UN Counter-Terrorism review needs human rights focus

The ICJ has submitted information and recommendations for the upcoming review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, emphasising the need to strengthen the role of human rights in the framework and implementation of the strategy.

The submission was prepared in response to a call for civil society input, from the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).

It summarizes recent ICJ activities relevant to implementation of the strategy, and urges among other things:

  • removal of impediments to civil society participation in certain UN or other global policy-making processes;
  • recognition that not only is violation of human rights in the context of countering terrorism, whether through arbitrary application or deliberate abuse, in itself unlawful and unacceptable, it also undermines the credibility and effectiveness of the struggle against terrorism;
  • better recognition and implementation of the human rights of victims of terrorism;
  • mainstreaming of human rights throughout the text and implementation measures for the Strategy as a whole;
  • establishment of an independent human rights oversight entity within the UN counter-terrorism architecture;
  • creation of a Civil Society Unit within UNOCT;
  • increased resources for the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism;
  • increased engagement of the UN counter-terrorism architecture with OHCHR and with other UN Special Procedures;
  • benchmarks and indicators for assessing States’ compliance with human rights obligations in implementation of the GCTS.

The complete submission can be downloaded in PDF format here: UN-Advocacy-GCTStrategy-2019

For more information contact un(a)icj.org

Translate »