H.E. Mr. T. S. Tirumurti, Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee and Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, and representatives of CTED attended the High-Level International Conference on Human Rights, Civil Society, and Counter-Terrorism in Malaga, Spain, on 10 and 11 May 2022. The Conference, organized by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Government of Spain, was preceded on 9 May 2022 by a civil society workshop and a number of side events.
In addition to a high-level ministerial session — which featured statements inter alia by Ministers for Foreign Affairs and ministers with responsibility for counter-terrorism — the Conference included five thematic working sessions, which focused respectively on (i) Human Rights and the Rule of Law as the Cornerstone of Effective Counter-Terrorism Efforts; (ii) Protection of Principled Humanitarian Action; (iii) Victims and Survivors of Terrorism; (iv) Civil Society Efforts for Preventing and Countering Terrorism; and (v) Role of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Architecture.
H.E. Mr. Tirumurti delivered a statement during session V, focusing on current challenges and the way forward for the United Nations counter-terrorism architecture, including the Counter-Terrorism Committee and its Executive Directorate.
Noting the grave and universal threat posed by terrorism, as well as its growth in several parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and several regions of Africa, the Chair called for a zero tolerance approach to terrorism and underlined that effective counter-terrorism measures and human rights protection were complementary and mutually reinforcing.
The Committee Chair also recalled the need to enhance and promote engagement with a broad range of civil society actors representing all regions of the world and all levels of society, including the grassroots level.
Throughout the conference, CTED called on States to make a specific commitment to supporting human rights in countering terrorism, including by taking stronger actions in response to the relevant findings of UN human rights mechanisms, such as those of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
CTED urged Member States to change laws and practices that are in violation of human rights and called for strengthened procedures for following-up on the human rights and gender-related recommendations contained in the Counter-Terrorism Committee’s country visit reports.
CTED also expressed concern at the persistence of vague and overbroad definitions of terrorist acts in States’ national legislation, which allow for misuse and repression of civil society, human rights defenders, and political opponents. It called for action against misuse of the requirements of the relevant Security Council resolutions for discriminatory or political purposes.