Improving international cooperation in reducing terrorism
- Strengthening international legal basis for collaboration against terrorism
Claim
- Priority attention must be given to the work which is being done in the United Nations International Law Commission on the establishment of an international criminal court and the drafting of a code of crimes against the peace and security of mankind, for this work will result in important international instruments guaranteeing inescapable punishment for the commission of an act of terrorism in any form whatever, and generally enhancing the effectiveness of the struggle against this phenomenon. On the basis of the universal conventions against various manifestations of terrorism, a start should be made on the drafting of international recommendations for the provision of practical assistance by states to one another in the pursuit and arrest of criminals. It would also be useful to take a fresh look at the question of drafting an international legal instrument for the prevention, suppression and elimination of the consequences of acts of terrorism involving nuclear weapons or nuclear materials, and of an international instrument concerning measures for the physical protection of chemical and biological materials, including protection against terrorist intervention. The potential benefits of genuine cooperation among states in combatting terrorism are greatest at the bilateral level. It would be logical to propose that the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice should prepare, on the basis of the provisions of the universal anti-terrorism agreements, a model bilateral agreement concerning cooperation between states in this field. The UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice might also undertake the drafting of recommendations to states to ensure the smoothest possible reintegration into society of former members of terrorist groups who wish to make a fresh start.