”The terrorism attacks of 11 September 2001 shook the entire world. Now – two years after – I will gather heads of state and government from a number of countries in New York, to focus on the causes of terrorism”, says Norway’s Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik . “We will also meet with victims of terrorism from various parts of the world. Our aim is that the struggle against terrorism will lead to increased security, and to enhance understanding, openness and tolerance between cultures and religions”, the Prime Minister says.

On 22 September Mr. Bondevik will head the international conference ”Fighting Terrorism for Humanity”, in New York City.

Opening the conference will be the Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan. The conference has been initiated by Mr. Bondevik and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Elie Wiesel.

”In the struggle against crime all agree to the need to prevent, to introduce security measures, to investigate and to arrest offenders. As part of the international struggle against terrorism it is vital that political leaders also focus on the roots of terrorism”, Mr. Bondevik says.

Among those who as of now have accepted the invitation to the conference, are President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, President Luiz Lula da Silva of Brazil, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada, President Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, President Jacques Chirac of France, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia, President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, President Alejandro Toledo Manrique of Peru, Prime Minister José Manuel Durao Barroso of Portugal, President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and Prime Minister José Maria Aznar of Spain.

To the editor.:
The conference will be held at Hotel Intercontinental The Barclay, 111 East 48th Street i New York City on Monday 22 September. Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for the conference secretariat, led by Ambassador Morten Wetland. More details on the conference can be found at http://www.end-terror.org/coverpage.htm. For practical press details we also refer to press counsellor Ole Berthelsen at Norway’s delegation to the UN: ole@mfa.no.

Press intending to cover the conference should seek accreditation via www.akkreditering.mfa.no.