembly since 1952, though he has previously spoken at other UN events.
He said the dead and missing came from more than 80 countries and called the carnage "a direct assault on the founding principles of the United Nations itself".
"This is not a time for further study or vague directives," he said.
Ireland took over the presidency of the Security Council yesterday with the fight against terrorism the number one issue. The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen met the Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, at UN headquarters to discuss the agenda for the month which is also expected to include issues relating to the Congo, East Timor and the deepening humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
Mr Cowen's schedule also included meetings with senior UN officials involved with Iraqi sanctions and weapons monitoring, as well as a discussion on aid for Afghanistan with a leading UN official responsible for humanitarian issues, Ms Carolyn McCaskie. Mr Cowen is due to address the General Assembly today.
Ireland is represented, along with the other members of the Security Council, on the special committee to monitor the implementation of the sweeping and comprehensive resolution against terrorism which the Council passed unanimously at the weekend.
The committee is required to submit a work programme before the end of the month. Resolution 1373 sets out a list of actions to be taken by member-states to suppress and prevent terrorism, particularly the financing of terrorist groups. All states are required to make their first progress report to the monitoring committee, "on the steps they have taken to implement this resolution", within 90 days, "and thereafter according to a timetable to be proposed by the committee".
While sanctions have not been specified as a means of dealing with recalcitrant member-states, the text expresses the Council's "determination to take all necessary steps in order to ensure the full implementation of this resolution, in accordance with its responsibilities under the Charter".
In his opening address to a five-day General Assembly debate on terrorism Mr Annan applauded the Security Council for adopting Resolution 1,373 and "acting so swiftly to enshrine in law the first steps needed to carry this fight forward with new vigour and determination".
The aim was to target terrorists and those who harboured them: "That resolution requires member-states to co-operate in a wide range of areas - from suppressing the financing of terrorism to providing early warning, co-operating in criminal investigations and exchanging information on possible terrorist acts," Mr Anan said.