The atrocities in New York and Washington demonstrated the need for the international community to resolve various long-standing disputes, such as the Middle East conflict, from which terrorism drew its sustenance, the Irish Ambassador to the UN, Mr Richard Ryan, has told the General Assembly in New York.
He told ambassadors of the UN member-states - for security reasons, heads of government and foreign ministers are not attending the General Assembly - that while terrorism must be confronted, urgent action was also needed to resolve the root causes of disputes which were being exploited by terrorists for their own purposes.
Mr Ryan expressed "heart-felt condolences" to the US delegation on behalf of the Irish diplomatic mission at the UN as well as the Government and people of Ireland "for the horrendous attacks inflicted on our host country and city". The Assembly would be discussing anti-terrorist measures next week: "But none of us here can stand at this podium and not denounce these attacks - attacks, not only on the US, but on all the world's right-thinking people. As European heads of government meeting in an extraordinary European Council last Friday stated: the attacks of September 11th were a challenge to the conscience of each human being. We condemn them utterly."
The UN's activities since last year's Millennium Summit of government leaders had been conducted against a background of suffering caused by violent conflicts across the world: "This Assembly must address these conflicts with a new resolve, born of the realisation that we cannot separate international peace and security from issues of poverty and underdevelopment.
These, in turn, often produce economic and social tensions which, left to smoulder, can ignite large and potentially destabilising conflagrations.
"The events of September 11th have demonstrated all the more that the entire international community must seek with renewed vigour to resolve the various long-standing disputes, such as the Middle East conflict, on which terrorism feeds. And as we confront those who exploit these disputes for their own twisted purposes, we must take urgent action to resolve the root causes and work together to achieve a more peaceful, prosperous and just world."
The UN Security Council was devoting increased attention to the prevention of armed conflict and was taking a growing interest in the protection of civilians. "It is unfortunately a feature of modern conflicts that the main brunt falls on innocent civilians rather than on conventional armies. As a member of the Security Council, it is Ireland's policy to continue to engage vigorously on these very important issues," Mr Ryan said.
Pakistan's UN Ambassador, Mr Shamshad Ahmad, said it was not a time for clichΘs. "Terrorism is a universal evil with tentacles in all societies irrespective of religion, ethnicity and even the level of affluence or development. If ever there was a wake-up call, it came on September 11th.
"This wake-up call came, not to any country or any one society but to humanity as a whole. Consequently it is humanity which now has to respond to this challenge, this universal evil. Our response must not be based on retribution alone, nor on emotion or anger. It must be guided by wisdom and facts and motivated by the need to remedy the disease by addressing its root causes.
"Terrorism lurks in the shadows and wilderness. It breeds on disillusionment and suspicion and on fear and hopelessness. It is fed by ignorance and poverty. It is exploited by hatred, bigotry, resentment and the perceived invasion of cultures. The roots of terrorism lie in the inequity of societies, in the despair of slums and in the bewilderment of the human soul," Mr Ahmad said.