Article on the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 by Director-General Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

The treacherous terrorist act carried out by Al Qaeda 10 years ago changed the course of world history.

9/11 changed humankind and brought understanding of the vulnerability of the world to the scourge of terrorism. Almost no week goes by without an act of terrorism taking place somewhere in the world, indiscriminately affecting innocent people. In the 10 years since the September 11th attacks, we are sadly often reminded of this fact. This scourge has afflicted almost all regions of the world and countless numbers of lives. 9/11 served as a wake-up call to the entire global community. It showed the reach of deadly extremism, and the possibility of it affecting us all. A new sense of insecurity entered our world.

The United Nations is also a target of terrorism. Our staff has become victim of attacks around the world, from Iraq and Pakistan to Afghanistan and Algeria. Most recently, on 26 August, the United Nations House in Abuja, Nigeria was the subject of a car bomb attack that took the lives of 23 people. It was the second terrorist attack on United Nations premises this year alone and was evidence that United Nations premises are increasingly being viewed as “soft” targets by extremist elements.

Terrorism poses a grave threat to international peace and security. One country alone cannot fight terrorism – a global effort is required with a comprehensive, multifaceted approach. Through concerted international cooperation, we can tackle the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism by: preventing and combating terrorism; building States’ capacity to prevent and combat terrorism; and ensuring respect for human rights for all and the rule of law as the fundamental basis for the fight against terrorism.

This includes not just security measures, such as law enforcement or border control, but also investing in socio-economic development, conflict-prevention, human rights and education. These efforts are mutually dependent and mutually supporting. Also important is increasing understanding of the reasons people are drawn to violence, as this can lead to the prevention of others following the same path.

As the only truly global body, the United Nations is uniquely placed to address this threat, especially with regard to assisting States in building national and regional capacity to combat terrorism and fostering cross-cultural dialogue. It is by building bridges between countries and peoples that we can find lasting solutions and a way forward - together.

I hope that this 10th anniversary of 9/11 will serve again as a form of wake-up call that this global problem can only be addressed by global cooperation.