Thursday, March 10, 2005
Annan: Uphold Human Rights
Annan lays out detailed five-point UN strategy to combat terrorism
UN News Service
10 March 2005 – Secretary-General Kofi
Annan today presented a five-point strategy for the United
Nations to fight terrorism: dissuading the disaffected from choosing
the tactic, denying terrorists the means to carry out attacks, deterring
state support, developing state preventive capacity and defending
human rights in the struggle against the scourge.
Outlining what he called the “five D’s” in a keynote address to the closing plenary of the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security in Madrid, he announced the creation of an implementation task force under his office to ensure that all parts of the UN system play their roles in handling terrorism and related issues.
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Finally, on the last “D” – defending human rights – Mr. Annan emphasized that the UN must continue to insist that in the fight against terrorism it cannot compromise on its core values: the rule of law, protection of civilians, mutual respect between people of different faiths and cultures, and peaceful resolution of conflict.
He endorsed a recent proposal to create the position of a Special Rapporteur who would report to the UN Commission on Human Rights on the compatibility of counter-terrorism measures with international human rights laws.
“I regret to say that international human rights experts, including those of the UN system, are unanimous in finding that many measures which states are currently adopting to counter terrorism infringe on human rights and fundamental freedoms,” he declared.
“Compromising human rights cannot serve the struggle against terrorism. On the contrary, it facilitates achievement of the terrorist’s objective – by ceding him the moral high ground and provoking tension, hatred and mistrust of government among precisely those parts of the population where he is most likely to find recruits,” he added.