CIAO DATE: 12/07
Joseph Verner Reed*
Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
Alternate Permanent Representative to the UN General Assembly, 1991
United States Chief of Protocol, 1989-1991
United States Representative to the
United Nations Economic and Social Council, 1985-1987
United States Ambassador to Morocco, 1981-1985
I stand before you today in a world that has been altered forever by the unspeakable acts of evil committed against the United States of America and innocent civilians on September 11, 2001.
September 11, 2001, the 20th anniversary of the United Nations (UN) International Day of Peace, was supposed to be a day on which we try to imagine a world quite different from the one we know.
It was to be a day on which “we try to picture hatred turning into respect, bigotry into understanding and ignorance into knowledge, a day on which we dare to imagine a world free of conflict and violence.” I am quoting here from the Message of the Secretary-General that you are about to witness, a message that was recorded, as if the Secretary-General were prescient, on Monday, September 10.
Instead, the horrible and previously unimaginable acts of terror committed by international terrorists on September 11 have altered our world forever. America, indeed the entire civilized world, must now be at war against terrorism.
Barely a mile from United Nations Headquarters, the Parliament of Mankind, the Parliament of Peace, more than 5,000 innocent civilians were killed and a symbol of New York City and the Free World was destroyed. The Capital of the United States of America was attacked.
President George W. Bush, with the entire nation rallied behind him, said this will not stand.
This single most horrible act of international terrorism has united people across the globe. This was not only an attack on America, but also on everyone in the modern world. This will and shall provide the catalyst for an unprecedented international coalition to resist terrorism and fanaticism, against hatred, bigotry and ignorance.
Let a call go out from the 2001 International Seoul Peace Conference for all civilized citizens of the world to join this international coalition.
On September 12, the newly elected President of the United Nations General Assembly, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, Dr. Han Seung-soo, stated before the assembled representatives of the international community:
On the same day, the United Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of General Assembly President Dr. Han Seung-soo, adopted the following resolution:
“Mere words cannot express the outrage and disgust we doubtless all feel for the vile actions perpetrated in our host country, the United States. I condemn in the strongest possible terms these heinous acts of terrorism. I pray for those who lost their lives and on behalf of the General Assembly offer our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the innocent victims. My most profound feelings of sympathy and solidarity also go out to the people and government of the United States at this time of great distress.
These terrorist crimes were, in effect, acts of war against all the world’s peace-loving peoples. Their primary target was, by a vicious twist of fate, located in the very city, which is home to the world’s foremost institution dedicated to promoting world peace. The opening of this session of the General Assembly has been delayed by a day due to this tragedy. But no terrorists can ever deflect this body from the task to which it has dedicated itself since 1945—ending the scourge of war in whatever form it may take once and for all.”
“Dear friends,
The International Day of Peace is a day on which we try to imagine a world quite different from the one we know.
We try to picture those who wage war laying down their arms and talking out their differences.
We try to picture all governments listening to—and acting on—the will of the people.
We try to picture hatred turning into respect, bigotry turning into understanding, and ignorance turning into knowledge.
And we try to picture the very root causes of conflict—poverty, marginalization and greed—giving way to development and justice.
We do this because progress in our world does not happen without someone first having a vision or a dream.
The International Day of Peace started with such a dream. It was proclaimed 20 years ago by the United Nations General Assembly, at the initiative of Costa Rica.
This year, at the initiative of Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, the Assembly decided to go one step further. It declared that the International Day of Peace should be a day of global cease-fire and non-violence.
This step promises to be more than symbolic. Where respected, it will have practical effect. Where truces are observed, medical and developmental agencies can provide vital services to civilian victims in safety. And even a one-day pause in the fighting gives us something to build on in the work to end conflict.
On the International Day of Peace, let us dare to imagine a world free of conflict and violence. And let us seize the opportunity for peace to take hold, day by day, year by year, until every day is a day of peace.”