GUYANA has reiterated its firm stand against terrorism, which has become an urgent global issue since the September 11 events in the United States (U.S.).

This country’s policy was outlined by Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Rudy Insanally, when he addressed the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, last Thursday.

"… the violence which was visited two months ago upon some 5,000 human beings, including many of our nationals, in this our host city and, indeed, before that, upon so many other peoples and places in the world, must not only be roundly condemned but also condignly punished,” he advocated.

Insanally said the international community must now develop an arsenal of appropriate legal instruments, including a comprehensive convention against terrorism, to combat this new enemy of our times.

“The message must clearly be sent, to all who would use terrorism to pursue their objectives, that their actions will not be tolerated by the members of this organisation and, instead, will be dealt with firmly with the force of the law," he added.

The Foreign Affairs Minister called on all regions of the world to build capable defences to combat terrorism, arms and drug trafficking and other forms of transnational crime.

Insanally told the world body that, within the Caribbean Community, agreement has been reached for the setting up of mechanisms for the sharing of information and coordinated action to deny these criminal elements access to our territories.

"A Regional Task Force has been established to identify measures necessary for creating a 'cordon sanitaire' to help insulate us from their onslaught," he reported.

The Minister acknowledged, however, that the mandate is not an easy one because of the influx of hardened criminals caused by deportation from those societies in which they grew up.

Insanally also repeated that Guyana condemns the threat or use of violence to resolve conflicts and disputes, be it inter-State or intra-State.

"All differences must be settled, as called for in the Charter of the United Nations, by peaceful means, such as those specified in Article 33,” he urged.

Alluding to the immediate political and security consequences of the September 11 disaster, Insanally emphasised that the economic and social impact, especially on small vulnerable States such as Guyana, would be severe.

"Our countries, with fewer alternatives available to them than the more developed, because of an unfavourable international economic system, high levels of external debt and unequal terms of trade, will suffer disproportionately," he pointed out.

"These imbalances and asymmetries, which seriously affect the progress of developing countries, are now likely to become even more pronounced in the rapid process of globalisation."

Insanally said “salvation lies in our ability to learn from experience and to do better in future.”

"From the ashes of World War 11 arose the phoenix of the United Nations, giving us hope for new generations that they could live in peace, prosperity and larger freedom. Although the embers from the towering infernos, which occurred on September 11 last, have not fully died, it may nevertheless be possible to analyse the impact, which that horrific disaster has had on international relations and, more particularly, the political, economic and social consequences, which it is likely to have for the world.

“Such an analysis, it is hoped, will instruct us in how we may best respond to these new challenges and pursue the goals of global peace and development in this new twenty-first century," Minister Insanally posited.