Photo/Robert Clark/AURORA

Secretary-General’s statement

On 11 September, the United Nations International Day of Peace, a terrible calamity struck. Great structures have fallen. Our souls have been shaken. We are astonished by the evil in our midst; stunned at the scale of the tragedy; dazed by the disregard for human life; overwhelmed by the wound that has been inflicted - on this city, on this country, and on us all.

But we are also in awe at the nobility of the human spirit that this disaster has revealed; the extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice shown by the firemen, the police, the health workers, and all the others who have given, or risked, their lives; the generosity and goodwill poured out by the entire community; and the solidarity expressed around the world by people of all nations and their Governments who - both individually and collectively, through unanimous condemnation in the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly - have recognized in this despicable act a common threat to shared freedoms and ideals.

This tragedy has united us. We must not let its aftermath divide us. Let us take care not to blame an entire people, an entire region, or an entire religion for the unspeakable acts of few individuals. Our response to these attacks must be such that it unites us in global action against the scourge of terrorism, and does not bring new divisions within and between nations.

Terrorism is a global menace. It calls for a united, global response. To defeat it, all nations must take counsel together, and act in unison.

That is why we have the United Nations.

-Kofi Annan