35 prominent politicians from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America met at the European Parliament in Brussels on the 26-27 June 2005, to discuss security strategies under the title "Constructing Peace, Deconstructing Terror".

This Second International Roundtable was organised by UK MEP Graham WATSON, leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the European Parliament, and Sundeep WASLEKAR from the Strategic Foresight Group in cooperation with Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung. It follows an initial event in New Delhi in June 2004.

Key participants included: Dr Anwar IBRAHIM, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia; HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal AL SAUD, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the UK; Gareth EVANS, former Australian Foreign Minister and President of International Crisis Group; and Lord ALDERDICE, President of Liberal International and former Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

In conclusions issued today under the heading "The Brussels Consensus", participants call on the UN Secretary General to convene a summit of world leaders (which may be preceded by regional summits) to seek a common, holistic response to the global terror threat. These issues could also be addressed at the Millennium + 5 Summit in September 2005.

The conclusions outline seven principles for sustainable global security and four policy responses to acts of terror:

Seven principles of Sustainable Global Security

1. The Principle of Just Means: "no cause or grievance, no matter how legitimate, justifies the deliberate killing of civilians".
2. The Principle of Religious Sanctity: "no state or non-state entity has the right to use religion to advocate... violence".
3. The Principle of Human Liberty and Dignity: "all actions to combat terrorism must comply with international law".
4. Principle of Peaceful Conflict Resolution: "Multi-stakeholder dialogues between parties to conflict must be promoted".
5. Principle of the Obligation of States: "States have moral obligations to dissuade people from acts of terror".
6. Principle of Common Standards: "International action against terrorism must be based on universal standards".
7. Principle of Harmony of Values: "The promotion of justice should not take place at the cost of freedom".

Four global policy responses to terror

1. Zero tolerance for terrorist acts.
2. Recognition that groups engaged in terrorist acts have many different stated objectives, motives and root causes.
3. Willingness to embrace strategies that are much broader than reliance on coercive police and military means.
4. Initiatives should include the development of educational facilities, new partnerships between the state and noon-state actors, the empowerment of women as well as intra- and inter-faith dialogue.