President Goodluck Jonathan Wednesday in New York called for global response to combat terrorism and armed conflicts. Addressing the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the president drew the attention of other world leaders to the fact that the world of the 21st century was becoming ever more precarious, unpredictable and certainly more dangerous, perhaps, more than any other time in history. Jonathan regretted that despite the initial optimism, the peace dividend expected to accrue across the world, following the end of the cold war, was yet to materialise. Noting that the increasing use of terror in various regions as a form of political action poses serious threat to international peace and security, Jonathan said: “We must win the war against terrorism because it infringes on the fundamental rights of all peoples to life and to live in safety from fear.” He said over the past few months, Nigeria had faced an upsurge of terrorist attacks in parts of the country, and specifically noted the recent attack on the UN building in Abuja which claimed 23 lives. While describing the attack as “barbaric and heinous”, Jonathan conveyed Nigeria’s condolences to the victims and the entire UN family. He also said with this year's commemoration of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, “we are reminded of the international dimension of terrorism and the imperative of a concerted global response to combat this scourge.” The president said: “For us in Nigeria, terrorist acts, rather than intimidate, will only help to strengthen our resolve to develop appropriate national strategies and collaborate even more closely with the international community in the fight against this menace.” While listing the steps Nigeria had taken to combat the malaise, Jonathan said he had signed into law, the Terrorism (Prevention) Bill 2011 and the Anti-Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act. He said the new laws not only outlined measures for the prevention and combating of acts of terrorism, they also prohibit the financing of terrorism and laundering of the proceeds of crime. Apart from that, he said Nigeria is a member of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum (GCTF) aimed at galvanising efforts to fight terrorism in all ramifications. He also disclosed that in November, GCTF would be launching in Abuja a project aimed at conflict prevention and countering of the appeal of terrorism to the youth through education and dialogue. Jonathan pledged Nigeria's commitment to work closely with the UN Counterterrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), Counterterrorism Executive Directorate (CTED), other relevant agencies, and friendly countries in the fight against terrorism. Speaking on the theme of this year's UN high level debate – Engaging the role of mediation in the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the world – the president said Nigeria had been in the forefront of this campaign. He noted that while serving as Security Council president in July 2010, Nigeria adopted the use of preventive diplomacy to resolve armed conflicts around the world. He therefore proposed the establishment, under the secretary general's office, of a conflict mediation commission to be saddled with the responsibility of collating information on conflict situations across the world, identifying the dramatis personae and developing appropriate strategies for initiating resolution of conflicts. He also used the platform to renew his campaign against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, saying the proliferation of these weapons had proved handy in the hands of terrorists. While maintaining that the issue must be tackled frontally, he said Nigeria would continue to support all initiatives towards the realisation of an Arms Trade Treaty in 2012. In his own address, United States President Barack Obama said the topic of the debate is a subject that is at the heart of the UN and noted that the founders of the UN understood that peace is more than the absence of war, and that “a lasting peace – for nations and individuals – depends upon a sense of justice and opportunity; of dignity and freedom. It depends upon struggle and sacrifice; on compromise and a sense of common humanity”. Citing Article 1 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which says, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights," Obama noted that so much had changed since world leaders converged on New York last year for UN General Assembly summit. He said this year had been a time of transformation as nations had stepped forward to maintain international peace and security, and more individuals are claiming their universal rights to live in freedom and dignity. Noting some of those historic transformations, he said: “One year ago, when we met here in New York, the prospect of a successful referendum in South Sudan was in doubt. But the international community overcame old divisions to support the agreement that had been negotiated to give South Sudan self-determination. And last summer, as a new flag went up in Juba, former soldiers laid down their arms; men and women wept with joy; and children finally knew the promise of looking to a future that they will shape. "One year ago, the people of Cote d’Ivoire approached a landmark election. And when the incumbent lost, and refused to respect the results, the world refused to look the other way. UN peacekeepers were harassed, but did not leave their posts. The Security Council, led by the United States, Nigeria and France, came together to support the will of the people. And Cote d’Ivoire is now governed by the man who was elected to lead. "One year ago, the hopes of the people of Tunisia were suppressed. But they chose the dignity of peaceful protest over the rule of an iron fist. A vendor lit a spark that took his own life, but ignited a movement. In the face of a crackdown, students spelled out the word freedom. The balance of fear shifted from the ruler to those that he ruled. Now the people of Tunisia are preparing for elections that will move them one step closer to the democracy they deserve. "One year ago, Egypt had known one president for nearly 30 years. But for 18 days, the eyes of the world were on Tahrir Square, where Egyptians from all walks of life – men and women; young and old; Muslim and Christian – demanded their universal rights. We saw in those protesters the moral force of non-violence that has lit the world from Delhi to Warsaw; from Selma to South Africa – and we knew that change had come to Egypt and to the Arab World. "One year ago, the people of Libya were ruled by the world’s longest serving dictator. But faced with bullets and bombs and a dictator who threatened to hunt them down like rats, they showed relentless bravery. We will never forget the words of the Libyan who stood up in those early days of revolution and said, ‘Our words are free now. It’s a feeling you can’t explain’. “Day after day, in the face of bullets and bombs, the Libyan people refused to give back that freedom. And when they were threatened by the kind of mass atrocity that often went unchallenged in the last century, the United Nations lived up to its charter. The Security Council authorised all necessary measures to prevent a massacre. The Arab League called for this effort, and Arab nations joined a NATO-led coalition that halted Gadhafi’s forces in their tracks. “In the months that followed, the will of the coalition proved unbreakable, and the will of the Libyan people could not be denied. Forty-two years of tyranny was ended in six months. From Tripoli to Misratah to Benghazi – today, Libya is free.” Leaders of Brazil, Qatar, France, Mexico, Argentina, Lebanon, Morocco, Colombia, Equitorial Guinea, Jordan, Ukraine and Finland were among those that spoke at yesterday's high level debate.