In the Wake of September 11
The United Nations Responds

ICAO
The Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) concluded its 33rd session on 5 October in Montreal, Canada with the adoption of specific resolutions to increase the safety and security of international civil aviation. A record 1,130 participants from 169 Contracting States and observers from 32 international organizations also adopted resolutions that enhance the mandate and ability of ICAO to deal with the new realities of civil aviation in the twenty-first century.

“The decisions of this 33rd Session of the Assembly, coupled with one of the most productive periods in the Organization’s history, will indeed provide the Organization with the tools it needs to meet the complex technical, regulatory and economic challenges that lie before us”, commented Dr. Assad Kotaite, President of the ICAO Council.

In the area of aviation security, the Assembly endorsed a resolution calling for, at the earliest possible date, an international high-level ministerial conference to develop measures for “preventing, combating and eradicating acts of terrorism involving civil aviation”. The resolution also calls for a full review of international aviation security conventions and of Annex 17 - Safeguarding International Civil Aviation Against Acts of Unlawful Interference - to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, the ICAO charter. Annex 17 and related guidance material contain the internationally-approved Standards and Recommended Practices and Procedures (SARPs) on aviation security as they apply to international flights.

Other proposed measures include special funding for urgent action by ICAO in aviation security and more stable funding through increases of States’ voluntary contributions to ICAO aviation security (AVSEC) mechanism. The applicability to domestic flights of international security standards contained in Annex 17 and the locking of cockpit doors will be given high priority by the AVSEC panel when it meets later this year.

The Assembly directed ICAO to consider the establishment of the Universal Security Oversight Audit Programme, modelled after the highly successful Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, to assess the implementation of security-related SARPs. The Programme consists of regular, mandatory, systematic and harmonized safety audits carried out by ICAO in all 187 Contracting States. Since its creation on 1 January 1999, it has proven effective in identifying and correcting safety deficiencies in personnel licensing and airworthiness, and aircraft operation. The Assembly approved the expansion of the Programme to include air traffic services and aerodromes, and requested a study on further expansion to other safety-related fields, in particular to aircraft accident and incident investigation. It also requested ICAO to assist in resolving deficiencies identified by the Programme through such measures as support in obtaining financial and technical assistance, technical seminars on safety oversight, development of guidance material, and the creation of a quality assistance function.


WHO
Responding to reports about unexpected cases of anthrax, initially from the United States and then from elsewhere, Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on 18 October: “Local and national public health systems are gearing up to respond to outbreaks of infectious disease, whether deliberate or naturally occurring. There are three lessons from recent events: first, public health systems have responded promptly to the suspicion of deliberate infections; second, these systems must continue to be vigilant; and third, an informed and responsible public is a critical part of the response. Today, we are releasing revised guidance on responses to suspected anthrax infections.”

Anthrax is not a new disease, and it is completely curable following a correct and rapid diagnosis. Although it is an extremely serious condition, the most dangerous form - inhalation or pulmonary anthrax - can only be caught by direct exposure to spores suspended in the air. It is not possible to catch inhalation anthrax from another person.

Dr. David Heymann, Executive Director for Communicable Diseases at WHO, said: “We would like it to be possible for citizens in all countries to understand how best to respond to the deliberate use of anthrax. Anyone who feels ill should seek medical advice in the normal way. Unless they have been directly exposed to anthrax spores, they cannot have anthrax and should not be concerned. Anyone who receives or sees a suspicious letter or package should report it to the police or other local authorities in the normal way. Police and health authorities are equipped to test and react to any suspicious package and whatever it might contain.”

It is vital that people should not attempt to use antibiotics to treat or protect themselves without first seeking medical advice. Antibiotics are powerful and effective tools, but must be used correctly and wisely. If the wrong antibiotics are used, they will not be effective and could possibly cause harm. Misuse can also lead to drug resistance, which means that even the most powerful antibiotics can lose their ability to treat the disease.

At this stage, widespread immunization against anthrax is not a feasible option. WHO is working with national governments and international bodies to monitor the situation and provide updated guidance at regular intervals.

Furthermore, WHO has consulted with its Advisory Committee and has updated the official guidance on smallpox vaccination on 26 October. The conclusion of the review states that: “Existing vaccines have proven efficacy, but also have a high incidence of adverse side effects. The risk of adverse events is sufficiently high that mass vaccination is not warranted if there is no or little real risk of exposure. Individual countries that have reason to believe that their people face an increased risk of smallpox because of deliberate use of the virus are considering options for increasing their access to vaccines. The vaccines would be given to people who are at risk of exposure to smallpox, including health and civil workers, and would be used in a search and containment exercise should an outbreak occur.”

In summary, the guidance is that vaccination of entire populations is not recommended because of a risk of severe reactions to the vaccine, including death, and the fact that vaccination can prevent smallpox even after exposure to the virus. The guidance has also stated that only those with suspected exposure to smallpox or a related virus should be vaccinated. However, increasing attention is being given to the extent and quality of existing vaccine stocks, and the possible need to stimulate vaccine production and increase stocks for use in the event of an outbreak.

WHO confirms that the best method of stopping a smallpox outbreak, should it occur, remains the same - search and containment. That means identifying persons with smallpox and those who have been in contact with them, and vaccinating them. People who have been vaccinated are unlikely to develop the most serious effects of smallpox.


ILO
The Global Employment Forum, convened by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 3 November, citing the need for urgency in dealing with a growing worldwide jobs crisis, launched a ten-point plan aimed at reversing mounting unemployment and poverty due to the dual impacts of global recession and the terrorist attacks of 11 September.

The Global Agenda for Employment, adopted by some 700 world political and economic leaders meeting at the Forum, will seek to mitigate a stunning reversal in the global economy which threatens to plunge some 24 million people into joblessness and millions more into poverty. It provides a framework for marshalling such forces as international trade, information technology, entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, monetary and fiscal policy, education and training, health and safety, labour market policies, social protection, and social dialogue to create jobs and alleviate poverty.

Delegates also called for a global stimulus package designed to boost employment and reduce poverty, and appealed to the World Trade Organization Ministerial Meeting in Doha, Qatar in November to join the fight for jobs by opening up international trade to developing countries.

According to an ILO report published on 24 October, this job fight will prove crucial for employees in particular sectors. Nearly 9 million workers in the hotel and tourism economy, already suffering from an economic downturn, may lose their jobs in the wake of the 11 September terror attacks. An estimated 10 per cent reduction in tourism would mean 8.8 million jobs lost, of which 1.1 million would be in the United States and 1.2 million in the European Union. The survey suggests United States job losses could reach up to 3.8 million, depending on how travellers reacted in the coming months. It noted that some 207 million people worldwide work in the travel and tourism sector, which was already facing a slowdown in demand before 11 September due to weak world economic trends. Further, the impact has worsened since travel and tourism is the most vulnerable of all sectors to the threat of insecurity.

Jobs immediately affected include marginal, part-time or shift labour in hotels, ground tour and excursion companies, the catering trade, travel agents, tour and cruise ship operators, and service industries. “Many companies in the sector are highly dependent on strong and regular cash flows to meet their fixed commitments”, the report states. “Some are now faced with a struggle for their very survival.”


World Bank
The recent terrorist attacks against the United States will hurt economic growth in developing countries, condemning as many as 10 million more people to live in poverty next year, while hampering the fight against childhood diseases and malnutrition, the World Bank said on 1 October in a preliminary economic assessment of the 11 September attacks. It estimated that developing country growth would fall from 5.5 per cent in 2000 to 2.9 per cent in 2001, as a result of slowdowns in the United States, Japan and Europe. An additional 20,000 to 40,000 children under five years of age could die from the economic consequences of the attacks as poverty worsens.

“We have seen the human toll the recent attacks wrought in the United States, with citizens from some 80 nations perishing in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania”, said World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn. “We estimate that tens of thousands more children will die worldwide and some 10 million more people are likely to be living below the poverty line of $1 a day because of the terrorist attacks.”

Already, there are signs that higher costs and reduced economic activity are putting a damper on global trade, according to the World Bank. Insurance and security costs and delays at customs clearance are among the main factors pushing up the costs of trade. Tourism has been hit exceptionally hard. The Bank estimated that 65 per cent of holiday trips booked for the Caribbean have been cancelled and warned that the Middle East is also likely to suffer a sharp decline in tourism revenues.

World Bank Chief Economist Nicholas Stern stressed that all countries must be vigilant to ensure a global rebound. He called for swift and bold policy responses because of the heightened level of risk to the global economy. “Maintaining world trade is more important than ever, especially in the face of an economic slowdown, which is often accompanied by pressures for increased protectionism”, he said. The Bank pledged to “do its part”, noting that its managers and staff, many of whom are stationed in developing countries, have been in contact with high-level officials to assure them of the Bank’s continued commitment to deliver on previously agreed programmes and to offer help in minimizing adverse impacts from the heightened uncertainty, risk and volatility in the current global economic environment.


WFP
With an estimated 6 million people expected to require food aid inside Afghanistan this winter, and a potential 1.5 million refugees likely to seek shelter in neighbouring countries, the World Food Programme (WFP) has developed a new relief strategy for the region. Pre-existing operations assisting Afghan refugees in Iran, Tajikistan and Pakistan, as well as millions of hungry people inside Afghanistan itself, have been consolidated into a single all-encompassing regional appeal.

The WFP on 7 November deployed two Ilyushin cargo aircraft to airlift more than 2,000 metric tons of food from northern Pakistan to the city of Turkmenabad in Turkmenistan, from where it will be transported into remote areas of northern Afghanistan. “The Ilyushins will enable us to get food immediately into our warehouses in Turkmenabad so that we can send it by truck into the less accessible regions of Afghanistan”, explained Daly Belgasmi, WFP Regional Manager for Central Asia. “North Afghanistan is the hunger belt of the country, where WFP is seeking to help about 3 million people stay alive until the harvest next year. WFP stocks in Turkmenistan were running dangerously low, and this is why we decided as an emergency measure to move some food there from our stocks in Quetta until scheduled deliveries by road from Iran arrive in Turkmenistan”, he added.

The WFP needs to airlift 7,000 tons of wheat from Quetta to Turkmenabad to cover the gap in supplies to north Afghanistan, but due to limited resources, only 2,000 tons could be lifted. The United States has announced that it will provide $2 million to WFP to cover the cost of the operation.


UNHCR
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on 23 October expressed concern about the possible adverse fallout for refugees and asylum seekers in the aftermath of the 11 September terrorist attacks against the United States. In a statement released in Geneva, UNHCR said it was worried that bona fide asylum seekers may be victimized as a result of public prejudice and unduly restrictive legislation or administrative measures. It was also concerned that carefully built refugee protection standards might be eroded.

UNHCR said there was already increasing public perception in some countries of refugees as ‘criminals’ and attempts to create unwarranted links between them and terrorism, coming at a time when asylum seekers were already facing difficulties in gaining access to asylum procedures and overcoming suspicions about their ethnicity and the validity of their claims. Refugees were escaping violence themselves, including terrorism, and were not the perpetrators of such acts.

The Office endorsed the efforts of some Governments that have been exploring additional security safeguards to prevent terrorists from entering countries, including through asylum channels. It said it would study “what might be termed the better practices” of capitals undertaking such reviews. Any additional safeguards introduced, however, should “strike a proper balance with refugee protection principles that may be at stake”, it cautioned. “It is also crucial that States understand that the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees does not provide a safe haven to terrorists, nor does it protect them from criminal prosecution. On the contrary, the Convention is carefully framed to exclude persons who commit particularly serious crimes.”

UNHCR said the Security Council resolution adopted in September, which calls on countries to urgently work together to prevent terrorist acts and take additional domestic measures, if properly interpreted and applied, was in line with the principles of international refugee law. It warned, however, that care must be taken in implementing the resolution to ensure that bona fide asylum seekers and refugees were not denied their basic rights.


UNDCP
A group of countries meeting in the framework of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) on 16 October said that the Afghan heroin trade was continuing unchecked and needed urgent response, especially in view of its links to terrorism. “Despite the Taliban’s effective ban on poppy cultivation last year, trafficking in Afghan heroin, drawing on important stockpiles, continued unabated”, according to a statement released by the Chairman of the group, which drew representatives from 17 donor countries, 9 countries in the region around Afghanistan, and officials from the European Commission.

“Participants recognized that the importance of the fight against drugs in Afghanistan had gained increased urgency because of connections between drug trafficking and the financing of terrorism”, said the group, which was meeting, in light of developments following the terrorist attacks against the United States, to assess the situation of drugs originating from Afghanistan. “Participants in the meeting expressed their joint commitment to strengthening cooperation in order to reinforce border control capacity in the region, both of the countries in the first and second ‘lines of defence’, and to fight against drug trafficking.” They agreed on the importance of a more in-depth assessment of the situation and of urgent needs in the countries surrounding Afghanistan.


OHCHR
In an interview with UN Radio on 18 October, Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the perpetrators of the 11 September attacks must face trial. “The deliberate commandeering of civil aircraft to kill people ... fits the definition now of a crime against humanity, and that passes an immediate responsibility on all Governments of the world to help to bring perpetrators to justice”, she said.

Mrs. Robinson pointed out that if the perpetrators were tried for having committed crimes against humanity, they would be isolated. “You cannot in the name of a religion commit a crime against humanity, so they cannot invoke Islam for these acts.”


OPCW
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has urged countries to redouble their efforts to ensure the universality of the treaty against chemical weapons.

In a statement, the OPCW Executive Council said it was convinced that the comprehensive implementation of the Convention would contribute to the reduction of the threat of chemical terrorism, thus assisting global efforts to combat all forms of terrorism. It also urged States to comply with their obligations under the treaty, including the destruction of chemical weapons, and the prevention of the diversion and illegal use of chemicals and chemical technologies. “The Council urges the States parties to develop further means and measures to provide legislative support and assistance to States parties in the enacting of enforceable, national legal provisions for the effective implementation of the Convention, which prohibits any natural or legal persons anywhere on their territory from undertaking any activity prohibited under the Convention”, the statement said.


UNCTAD
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 2 October warned of an impending recession in three major economies - the United States, Europe and Japan - following the recent terror attacks against the United States. According to a new UNCTAD report, Global Economic Trends and Prospects, there is a “very real” danger that all three major economies will come close to recession. United States consumer spending has been hit hard by the attacks, and corporate earnings are likely to drop further. European confidence is vulnerable to any signs of labour market weakness, and Japan’s negative growth looks likely to continue.

Regarding the influence on developing countries, UNCTAD says they may experience weaker exports, worsening terms of trade and diminishing capital flows. All three trends have already set in, but are now likely to intensify. UNCTAD economists welcome the swift and coordinated response by monetary authorities to lower interest rates following the attacks and to ensure the smooth functioning of financial markets. The report also notes the determination of American policy makers to turn the economy around. While expressing hope for a quick improvement in the world economy, UNCTAD points out that the United States’ fiscal package may only offset the negative impact of the attacks. The report argues that Japan, and particularly Europe, need to assume a much more expansionary policy stance if the global economy is to make a quick rebound.


IMO
The Legal Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is to review the 1988 Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, and the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (the SUA treaties), in the wake of the tragic events of 11 September. The Committee, which met from 8 to 12 October 2001, agreed to include the review of the SUA treaties as a priority item in its work programme for the next biennium (2002-2003).

The main purpose of the Convention is to ensure that appropriate judicial action is taken against persons committing unlawful acts against ships, which include the seizure of ships by force, acts of violence against persons on board ships, and the placing of devices on board a ship, which are likely to destroy or damage it. The Convention obliges Contracting Governments either to extradite or prosecute alleged offenders, and the Protocol provides similar regulations relating to fixed platforms located on the Continental Shelf.

William O’Neil, Secretary-General of the IMO, noted that he was consulting on the need to review measures already adopted by IMO to combat acts of violence and crime at sea. “Apart from any possible revision of practical preventative measures advocated by IMO, it is also important to ensure that criminals who have perpetrated acts of violence at sea be properly brought to trial and punished. This is directly related to two important IMO legal treaties on prosecution and extradition adopted in 1988,” Mr. O’Neil said.


ESCAP
The recent terrorist attacks against the United States would cause an economic downturn in Asia and the Pacific, complicating efforts to eradicate poverty there, according to Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). He said that, in the wake of the attacks, vulnerable groups trying to recover from the region’s 1997 crisis might have more difficulty leaving the ranks of the poor. Speaking on 4 October at a joint briefing of UN officials from various agencies gathered in Bangkok, Mr. Kim said there were also positive signs, including the fact that Governments worldwide had recognized the dangers to the global economy posed by the attacks and were taking coordinated action to avert a major recession.

ESCAP plans to hold a meeting of eminent persons in Bangkok to discuss issues related to the impact of the terror attacks on the Asia-Pacific region.

This section was coordinated by Matthias Wabl.

Links:
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
The International Labour Organization (ILO)
The International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
The United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP)
The World Bank
The World Food Programme (WFP)
The World Health Organization (WHO)