Brussels, 14/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The international conference on terrorism, which met from 8 to 10 March in the Spanish capital at the initiative of the Club of Madrid, resulted in the adoption of recommendations for combating terrorism. The UN secretary general and the presidents of the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament took part in the closing ceremony of the conference held to commemorate the first anniversary of the attack on Madrid on 11 March 2004 (EUROPE of 12 March, p.3). The recommendations, under the title of the Madrid Agenda, open with a tribute to the victims of the attack.
The conference in Madrid calls for a “global democratic response to the global threat of terrorism”. “Law enforcement agencies need the powers required, yet they must never sacrifice the principles they are dedicated to defend”, the conclusions read, stressing the importance of international cooperation and reflection on the roots of terrorism. It is recommended that international mechanisms be created “to help link states that are in need of resources with those that can provide assistance” and for “regular, informal forums for law enforcement and intelligence officials” to be established. Recommendations also include: “exploration of the possibility of creating high commissioners for victims both at the international and national level”. Another suggestion is that of placing stocks of vaccines and medicines in common to be used in the event of bioterrorist attack.