The Summit will bring together global leaders and other exceptional individuals, whose experience and expertise will transform the ideas from the Summit into a plan of action. The Summit will be attended by:

• Heads of State and Government
• The Members of the Club of Madrid
• Key policymakers
• Leading scholars
• Heads of international and non-governmental organisations
• Business and religious leaders
• Outstanding intellectuals, artists and journalists

However, it is citizens who are most directly affected by terrorism. They therefore must participate in the debate on how to confront terrorism. The Summit will give a voice to individual citizens and civil society groups from across the world, including victims of terrorism and their families.

March 9, 2005

Plenary: Democracy and Terrorism

"It is a challenge to protect democratic societies from the current kind of terrorism partly because it is difficult to understand, but also because the breadth and scope of terrorism changes continually. But it continues to be by definition, a tool for forcing a specific political or religious ideology on society." With this thought, Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State, opened the plenary session on Democracy and Terrorism. [More]

Freedom, Security and Civil Liberties

The tension between counterterrorism and the protection of civil liberties and legal rights is not new. But it has never before been felt more acutely.

Robert Goldman of the Washington College of Law at The American University, pointed out that states arrived at a UN code for dealing with terrorism some 30 years ago. The fundamental principle was the prevention of arbitrary acts by the executive, with protections enforced through an independent judiciary. Yet prominent voices today justify even the use of torture in counterterrorism. Officials in the U.S. Justice Department have drafted legal advice for using torture and avoiding prosecution. Part of this arises from a deliberate conflation of war with terror by the Bush administration and others, he said. But acts of terror are not necessarily connected with war. And in any event, human rights law should apply even during war.

Missing the Plot? The Politics of Intelligence Post 9/11

Moderator Richard Ben-Veniste, a member of the Commission on the Attacks Against America, noted that the commission made more than 40 recommendations in its 9/11 report, but most attention was concentrated on the reorganization factors. Although the intelligence community had collected good information on the 9/11 plotters, this information was not effectively put to use. Commission recommendations were therefore directed to breaking bureaucratic stovepipes and increasing collaboration.

Balancing the Agenda

Is there an inherent conflict between fighting terror and promoting development? How can the tensions be resolved?

Theo Sowa, a consultant practising in Ghana, argued that notions of security are largely defined by cultural and social context. In Africa, human security is primary. In the U.S. embassy bombings in Kenya (and Tanzania), for instance, media coverage concentrated on U.S. citizens killed or injured; yet many more Africans than Americans died in those attacks. Indeed, many hundreds of thousands of Africans die of hunger and disease—a toll far beyond the casualties from terrorism. He doubted that the fight against terror has depressed development aid spending; long before 9/11 rich countries were failing to meet their aid commitments.

Immigration: Is Integration Failing?

The links between integration, immigration and terrorism are complex and sensitive. Assia Bensalah Alaoui, Director of the Research Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Mohamed V in Morocco, noted the dangers of stereotyping that stem from language like “Islamic terrorism”. Millions of Muslims live peacefully in Europe and North America, while radicalization can result from the failure of Arab countries to develop legitimate political authorities and national prosperity. She recommended policies targeting disaffected youth, and emphasized the potential for Muslim women to bring reform to Arab countries.

Democratic Reform in the Arab World

Saad Eddin Ibrahim, Chairman of Egypt´s Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies, said it is a mistake to believe democracy has only arrived in the Arab world with the turn of the 21st century. Throughout the 20th century, he said, there have been three political forces still at work in the Middle East: autocratic, theocratic and democratic. Western countries have often aligned themselves with the autocrats as a defence against the theocrats coming to power. To say that “the Arab world is not ready for democracy” is a form of racism, he said. The real question was whether or not Arab rulers are ready for democracy.

Protecting the Humanitarian Space in the Face of Violence and Terror

Humanitarian action in conflicts has always been difficult—and now faces new challenges in the aftermath of 9/11. Field experience proves the point: The perceived neutrality, independence and impartiality of humanitarian operations are being undermined by the politicization of aid. As a consequence, the operations themselves are jeopardized.

Negotiating an effective relationship between political, military and humanitarian responses to crises is therefore both urgent and difficult. But most panel members agreed that the traditional “coherence model”—closely integrating political, military and humanitarian actions—is an inappropriate and counter-productive response.

The Necessary Alliance: Atlantic Relations

This session dealt with a very current theme. After a period of tense relations between the United Stated and the European Union (or between the United States and some of the member states of the Union), President Bush and his minister of Foreign Affairs both visited Europe on official visits. The President stopped off in Brussels to later visit Germany and Slovakia; on the other hand, Condelezza Rice traveled to London, Berlin, Warsaw, Ankara, Jerusalem and Paris. The expectations were high because great points of friction had existed on both ends: the Irani nuclear problem, the European decision to lift the arms embargo on China, etc. The declarations did not dissapoint: the President of the European Commision, José Manuel Barroso, as well as President George W. Bush declared that the wounds were sealed. Is this really the case? Can we honestly say that we are entering a new phase of reconciliation and transatlantic cooperation?

From Conflict to Peace: Lessons from the Frontline debate

John Hume, a Northern Irish Member of the British Parliament and Nobel laureate, described three guiding principles for negotiating and maintaining peace: respect for differences on all sides; representation of all groups and parties in political and cultural institutions; and investment in social healing. Promoting dialogue is central to all conflict resolution, he said. To that end, he urged the European Union to create an office of peace and conflict reconciliation.

Terror and the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Abdel Monem Said Aly, Director of the Al Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies in Egypt, addressed the interactions between the Arab-Israeli conflict and the “war on terror” and underscored the difference between legitimate resistance and terrorism. He cautioned against overestimating the utility of force as an instrument for bringing parties to the table, emphasizing the importance of giving moderates on each side space for negotiation. As for the future, he said the Palestinian Authority is delivering on commitments of democracy, reform and transparency; it was now time for the Israelis to deliver on commitments of their own. Suspending negotiating processes after a suicide attack only gives more power to the bombers.

Terrorism and the Travel Industry

Isabel Aguilera, Chief Operating Officer of NH Hotels in Spain, identified tourism as a priority target for terrorists, whose aim is to disrupt daily life. The terrorist bombings in Madrid March 11, 2004, imposed immediate harm on the capital´s hotel industry as Spaniards reduced their own travel in the months after.

Plenary: Preliminary Conclusions of the Working Groups

The first part of the Summit closed with a plenary in which the conclusions from each of the working groups were presented by their coordinators. They took on the responsibility of analyzing the terrorist phenomenon from all its possible aspects, with the aim of offering the widest possible explanation. Actually, there were also many common points of view making it possible to come close to a consensus on a concrete definition of terrorism. The Secretary General of the Club of Madrid, Kim Campbell emphasized the fact that this work had been done by 200 experts from all over the world.

Dr. Peter R. Neuman, director of the content of the Summit, revealed the existence of 16 working groups which had been working for many months prior to the Summit, making it the biggest and most in-depth conference to date to be convened around the theme of security and terrorism.

Louise Richardson, summarised the findings of her working groups whose job it was to analyse the underlying causes of terrorism: individual and political, economic, cultural, religious, and even individual. Richardson emphasized that terrorism does not originate in one isolated cause, but rather in the interaction of all of them. She also reiterated that terror is a tactic used to achieve an ends, rather than existing as an end in itself.

Ray Kendall was appointed to coordinate the groups that studied how to confront terrorism through means of intelligence agencies, policing, military responses, and controlling terrorist finance. He agreed with his colleagues on the fact that the treatment of the phenomenon is not simple but rather complex. For Kendall, it is important to focus on the process, that is actually quite short, one that goes from a local conflict to a full-blown terrorist action. In this sense, Kendall thinks that the UN should be the body through which an adequate solution can be found.

Phil Bobbit, spoke about the possible democratic answers to terrorism. He started off by trying to define it and shorten it. He also pointed out that protection of civil society is fundamental to avoiding terrorists to act with impunity in the environment that they pretend to defend. He also asked for more transparency in those sovereign states in which there is little respect for human rights, and for the guarantee of individual rights in the fight against terrorism.

Miguel Darcy and Mary Kaldor, co-coordinators of the working groups with the common theme of Civil Society, defined some basic principles and called for a strategy of action based on those principles. Both pointed out that although terrorism is a global phenomenon, root causes are usually found at the local level; and terrorism is born both in conflict zones and under authoritarian regimes, proving that both non state terrorism and a terrorism that is paramilitary exist. One third finding is that democratic order, although it is necessary to establish stability, cannot be implemented with force. Finally, the groups of Darcy as well as Kaldor put forth Madrid as an example of an appropriate answer to terrorism, and an example that should be followed. With respect to a recommended strategy they insisted in support of civil society as a form of “ soft power.”

Closing Plenary

The International Summit on Terrorism and Democracy finished today with a closing ceremony which included closing words by many attending authorities including the Spanish President, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The experts who spoke tried to spell out in their speeches the causes of terrorism, as well as the strategies to be followed in order to combat it. Strict respect of human rights, education in tolerance since childhood, equality and global justice, were some of the proposed solutions. Among the possible causes, misery and frustration of the third world, as well as illegal trafficing and easy access to arms throughout conflictive zones of the planet were emphasized. Religious intolerance was also considered as a possible cause, although leaders of of Islamic countries insisted in seperating the religion which is a social fact, from the possible extremist deviations which feed the terrorist phenomenon.

Read or listen to the Closing Plenary

Special Plenary

With participation of His Majesty the King and the Secretary General of the United Nations

The President of the Club of Madrid, Fernando Enrique Cardoso, opened the session with a lively introduction which gave way to words from His Majesty Juan Carlos I, king of Spain. The monarch in a brief and emotional speech, expressed the heaviness of the Spanish people in the wake of the painful memory that hovers over the city of Madrid, just one year after the tragedy which occurred at the Atocha train station. Afterwards, Juan Carlos I passed the microphone to the secretary general of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.

Plenary: The Way Ahead

International cooperation, the promotion democracy, education, and economic assistance for underdeveloped countries are the best tools to defeat terrorism. This was one of the most important conclusions that was reached by the participants of the Thursday morning plenary session. There was a large audience, who followed the speeches of the panellists with a much interest. Among them Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, and other intellectuals debated a strategy that should be adopted by Democracies in the fight against terrorism. During the entire debate the memory of the victims of 11-M was present. Tomorrow will mark the one year anniversary of the event.

Read or listen to the plenary.

A Global Strategy for Fighting Terrorism

The Secretary-General, United Nations

Keynote address to the Closing Plenary of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security

Read or listen to the Keynote address to the Closing Plenary of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security

Terrorism and Anti-Terrorism in Spain

Maite Pagazaurtundua, Vice-President of the Foundation for the Victims of Terrorism, emphasized that only democracy can fight terrorism, since lack of democracy will provide extremists the legitimacy to commit their attacks. A social reaction against terrorism is essential to its defeat, and to the defeat of ETA in particular.

Terrorism Goes High Tech

Moderator Brian Jenkins, Special Adviser to the President of RAND Corp., said terrorists can go high-tech in at least two senses: in the weapons they use, and in the sabotage of high-tech targets. And they can use existing technology, to make their operations more effective and efficient. In any case, terrorists’ technology improves with the number of times that they try to use it.

Religion and Religious Extremism

Panellists addressed the misuse and misinterpretation of religion, and how religion interacts with social and political grievances. They sought recommendations for making religion a positive force, connecting political and religious leaders in finding solutions.

Stopping the Spread of WMDs

Rolf Ekeus, former Head of UNSCOM and now Chairman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, said that of the four types of WMD (nuclear, biological, chemical, radiological) chemical and radiological weapons are accessible to terrorists, with chemical weapons posing the greatest threat. Because terrorists are now prepared to die in the attacks, radiological weapons now pose a far greater risk than in the past. The science behind BW is readily accessible, but the difficulty is in dispersal. He identified two approaches to nuclear proliferation: normative (treaty-based), and the operational aspects of controlling fissile material. Mr. Ekeus called for an additional protocol to the NPT (Non-Proliferation Treaty), banning signatories from later opting out. He described nuclear proliferation as the biggest threat to international society.

Democracy, Terrorism and the Internet

John Gage, Chief Researcher at Sun Microsystems, expressed the views of the entire panel in stating that the Internet is a type of technology with embedded democratic values—and that even terrorists exploit those characteristics. The Internet is a tool that can be used to communicate, to give access to information, and to create a community. The technology of the Internet imparts power to information by expanding its reach and increasing the speed with which it can be made available to others.

The World Over a Barrel: The Politics of Energy

Alastair Morrison, Chairman and CEO of Kroll International Security, addressed the urgency of protecting energy sources and mitigating the risk of attack. The key is to examine the intention and capability of terrorists to damage energy sources. Terrorists look for attacks to have maximum impact on the perceptions of the global population, and to cause price panic or visible ecological disaster. The capability of terrorist groups to orchestrate attacks is limited, with Middle Eastern sources protected and the potential impact of single attacks limited by the thinly spread distribution of facilities. The intention of terrorist groups to make a sustained attack is complex but not high. An attack on a tanker would have the desired spectacular impact, and pipelines are perhaps most vulnerable. But with the sophisticated ability of the industry to recover quickly during crises, the rewards of attack are diminished.

Media and Terrorism: Friends or Foes?

The practical difficulties facing journalists and media owners multiply when terrorists target the media as a means to advance their own causes. Antonio Franco, Editor of El Periodo de Cataluña in Spain, began by stating that journalists, when reporting terrorism, must remember they’re at the service of citizens—not of government. It is best to recall, he said, that in Spain a year ago there was not an intention in government to keep the population well informed on the investigation of the Madrid bombings. Journalists must be accurate, reporting the details and motivations in each case as they present themselves.

Impact of Terror on Financial Institutions

Alexander Schindler, a board member at Union Investment in Germany, found general agreement with his comment that the long-term impact of terrorism on stock markets was negligible (save perhaps on the derivatives market), as markets have become used to the presence of terrorism. Still, the 9/11 attacks were discussed in some depth because of the atypical impact they had on markets both in the short term (with sharp declines) and in the long term (in structural costs, investment in security, and price increases). Panellists also agreed corruption and a lack of co-ordinated attention to terrorist-related retail banking activity pre-9/11 contributed to the attack being allowed to take place.

Women, Terror, Religion, Democracy: An Interactive Dialogue

Mahnaz Afkhami, former Minister of State for Women´s Affairs in Iran argued that extremism in the Muslim world finds expression in the control of women´s social participation—how they relate to public spaces and the extent of their freedom. As one consequence, women experience daily terror and a lack of justice. Nonetheless, she stressed the necessity of recognizing women as dynamic agents acting to empower themselves.

From Violence to Voting: Armed Groups and Peace Processes

Joaquin Villalobos, Secretary for International Relations of the National Democratic Party of El Salvador highlighted insights gained from his country´s negotiations with armed groups. In contrast to the situation outlined by Andrés Pastrana, former President of Colombia, the struggles in El Salvador centred on legitimacy, as the insurgents sought to show that the government in power was not legitimate. Mr. Pastrana described how in Colombia bringing groups like FARC to the negotiating table forced a political victory over violence where military victory was not possible, and a peaceful one was demanded by the people. In Colombia’s case, the peace process needed to be removed from the spotlight of daily news, which can be an obstacle in navigating tricky negotiations.

UN High Level Panel Report

Antonio Vitorino, former EU Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs, opened this review of the UN High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change by raising questions about the definition of terrorism and about how to deal with the threat of terrorism while upholding civil liberties and the rule of law. Along with most other session participants, he was a member of the High-level Panel, which reported in December 2004.

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