The fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights makes us conscious this year more than ever of our responsibilities in this field. The help we get from civil society in establishing legal norms and strengthening human rights is one of the positive aspects of globalization. But, here too, the coin has its negative side. The non-State actors which exploit the new openness and technology of communication are not all so benign. We had perhaps the most frightening glimpse yet of this uncivil society a few weeks ago, with the terrorist bombings in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
Terrorism is a global menace, which clearly calls for global action.
Individual actions by Member States, whether aimed at State or non-State actors, cannot in themselves provide a solution. We must meet this threat together. What shocks us about terrorism is its indiscriminate character. Unhappily, we have also to be concerned about violence that is more precisely targeted. I regret to report that this year has seen a dramatic increase in attacks on United Nations and associated personnel.