[FYI] The Council of Europe decides to strengthen its fight against terrorism

["Axel H Horns" <horns@ipjur.com>]

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/politik/0,1518,157260,00.html

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The Council of Europe decides to strengthen its fight against 
terrorism  


Strasbourg, 12.09.2001 -  

"1. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe condemns with 
the utmost force the terrorist attacks of unprecedented violence 
committed against the American people, to whom it expresses sympathy 
and solidarity.  

These crimes do not strike only the United States but affect us all. 
These barbaric acts violate human rights, in particular the right to 
life, democracy and the search for peace.  

Such monstrous acts demand resolute reaction from all states 
committed to uphold civilised values.  

The Council of Europe, which unites the continent around these 
values, has a particular interest and responsibility to contribute to 
such a reaction.  

2. The Committee of Ministers decides to hold a special meeting on 21 
September with the following agenda:  

i. strengthening of the fight against terrorism, using the specific 
expertise and instruments of the Council of Europe, and improving the 
mechanisms and means for co-operation with other international 
organisations and the observer states;  

ii. inviting the member states to give increased effectiveness to the 
existing pan-European co-operation, eg., to accede, where they have 
not done so, to conventions on mutual assistance in criminal matters; 
 

iii. examining the scope for updating the European Convention on the 
Suppression of Terrorism;  

iv. the inclusion of the fight against terrorism in the Council of 
Europe's integrated project on the struggle against violence in 
everyday life in a democratic society."  

Press Contact Henriette Girard, Council of Europe Press Service Tel. 
+33 3 88 41 21 41 - Fax. +33 3 88 41 27 90 E-mail: PressUnit@coe.int  

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