UN Secretary-General  António Guterres has said that the heinous terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 against the United States were an assault on humanity.

Mr Guterres, in a statement marking the 25th anniversary, paid tribute to victims, survivors and first responders who rushed to ground zero, the World Trade Centre’s twin towers in New York.

The twin towers were situated just a few miles from the UN headquarters.

“As we mark this sombre occasion on 11 September, we remember the nearly 3,000 victims – from the United States and more than 90 countries – and stand with their families and loved ones,” the UN chief said.

“The UN continues to stand in solidarity with the people of New York City, the U.S.,  and with all those whose lives were affected by the attacks,” he added.

Mr Guterres noted that 2026 also marks 20 years since member states adopted the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, adding that the fight against terrorism is a shared, unfinished task.

“As we pay tribute to the victims, let us renew our shared commitment to build a future free from terrorism,” he said.

Many countries made that commitment, strengthening security measures in the wake of the deadly attacks which upended geopolitics across the world.

However, too many nations adopted unnecessary and disproportionate responses that have seriously undermined rights, civil society, civic space, democracy and the rule of law.

“‘Wars on terror have stretched foundational rules of international law beyond their breaking point,” the UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts, who are not UN staff and receive no salary for their work, said.

Worldwide monitoring over the past quarter century has exposed the gravest violations of international law in the name of countering terrorism, they said.

On September 11, 2001, UN headquarters had been set to host the secretary-general’s annual ceremony to ring the Peace Bell for the commemoration of the International Day of Peace.

However, as news of the severity of the attacks spread, UN staff reacted the same way as tens of thousands of other New Yorkers heading to the office.

As the true severity of the attacks emerged, UN staff began evacuating through the stairwells, and the ceremonial bell did not ring that day for the International Day of Peace.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric also recalled “a sense of panic” in the building.

“There were credible reports that another plane might be targeting the United Nations,” he said.

Mr Dujarric added that the decision was taken to keep then Secretary-General Kofi Annan at his nearby residence.

In the days following the attacks, an unusual unity emerged within the UN, including the Security Council.

Mr Dujarric said the seismic attacks triggered a long chain reaction, both inside and outside the UN.

“It was like an explosion, and the shockwaves from it can still be felt today,” the UN Spokesperson said.

(NAN)