The U.N. General Assembly acted immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, a U.N. representative told more than 75 people Thursday afternoon in McCormick Auditorium.

Catherine O’Neill, director of the U.N. Information Center in Washington, spoke on involvement in Afghanistan, international views on U.S. military action and the future role of the global community in the region as part of a campuswide Day of Mourning and Education.

The U.N. General Assembly requested precautionary measures and adopted a groundbreaking resolution against terrorism Sept. 28.

All U.N. members must submit compliance reports to the U.N. Security Council within 90 days of the resolution’s passage, she said.

Although the United Nations has been very active since the Sept. 11 attacks, it has not pledged support for bombing Afghanistan, she said.

O’Neill said military action is only one aspect of anti-terrorist action. The United Nations is focusing on the humanitarian aspect by delivering supplies to Afghanistan, O’Neill said.

O’Neill said the Afghan people have been “suffering for a very, very long time.”

“We have tried to get in thousands of tons a week of food and medical supplies,” she said.

The United Nations also is trying to build refugee camps in the countryside for those fleeing cities after the U.S. retaliation, she said.

But during humanitarian relief efforts, U.N. peacekeepers have sometimes faced beatings and sabotage, forcing the withdrawal of some resources, O’Neill said.

In the future, the United Nations will “isolate countries … when they support terrorism,” she said. The organization also will support establishing an internationally supported, unified government in Afghanistan.

Some students said the United Nations’ work has been positive but will wait to see its future role in Afghan politics.

“The humanitarian work of the United Nations is very positive, but I will be interested to see what the next government (in Afghanistan) is going to look like and what role the U.N. will take in the formation of that government,” said Julia Kirkman, a Weinberg sophomore.

Other students said the international community should be careful as it works to reform the government in Afghanistan.

“I just hope we don’t create another monster that we have to deal with later,” said Pritha Ghosh, Weinberg senior.