UNITED NATIONS, Oct 1: The UN General Assembly ended its annual debate on Thursday affording the world leaders an opportunity to grapple with issues including the root causes of terrorism in poor nations , the worsening situation in Iraq and the Middle-East.

Secretary General Kofi Annan set the stage for the two-week session, which attracted nearly 100 heads of states and governments, in a keynote address on the "rule of law," which was seen as a reference to US abuses at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay prison camps.

He warned world leaders that basic laws to protect civilians were being 'shamelessly disregarded,' citing violations ranging from cold-blooded killings and abuse of prisoners in Iraq to the seizing of children as hostages in Russia and widespread occurrence of rape in Sudan.

"In too many places ... hatred, corruption, violence and exclusion go without redress," Mr Annan said." The vulnerable lack effective recourse and the powerful manipulate laws to retain power and accumulate wealth. At times even the necessary fight against terrorism is allowed to encroach unnecessarily on civil liberties."

A major theme at the session was the need to bridge the gap between rich and poor nations, which many developing nations argued was essential to win the war against terrorism.

Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf in his address called for the resolution of disputes impacting the Muslim world which he warned could cast an 'Iron curtain' between Islam and the Western world. He also urged India for the peaceful resolution of disputes, including the Kashmir issue.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil organized a session on ways to alleviate poverty. In his speech to the world body, he warned that there would be no end to terror until a more just economic order was in place.

"The hatred and senselessness that spreads throughout the world feeds on despair, on the absolute lack of hope for many peoples," said Silva. "If we wish to eliminate violence, we must address its deep-rooted origins."

President Bush defended his decision to invade Iraq without UN Security Council backing, saying it "helped to deliver the Iraqi people from an outlaw dictator." He also called upon nations to continue their support for the war on terror and stressed the need to combat AIDS, poverty and other issues raised by the developing nations' leaders.

In his debut before the UN General Assembly, Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi insisted elections would take place on schedule in January. But some leaders privately questioned whether worsening violence will allow a fair vote to take place.

"Security remains a delicate issue and so does voter participation," said Algeria's UN Ambassador Abdallah Baali, whose country is the only Arab nation on the Security Council. "Both issues need to be taken care of."

With the U.S.-led war on Iraq clearly in mind, a number of small countries warned against the use of unilateral military force - an issue certain to be addressed by a panel appointed by Mr Annan to identify global security threats and determine how to deal with them.

The report, expected in December, will be the basis for Annan's recommendations to world leaders to consider at next September's General Assembly ministerial meeting. Many speakers expressed concern about the more than 50,000 deaths and 1.2 million displaced people in the Darfur region of western Sudan.

SECURITY COUNCIL EXPANSION: There was a widespread support at the annual meeting for expanding the powerful 15-nation Security Council - but there was no agreement on how to do it.