UNITED NATIONS- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday joined the New York City in commemorating the 2,977 lives lost on 11 September 2001 in Al-Qaida terrorist attacks in the United States.
Mr. Guterres said in a post on X, “Today my thoughts are with everyone who lost loved ones on 9/11 and with all the people of New York City.”
Ben Saul, Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism and human rights, also paid tribute to the victims, who came from more than 90 countries, their families and loved ones.
He welcomed US efforts to support the survivors, but emphasized that justice remained elusive for many.
“The unfathomable violence on 9/11 against ordinary people going about their daily lives was a crime against humanity, but sadly, 23 years later, the victims remain starved of justice,” he said.
Mr. Saul noted that unresolved issues, including prolonged detentions and limited accountability, continue to impact victims and detainees alike, underscored the need for the US to fully align its counterterrorism policies with international human rights standards.
He urged the US authorities to fully implement the recommendations of his predecessor, Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, after her technical visit to the United States and the Guantánamo Detention Facility in Cuba in 2023.
Ms. Ní Aoláin made specific recommendations and concluded that the US Government must ensure accountability for all international law violations and victims of terrorism and counter-terrorism.
The 2 of the planes hit the twin skyscrapers of the World Trade Center in Manhattan’s financial district, while another was flown into the US military headquarters at the Pentagon outside Washington, DC.
The fourth aircraft crashed into a field in Pennsylvania after passenger wrested back control from the hijackers.
There were 441 first responders killed the greatest loss of emergency responders on a single day in the country’s history and thousands more were injured, and many still suffer from chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases, mental health issues and cancer.
