UN General Assembly
1972

137. The Australian Government, in consultation with other Governments, has been examining possible ways of countering terrorist violence against innocent parties. We hope that the Assembly will treat this as a matter of urgency and reach early agreement on measures that may take us at least part of the way towards the solution of a problem which we recognize is full of difficulty for many Member countries, but which nevertheless demands immediate action. Looking further ahead, my delegation has had in mind the possibility of an international convention aimed at outlawing acts of violence and intimidation which arise essentially from local conflicts but which are in effect directed primarily at innocent people and uninvolved Governments. The problem is full of complexity, and there is more than one way of tackling it. The United States Secretary of State has put before us a draft convention on the subject [A/C.6/L.850], which we shall all of us wish to study with great care. Another possible suggestion that my Government has had in mind is that the International Law Commission might be asked to draft the provisions of such a convention. But these proposals are for the longer term, and are no substitute for the urgent action that is demanded by public and private opinion everywhere for effective preventive measures to defeat the indiscriminate threat of terrorism.