In what was perhaps an unprecedented gesture of unanimity, members of the Security Council today stood up in the Council's chamber to vote for a resolution that "unequivocally" and "in the strongest terms" -- condemned Tuesday's terrorist attacks against the United States.

The Security Council was held under what UN Secretary General Kofi A. Annan described as "exceptionally grave circumstances."

Calling the attacks in the United States "criminal and unjustifiable," while emphasizing that terrorism represented a threat to international peace, the Council expressed its readiness to take all necessary steps to respond to any acts of terrorism in the world.

The Council called increased cooperation and full implementation of the relevant anti-terrorist conventions and Security Council resolutions. It also expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the victims, their families and the people and Government of the United States.

Before the formal adoption of the resolution, individual members of the Council took the floor to voice their outrage, condemning the attacks, urging that the perpetrators be brought to justice, and offering expressions of solidarity and sympathy to the US.

Calling the terrorist strike "an attack on humanity as a whole," the Council urged all nations to join forces in finding the perpetrators.

"America is not and will not be shaken in its resolve," US Ambassador Cunningham told the Council. "We will grieve and we will heal," he said. The Council observed a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the attacks.

The fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly started later in the afternoon. Echoing the sentiments of the Security Council, the General Assembly, postponed from yesterday after the UN was evacuated during the crisis, adopted a strongly-worded resolution that condemned "the heinous acts of terrorism which have caused enormous loss of human life, destruction and damage in the cities of New York-host city of the United Nations - Washington, D.C. and elsewhere."

The Assembly also called for international cooperation to bring the perpetrators, organizers and sponsors to justice, and expressed solidarity with the people and government of the United States.

Addressing the Assembly session, UN Secretary General Kofi A. Annan called this "a dark day for the United States, and indeed for the whole world."

"Our host country, and this wonderful host city that has been so good to us over the five decades have just been subjected to a terrorist attack such as we had hardly dared to imagine even in our worst nightmares," the Secretary General said.

Annan echoed the US position when he stated that the world community needs to take action not only against the terrorists responsible, but also against sponsoring nations that "give them any kind of shelter, assistance or encouragement."

US Ambassador Cunningham offered his thanks to the Secretary General for urging a firm and united response to the tragedy. "I appreciate the support and condolences expressed by the UN membership, and the condemnation and their sense of resolve," he said. "Together, we've demonstrated - here today in the historic hall of the General Assembly - that we are united and strong in the face of terror."

The representative of Azerbaijan called for the UN to establish a blood donation centre for diplomats. Punctuating the grim atmosphere with some humor, the representative said: "We, the United Nations diplomatic community, are not only parking rule violators - we do love this city, we love New York, and we want to help it." His proposal was met by a round of applause.

Han Seung-soo, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea who was earlier that afternoon elected President of the fifty-sixth General Assembly, recalled that the UN had been born amid hopes for a lasting peace in the wake of two world wars and pledged to strengthen the Assembly's role in that effort.