Secretary-General's joint press conference with victims of terrorism

We are honored to have with us today four victims of terrorism, whom I will introduce later. They illustrate the fact that terrorism affects people everywhere –irrespective of their religion, nationality, sex, age, or their region of origin in the world. They illustrate that terrorism has many faces and can not be distilled into one image or person.

It takes great bravery to speak out against the most brutal and senseless acts of violence. Our guests today have demonstrated that courage many times. I had a good exchange of views with them, all participants, yesterday and this morning.

Almost exactly two years ago, the General Assembly took a historic step forward in adopting the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. For the first time, Member States came together and took a common stand on the issue of terrorism. And they acknowledged that terrorism cannot be defeated without the help of those who suffer most, the victims and their families. And they acknowledged that victims require our support.

While considerable progress has been made in this area, it is clear that the international community needs to further strengthen its resolve. Still too often there are gaps in addressing the needs of survivors and their families. Still too often victims are registered only as numbers and not as human beings that bear witness to stories of immense injustice. Still too often we pay more attention to the voices of terrorists than those of their victims.

The symposium today is a historic moment as it is the first time that the United Nations is bringing together governments, civil society and victims of terrorism to discuss practical and concrete solutions needed to strengthen support for victims and their families. Indeed, it is long overdue that we open the doors of the United Nations to victims of terrorism, and that we focus on their needs.

We hope that this symposium which is now going on will help achieve several important outcomes. First, we want to put a human face to the tragic consequences of the scourge of terrorism, thus addressing one of the major conditions conducive to terrorism: the de-humanization of victims. Second, we want to provide an opportunity for Member States, victims and civil society to share with one another their experiences in supporting victims and to gather best practices. And third, we want to start a dialogue among victims and experts on victims' needs and optimal ways of addressing them.

I would now like to introduce you to the four victims sitting alongside me who will each say a few words before we take your questions:

Ms. Ingrid Betancourt, whom you already know too well, and I may not need to introduce, is a Colombian-French politician, former senator and activist, who was held in captivity for 2,321 days by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. She was freed by Colombian security forces in July of this year. I met her for the first time in June when I visited Paris. I was very much moved, and when I extended my invitation to her, she immediately accepted, and thank you very much for your participation in this symposium;

Ms. Laura Dolci, whose husband Jean-Selim Kanaan, one of our best and brightest UN staff members, was brutally murdered in the 2003 bombings of UN headquarters in Baghdad. She works for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva; I also met her again last week when I was in Geneva to honour the fifth anniversary of the terrorist bombing victims in Baghdad;

Mr. Ashraf Al-Khaled, who on the day that should have been the happiest of his life, his wedding day –tragically lost 27 friends and loved ones, including his father as well as father and mother-in-law. He has become an outspoken advocate for victims; and

Mr. Chris Cramer, whom you may know very well, he was the President of CNN International, who was in the Iranian Embassy in London when it was taken over by Iranian separatists. He is President of the International News Safety Institute, a global organization devoted to the ethical treatment and safety of journalists.

After my guests' remarks, I invite you to ask questions either to me or to the other four participants here.

Thank you.

Questions and Answers

Q: Bill Varner Bloomberg News. For the Secretary-General, do you intend to or can you throw the full weight of your office behind Ms. Betancourt's suggestion of creating an international status, a UN website, a database of terrorist victims? Do you think that's feasible to do and will you follow through?

SG: I appreciate Ms. Betancourt's speech this morning, very inspiring, and particularly her suggestion to establish a sort of international status for victims of international terrorism. For that specific proposal and ideas I will discuss with our advisers on political, legal implications on this: how practically we can establish that status, politically or legally. But that is a very important and valuable suggestion. I will consider that matter.

Q: I have a follow-up actually. I'd like to ask my question later but a follow-up to the Secretary-General on what Ms. Betancourt has just said. Do you agree? Do you endorse what she just said about negotiating and talking with terrorists?

SG: It seems that as Madame Betancourt said there are certain countries or Governments who have certain principles or policies in talking to terrorists or rebel groups. But in principal I agree with what Madame Betancourt said, that when there is a problem and conflicts, those conflicts should be resolved in a peaceful manner through dialogue. That is a basic principal in addressing all the problems. Now that may depend upon case by case according to who gives this matter. It cannot be generalized as Secretary-General at this time.

Q: Howard Le Franchi with the Christian Science Monitor. Mr. Secretary-General, there are those who are saying that by calling this conference on the victims of terrorism that you have found the “back door” way, if you like, to discuss the issue of terrorism, which has been so controversial in this institution for so long and I'm wondering how you respond to that.

SG: The main purpose of this convening symposium is to exchange views and share experiences of the victims and how they have been supported and cared for by the Government and civil communities. This is what the United Nations is now trying to help promote how we can better treat and support and care. As I said on many occasions the voices, all these challenges and personal sides, have not been well heard by the international community. It has been just a few days when all these terrorist acts happen, then after a few days, people forget what they have done. This is just an unacceptable situation. I have been so much moved, touched and felt very much sympathetic to all those families of victims when I met them in person. Now how to resolve and prevent this issue will have to be in close coordination and collective efforts by Governments, civil society and communities and NGOs. We need to really concentrate our collective efforts and try to engage political leaders. They should try to prevent and minimize, reduce, all the sources or elements which may be conducive to creating these conditions like abject poverty or lack of rule-of-law or mistrust and conflict, unresolved political conflict. All those provide certain opportunities for terrorists to take advantage of those kind of situations. We have not been discussing this matter during this symposium but we have discussed this matter during review sessions of the UN Global Counter-terrorism [strategy] last week. This is unprecedented, that the whole United Nations Member States, 192 Member States, have come forward with one unanimous voice that this must be eradicated. Even so unfortunately there has not been agreement on a single comprehensive convention on international terrorism, even though we have suffered so often from these tragic and merciless acts of terrorism, but we still have 13 individual conventions and three other legal instruments, altogether 16 legal instruments which define acts of terrorism on each case. Therefore we must be fully utilize these already given and existing Member State-approved conventions and framework to combat terrorism.

Q: Thank you my name is Talal al Haj I'm from al-Arabiya television here at the United Nations. You mentioned Secretary-General the 16 conventions and protocols, but it seems like we have been listening today to the victims, the sad stories and the human suffering, touching us all. There's a group of people who are missing and these are the victims of state terrorism, which none of us deny exist and I can give examples but I don't want to, I would like to visit these countries again in the future?I am sure we can point out in Africa and the Middle East, countries which practice terrorism, State terrorism against the people. However in this case, with all due respect to Madame Betancourt, dialogue doesn't work because if the person who rules you is the one who is practicing terrorism against you, I think dialogue in this case is a very weak instrument and really may be to ensure to introduce the responsibility to protect, which the General Assembly has agreed to. My question is how do victims here represented by the four distinguished people here feel about exclusion of a very important group which are the victims of state terrorism? Although possibly you did not include them because the 16 protocols maybe did not define terrorism in the terms of the state practicing it against its people. I can mentions people living in terror in the West Bank, or people in Israel, in Sudan, in Darfur, in Kashmir –there are many examples in the world –and to you sir, what are your feelings about the failure of the world to come to a consensus about the definition of terrorism?

SG: I think you have asked and answered your question yourself. Unfortunately, under these existing 16 international legal instruments state terrorism does not belong to that. In selecting the participants for this symposium we have been guided by these existing 16 international legal instruments. Now there was a consistent effort in the international community to agree on a comprehensive convention on combating international terrorism. Right after the September 11 terrorist attacks happened I was working as Chef de Cabinet, as you know very well, in the office of the President of the General Assembly, and we took up this issue all year. That I thought was the right and most opportune timing for the international community to strike a deal to agreement on this international convention. We took out this issue and focused very thoroughly, we worked very hard, unfortunately again there was a very acute difference of positions among and between Member States on this particular definition of terrorism and what exactly terrorism means. Now practically speaking, while we will continue to focus on this issue –that will be most desirable –we have still 16 international legal instruments, which can be used in our common efforts to eradicate international terrorism.

Q: Neil McFarquhar for the New York Times. Mr. Secretary, I'm a little muddy on your concept of what the practical steps are that should come out of this conference, and so I just want to divide that into sort of three segments –what you think those steps are, and there were some proposals from the victims this morning in terms of using frozen assets to set up a fund for the victims and the UN setting up some sort of umbrella organization to compensate them and to help them with their psychological and physical recovery. Do you see that as the UN's role? And you also, while I appreciate you have the 13 protocols, they make, you know, their definitions are about bombings and hijackings, and very specific incidents, but in the absence of an overall agreement on what terrorism is, how does the UN as an organization move forward on helping everyone?

SG: Even in the absence of comprehensive agreement I think one clear fact is that the terrorism cannot be and should not be condoned in whatever forms and manifestations. And then the international community will be free from all this fear of terror our actual condition of life is not as such, that's what I am very much concerned, that the whole government, police communities, civic NGOs and the whole population should really try to engage in dialogue, and try to build up understandings and try to build up more trust each other –that's the best way - but unfortunately we are now suffering from so many conflicts and so many difficulties and challenges. Now on your specific questions: the purpose of this symposium will help to achieve some important outcomes, first putting a human face to the scourge of terrorism and by doing that trying to address one of the major conditions conducive to terrorism. Then secondly, providing an opportunity for Member States, victims and civil society to share with one another, this experience and what we can do and, thirdly, assisting in establishing experts and experts on victims, needs, and optimal conditions. Now for all these specific questions how we can help all these personal difficulties the victims may encounter, there may be first of all physical difficulties like traumas, and psychological traumas, and many other difficulties which you have mentioned. These are being discussed and considered by this terrorism implementation task force in accordance with resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, and the basic spirit of UN global counter-terrorism strategies. we will build on and work on these to alleviate all these personal and administrative and legal and political difficulties and challenges experienced by these victims

Q: Raghida Dergham of Al-Hayat. Mr. Secretary-General, I'd like to give you the opportunity to answer a couple of points of concern that I am sure you have heard about. First of all, are you worried that to give the impression even that state terrorism is not present therefore States that practice it can get away with murder basically without accountability? Though I know how committed you are personally for ending impunity. Secondly some people are pointing out Palestinian victims, not about the state terrorism, but say of settlers, say in Hebron, how come they did not find your way when the Israeli victims have found their way to this conference? And thirdly what the Security Council says on Lebanon - you have all these cases of terrorism, including against journalists, I mean your own spokeswoman is a victim of terrorism, journalists who are maimed while alive and that are cold terrorist acts. How do you feel about the absence of such people here amongst the victims of terrorism? And if you would like to explain what your representative Mr. Orr means by saying these are a matter of sensitivities? Thank you.

SG: I didn't suggest anything that I ?because of the absence of the regulations which we can apply to state terrorism, I didn't suggest anything which may condone any terrorism. Now even during the armed conflicts actual terrorism is prohibited under Geneva Convention, that is one prinicipal. On other categories of victims, like as you said settlement victims, victims of occupation, I'd like to again remind you when we selected these invitees, we have been guided by all these existing international legal instruments. I mean that there are many contentious points still, which the international community must overcome. The United Nations is an inter-governmental body and they should be fair and objective and neutral, impartial. That has been one of the challenges that we have to overcome. We have discussed with Member States and parties concerned on this matter. This is why we are here. We may not be totally satisfied with what we have convened and with the combination of participants in this symposium. But as one has suggested this is meant for inclusiveness rather than exclusiveness and you should also understand all these challenges. Journalists, Mr. Cramer is included here, and we have been trying to balance the participation from all regions and nationalities, ethnic groups and professions. Whoever are the victims of terrorism. And then I'd like to emphasise again the very crucial important role of media in our common efforts to fight against terrorism. Media, journalists, as the conveyor of messages of how serious this terrorism is negatively affecting a whole spectrum of our life, and how we can mobilize and always raise the awareness on this important issue of international conventions and how we can, we must address this terrorism, against one of the potential targets of terrorism. We have seen so many terrorists. In that regard, the media's role, journalists' role, can never be over- emphasized. The importance can never be over-emphasized. That is why I am meeting with you, these victims are meeting with you. So you have a very crucial important role in overcoming these terrorism issues.

Q: You've talked to Ingrid for the past days, I understand. Tell us please what new insights have you learned through her experience of the Colombian conflict, and facing terrorism within Colombia?

SG: First of all please understand that I am not here to discuss on any specific case or any issues on terrorism. I am just here. There are many, many areas where people suffer, including Colombia, because of this act of terrorism, therefore it may not be desirable at this time to discuss all these issues but maybe I'd like to ask Madame Betancourt...

Q: John Heilprin with the Associated Press. To the victims some of you mentioned the need for a declaration of rights for terrorism victims, I'm wondering if you can elaborate on what you think it should say, what form it would take and exactly how it might help, and to the Secretary-General I'm wondering if you back this idea and whether there are other legal conventions that already cover this ground?

SG: Let me answer first on that question. Again this is a very important question. I have in fact noted down for my consideration and discussions among advisers and particularly Member States. This is something Member States of the United Nations should discuss, and there should be an agreement if they really want to have this sort of declaration for the rights of victims. I think basically this is a very good idea which we may have to work on this. As you know the General Assembly of the United Nations in the past many years has taken many important declarations for the rights of many different groups including people with disabilities and ethnic minority groups and therefore this may be one area to discuss seriously among the Member States. I will try to raise this with the Member States.

Q: Your critics say that this conference is unrepresentative without the representation of terrorist victims from countries like Pakistan, which is a frontline State in the war on terror, or Afghanistan, or from Iraq, or from these territories. What do you say to those critics that once you do not include those people in there how can this conference be representative and successful? Or the objectives that you set up you can achieve?

SG: To that I can tell you that it is something different which we discussed earlier. There was no such intention to exclude any victims from particular regions. There are many, many countries and many cities where terrorist acts have taken place of course in Pakistan in Afghanistan there have been many such terrorist acts. Now in organizing, this is the first time to organize this symposium and you cannot expect to include all persons. But I can tell you that there was not any such, any particular reason to exclude any particular region. We have been trying to organize the symposium within a reasonable limit, with a limit of resources available. This symposium is now being taken with the generous support of four Member States. Therefore I hope you understand there will be another opportunity of inviting people from some other areas.

Thank you very much.