In addition to actions by the Security Council, the General Assembly and the Secretary-General following the 11 September attacks against the United States, many members of the UN system have increased their anti-terrorist activities. For example:
* International Atomic Energy Agency – To counter the threat of nuclear terrorism, IAEA is expanding its ability to review the security of nuclear facilities in its member States, identify necessary security upgrades, and organize contributions to carry out those upgrades. It is also actively involved in strengthening measures to prevent the theft of nuclear materials.
* Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons – OPCW, another part of the UN system, tracks the movement of chemicals that can be used to make such weapons, provides research and information on the potential use of chemical weapons and implements provisions of the Chemical Weapons Convention. In October 2001, it gathered experts on mobilizing and coordinating international responses to chemical terrorist attacks, to ensure the most up-to-date information and strategies were in place.
* The International Civil Aviation Organization – Within months of the 11 September attacks, 154 countries endorsed a new ICAO strategy to improve airline security, including a regime of regular mandatory audits to evaluate airport security.
* International Maritime Organization – An IMO working group has developed 12 proposals to improve maritime safety and security and thereby decrease the likelihood of maritime terrorism. They include mandatory automatic identification systems on all ships over 500 tonnes in international waters, as well as a requirement that such ships have security plans and security officers.
* Universal Postal Union – UPU drew the attention of other national postal services to the updated United States postal guidelines following that country’s experience of anthrax-by-mail terrorism in 2001. The UPU’s world postal security network offers advice and training on ways to ensure that dangerous materials are not transmitted by mail – as well as on eliminating the use of mail systems for drug trafficking, money laundering, fraud and child pornography.
* World Health Organization – WHO has identified key lessons for public health systems from the 2001 anthrax outbreaks and has issued guidance for States on how to respond to suspected anthrax infections. It has also made fact sheets on anthrax and other communicable diseases that could be used by bio-terrorists available on its website (
http://www.who.int/csr/en/ ).
* Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention – The special database on terrorism developed by this UN body has become a key tool for international decision-makers since the 11 September attacks.
* International Labour Organization – ILO has organized government, employer and worker representatives to exchange information on ways to ease the social impact of the severe downturn in the tourism industry in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks.
* The UN played a crucial role in encouraging countries to support the 1997 Ottawa Convention – which provides for the total ban on the production, export and use of landmines – and continues to promote universal adherence to this treaty. Ratification of the treaty by more than 120 countries has led to reduced use of these weapons, markedly fewer victims, a dramatic drop in production, an almost complete halt in their trade, increased destruction of stockpiles, and increased funding for humanitarian action.
* As a result of this international momentum, even most States which are not parties to the treaties have ceased using, stockpiling, producing and transferring anti-personnel landmines. And more land is being demined than ever before – more than 185 million square metres worldwide in 2000.
* By 2001, the UN system was providing direct support for mine action in 30 countries. The UN not only performs mine clearance, but also trains deminers, conducts mine surveys, carries out mine-awareness education, and supports demining schools.
* The UN also works to improve medical and rehabilitation services for landmine victims. Such programmes have been carried out since 1989 in the killing fields of some of the most affected countries, including Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Mozambique, Rwanda and Yemen (see UN Demining Database at
www.mineaction.org).
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The UN does not have the capacity to impose peace by force. It is not a world government. It has no standing army, no military assets. It is not an international police force. The effectiveness of the UN depends on the political will of its Member States, which decide if, when and how the UN takes action to end conflicts.
The Security Council has special responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. The Council can exert diplomatic and political pressure on the parties to a conflict or provide a means for settling the dispute, including fact-finding or mediation missions. The General Assembly can bring the power of world opinion to bear on warring parties. Diplomatic efforts and initiatives by the Secretary-General can lead to negotiations and an end to fighting. Once a truce is in place, the Security Council can deploy a peacekeeping operation to help the parties carry out their agreements.
When persuasion fails, the Security Council can take stronger action, such as imposing economic sanctions or declaring a trade embargo. It may establish international tribunals to try persons accused of war crimes, as it has done in the cases of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. On some occasions, the Council has authorized Member States to use "all necessary means", including force, to deal with armed conflict. Such enforcement actions – carried out under the control of participating States – have included actions to restore the sovereignty of Kuwait (1991); the legitimate government of Haiti (1994); peace and security in the Central African Republic (1997); and to end a campaign of violence in East Timor (1999) following a referendum on self-determination.
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![:\](https://bluelight.org/xf/BL_Images/Orig_Emoji/wrygrin.gif "wry grin :\")
And I can see where these guys are coming from. 