Working a working paper

- on counter-terrorism and human rights.

I'm about to caucus with the other NGOs on the CHR, namely Amnesty and World Vision, on the working paper we are going to propose to the Commission.

Main gist: To what extent can counter-terrorism measures impinge upon human rights?

Our thrust: None.

Probable result: Someway 60-70% in our favour.

It is worth noting that specific UN convenants have been breached in the process of the counter-terrorism measures of certain countries (that shall not be named). How then, can we ensure that UN's international legal instruments are not only upheld, but also compatible with counter-terrorism? It would seem contradictory that the very instruments striving to protect human rights are being violated in the name of terrorism - and everything about it that is antithetical to human rights in the first place.

As I said in my NGO statement this morning - human rights abuses committed in the name of fighting terrorism only serve to fuel terrorism, not end it.

Interestingly, (in real life) USA is the only country to declare activation of state of emergency - thereby suspending human rights compliance in favour of counter-terrorism. Correct me if I'm wrong.

So far we've gotten rather specific human rights standards laid out, though Brazil and the Netherlands have indicated that they want a broader paper framing relevant UN covenants in a counter-terrorism context. I think it would be good to aim for both, in the interest of scope and depth.

AMUNC is fun.


Technorati: human rights, United Nations, terrorism, counter-terrorism