Russia Views As Promising Idea Of Establishing Under U.N. Aegis A Coordinating Antiterror Center For Emergency Help To States

Russia sees as promising the idea of establishing under the United Nations' aegis a center for coordinating assistance to states in crisis caused by acts of terrorism, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Friday during a general-policy discussion at the 56th session of the UN General Assembly. Ivanov said that such a structure could be focused on the provision of consultative and material-technical help in eliminating the effects of terrorist acts. "Russia also proposes considering the possibility of sealing in international law the principle of responsibility of states for non-taking of measures against terrorists found on their territory and under their jurisdiction", said Ivanov. To him, "a separate responsible goal" is the ensurance of the earliest joining by all states the already signed and current international antiterrorism conventions. In addition, it would be useful also to create within the United Nations a mechanism of monitoring by states of their contractual obligations in the field of struggle against terrorism, believes the Russian foreign minister. In the opinion of Russia, priority is attached to the earliest coordination and adoption by the UN of a comprehensive convention on the struggle against terrorism and a convention on the struggle against nuclear terrorism. Igor Ivanov expressed conviction that "the member-states of the United Nations well can resolve this goal before the end of the current session of the General Assembly".