UN unveils global counter-terror plan

UNITED NATIONS: The U.N. General Assembly president proposed on Thursday a draft global counter-terrorism plan urging nations to crack down on terrorist abuse of the Internet and be more cautious in granting asylum.

Jan Eliasson of Sweden, whose term as president of the 192-nation assembly ends next week, scheduled a vote on the plan for Friday, and diplomats predicted it would be adopted following a year of informal deliberations.

"By taking decisive action this week we will be sending a clear signal to the world that we are shouldering our responsibility to act together to fight the scourge of terrorism," Eliasson told assembly members.

General Assembly resolutions, while not legally binding like Security Council resolutions can be, generally carry great weight as an expression of world opinion. The seven-page document, drafted in response to a vote of a U.N. world summit a year ago, calls on all nations to ensure, before granting asylum, that an individual has never engaged in terrorist activities.

It would urge governments to work with the United Nations to "explore ways and means ... to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations on the Internet." Such efforts would be pursued "with due regard to confidentiality" and with respect for human rights, according to the document.

It would back greater efforts to improve the security of identity and travel documents, improved border and customs controls and better global coordination in planning for a terrorist attack with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

The draft would also urge nations to adopt laws prohibiting incitement to commit a terrorist act.

Numerous provisions of the draft plan aim to ensure that human rights are not sacrificed in the pursuit of terrorists and that the root causes of terrorism are also addressed.

It says governments must "make every effort to develop an effective and rule-of-law-based national criminal justice system" able to ensure that those caught financing, planning, supporting or committing terrorist acts are brought to justice "with due respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms."

Every nation is also pressed to address problems like ethnic, national or religious discrimination, socioeconomic divisions and bad governance, "while recognizing that none of these conditions can excuse or justify acts of terrorism."

New York, Friday, Reuters