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Statements and speeches Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
ASG Brands Kehris’ remarks on counterterrorism and human rights
Session I: Panel Presentation by United Nations Entities
05 March 2024
Delivered by
Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights
At
United Nations Office of Counter- Terrorism Ambassadorial-level Briefing to Member States
Location
Hybrid, ECOSOC Chamber and via Webex Platform 5 March 2024, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
USG Voronkov, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, and colleagues.
Last year’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was an important moment of reflection on human rights, our successes over the years, and how we can do better in the future.
Out of this year-long initiative, a resounding renewed commitment to human rights emerged: 150 Member States issued over 770 pledges alongside others made by civil society, businesses, and UN agencies, to take action to address human rights challenges, including in areas relevant to countering terrorism.
Member States also reaffirmed their commitment to uphold human rights and comply with their obligations in efforts to counter and prevent terrorism in the eighth review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy last year.
OHCHR’s work supports the fulfillment of these commitments and aims to ensure that people, including victims and their rights are at the centre of all efforts to counter terrorism.
OHCHR supports Member States through dialogue and technical assistance to secure respect for human rights in counter-terrorism. And OHCHR supports the integration of human rights and gender equality in all Pillars of the Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy to ensure coordinated and coherent UN support to Member States with a human rights-based and victim-centred approach.
In this regard, I would like to highlight three areas of OHCHR’s work:
First, OHCHR’s support for a strong global constituency for human rights including the space to innovate. Extensive and diverse engagement allows a plurality of opinions, lived experiences, and expertise – especially those affected by terrorism and counter-terrorism – to have a voice in counter-terrorism actions. Such engagement, including with those with contrasting viewpoints, can generate solutions and foster alliances.
To facilitate this, civic space must be protected and civil society actors must be allowed to voice their opinions safely and freely. OHCHR is promoting wider use of the UN Guidance Note on Civic Space by engaging with civil society actors in the Global Compact Working Group, and is advising UN counter-terrorism entities, including on how to better address the risks of reprisals against civil society actors for cooperating with the United Nations.
OHCHR recently launched a study on the Impact of Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Laws on Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists, which offers Member States solutions to minimize or avoid the negative impact of counter-terrorism laws and other criminal laws on the right to freedom of expression, including media freedom and the safety of journalists.
Second, placing human rights at the centre of prevention and peacebuilding in order to end cycles of conflict. Amid dynamic shifts in the global peace and security architecture, it remains fundamentally important that respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law in conflict contexts, including those relating to terrorism, should be at the heart of all responses.
OHCHR’s project ‘Model National Human Rights-Based Counter-Terrorism Responses’, which we will launch in the coming months, provides global tools to support Member States in three areas: i) strengthening human rights in counter- terrorism strategy and policy-making; ii) institutionalizing human rights specialist capacity in counter-terrorism; and iii) early and meaningful civil society engagement.
Finally, strengthening human rights globally and within the UN counter-terrorism system is—with the interconnected nature of global challenges such as terrorism— a commitment to strengthening the human rights architecture. Also, enhancing the promotion, protection, and fulfilment of human rights in this regard can be done by working jointly and addressing these challenges collectively and in this sense promoting global stability.
A number of avenues could be tapped into for joined up collaborative action in the UN to further human rights. And I would like to point, in this regard, the Agenda for Protection, recently launched by the Secretary-General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights as one of those.
In addition, under the coordination framework of the Global Compact, OHCHR, together with UNOCT, the Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism and human rights, UN Women, and UNICEF are collaborating on a number of initiatives to better inform the development of targeted policies and programmes by States and UN entities. These include developing human rights and gender benchmarks as already mentioned by UN Women colleague and continuing to populate the matrix of recommendations of UN human rights mechanisms relevant to countering terrorism.
At the opening of the Human Rights Council last week, the High Commissioner launched his vision statement as a contribution to the Summit of the Future, which offers human rights as the path towards a more peaceful, equal, and sustainable world. OHCHR looks forward to continuing to work with Member States and Global Compact entities, also to enhance even further the good collab with UNOCT, to translate this vision into reality as we implement the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Thank you very much.