Two planes hit two World Trade Center skyscrapers in Manhattan, New York, while another plane hit the Pentagon, a Defense Department building on the outskirts of Washington, DC.
Passengers of the fourth plane managed to wrest control from the hijackers, but it crashed in a field in Pennsylvania.
Of the more than 2,500 people killed in the attack, 441 were emergency service workers. This is the largest single-day loss of these services in US history.
Thousands were injured in the attack and a large number of people are still suffering from respiratory problems, mental health problems and cancer, among other ailments.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a message on social media platform X that his thoughts are with New York City and everyone who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks.
Awaiting trial
Ben Sall, UN independent expert on fundamental freedoms and human rights in the fight against terrorism, paid tribute to the victims, their families and loved ones from more than 100 countries.
He welcomed US efforts to support survivors, but stressed that justice remains out of reach for many.
According to the Special Rapporteur, the violence inflicted on the normal lives of ordinary people on 9/11 was unimaginable and a crime against humanity. Even after 23 years of these attacks, the victims have not received justice.
Ben Sol cites a number of unresolved issues, including prolonged detention of suspects, inhumane treatment, unfair trials before irregular military commissions, and limited accountability for victims and detainees, but it is still having an impact.
In view of this, he appealed to the United States to develop an anti-terrorism policy in accordance with international human rights standards.
Special Rapporteur on the administration of the United States, his predecessor, Fionnuela D. Called for full implementation of Aolan’s recommendations. They were prepared after the United States and Cuba visited the Guantanamo Bay detention center in 2023.
The former rapporteur emphasized that the US government must be held accountable for every violation of international law.
Human rights expert Dr
Special Rapporteurs and independent human rights experts are part of the UN Special Human Rights Mechanism.
They are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to investigate a specific human rights issue or situation in a country and submit a report.
These positions are honorary and human rights experts receive no salary from the United Nations for their work.