UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 4 (Xinhua) — The UN General Assembly met Thursday to consider the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, which it had unanimously adopted in September 2006, by which member states agreed to take a set of concrete measures to address terrorism in all its aspects.

    Speaking to delegates attending the meeting, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the international community to "take multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation even further."

    Firstly, "we must not shy away from nontraditional approaches to promoting security," Ban said.

    Recent research has found that military force is rarely responsible for bringing an end to terrorist groups, he said.

    In the majority of cases, other factors, such as police work or the adoption of nonviolent political means, have proved more effective, he noted.

    "Thus … multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation should be undertaken in an integrated manner," he stressed.

    Secondly, multilateral counter-terrorism efforts must be done in partnership with regional and subregional organizations and with civil society, he said.

    Thirdly, as bilateral actions may be insufficient to face the immensity of the needs and circumstances, the world should maximize multilateral efforts, he said.

    Srgjan Kerim, president of the 62nd session of the General Assembly, also called on the international community to step up efforts to deliver concrete results in the fight against international terrorism.

    Kerim stressed the need for "a new way of thinking about our shared fate in a way that reflects the complexities of contemporary human and economic relations, with the well-being of the individual and communities at its center."

    "By finding gaps and identifying where further assistance is needed we can build closer cooperation between member states and the United Nations system," he said.

    The strategy was adopted by the assembly in September 2006 after a year of sometimes fractious negotiations as countries worked to overcome their differences.

    It focuses on four main pillars of action: tackling the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, preventing and combating terrorism, building state capacity and bolstering the role of the UN, and ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law against the backdrop of the fight against terrorism.

    After hearing from over 60 speakers, the meeting is expected to conclude on Friday with the adoption of a resolution which reiterates support for the strategy and reaffirms member states’ condemnation of terrorism.