A rule-based system of international cooperation is one of the conditions for global peace and security. As Kofi Annan reminded us this week "unilateral preemptive attacks on nations is illogical and unsustainable". "Might makes right" is out of step with our modern democratic beliefs. Only a global institution representing the balance of world opinion can provide legitimacy for interventions. Improving the UN should also be on the agenda: how can the total exclusion of Latin America, Africa and the Middle East from the Security Council make sense?

The UN position on terrorists: "We must never, in the fight against terrorism, lower our standards to theirs. The promotion and protection of human rights - the deep respect for the dignity of each person - , as well as the strict observance of international humanitarian law, should be at the centre of anti-terrorism strategies.." (UN Press Release)