THE MINISTERS participating in the 24th Conference of European Ministers of Justice (Moscow, October 2001),

Condemning the heinous terrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11 September 2001;

Deploring the loss of life and the injuries suffered by thousands of innocent people as a result of these attacks as well as those in other regions of the world;

Expressing their deeply felt sympathy with the victims and their families;

Reaffirming their determination to combat all forms of terrorism;

Welcoming the declarations and decisions of international organisations condemning terrorism, in particular the Declaration adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 12 September 2001 and the Decision taken on 21 September 2001, and expressing their full support for the measures envisaged in this Decision;

Bearing in mind Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1534 (2001) on democracies facing terrorism;

Convinced of the need for a multidisciplinary approach to the problem of terrorism, involving all relevant legal aspects;

Resolved to play their part in States' efforts to reinforce the fight against terrorism and to increase the security of citizens, in a spirit of solidarity and on the basis of the common values to which the Council of Europe is firmly committed: Rule of Law, human rights and pluralist democracy;

Recognising the need to involve and motivate the public in this fight, including relevant organisational, social and educational measures;

Convinced of the urgent need for increased international co-operation,

CALL UPON member and observer States of the Council of Europe

a. to become Parties as soon as possible to the relevant international treaties relating to terrorism, in particular the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism of 9 December 1999;

b. to participate actively in the elaboration of the draft United Nations comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism; and

c. to become Parties as soon as possible to the Statute of the International Criminal Court;

INVITE the Committee of Ministers urgently to adopt all normative measures considered necessary for assisting States to prevent, detect, prosecute and punish acts of terrorism, such as:

a. reviewing existing international instruments - conventions and recommendations, in particular the European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism - and domestic law, with a view to improving and facilitating co-operation in the prosecution and punishment of acts of terrorism so that the perpetrators of such acts can speedily be brought to justice;

b. drafting model laws in this field, and codes of conduct in particular for law enforcement agencies;

c. reviewing existing or, where necessary, adopting new rules concerning:

i. the prosecution and trial of crimes of an international character, with a view to avoiding and solving conflicts of jurisdiction and, in this context, facilitating States' co-operation with international criminal courts and tribunals;

ii. the improvement and reinforcement of exchanges of information between law enforcement agencies;

iii. the improvement of the protection of witnesses and other persons participating in proceedings involving persons accused of terrorist crimes;

iv. the improvement of the protection, support and compensation of victims of terrorist acts and their families;

v. the reinforcement of the prevention and punishment of acts of terrorism committed against or by means of computer and telecommunication systems ("cyber-terrorism");

d. depriving terrorists of any financial resources which would allow them to commit acts of terrorism, including amendments to the law, in conformity with Security Council Resolution 1373 (2001);

e. reinforcing, through adequate financial appropriation, the work of Council of Europe bodies involved in the fight against money laundering, in particular the Committee evaluating States' anti-money laundering measures (PC-R-EV);

f. facilitating the identification of persons by means of appropriate identity, civil status and other documents, as well as by other means, including the possibility of using genetic prints (DNA);

g. ensuring the safety and control of dangerous or potentially dangerous substances;

DECIDE to remain in close contact on these matters, in particular in order to review the steps taken to give effect to this Resolution, at the latest on the occasion of their next Conference.