VII. The road ahead

119. Member States now have an historic opportunity to take up the challenge issued by world leaders in September 2005, and reach universal agreement on a counter-terrorism strategy. Such a step would not only demonstrate the resolve of the international community to deal definitively with the scourge of terrorism; it would also create a basis for a truly global response. All States, in every region, large or small, strong or weak, are vulnerable to terrorism and its consequences. They all stand to benefit from a strategy to counter it. They all have a role to play in shaping such a strategy and translating it into reality.

120. Agreement on a strategy, therefore, will be only the beginning. Member States will need to ensure that it is a living strategy, one that is regularly updated to respond to evolving challenges. Even more important, they will need to ensure its full implementation. I hope that, as Member States agree to an initial strategy, they will also agree to review it regularly and to ensure accountability through follow-up.

121. The various institutions of the United Nations system have an important role to play in that follow-up, and I will ask the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force to provide support and facilitate coordination. This is a task we must all own if we are to unite against terrorism and ensure that our children inherit a safer, more secure world.