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The United Nations should be wary of offering, or being perceived to be offering, a blanket endorsement of measures taken in the name of counter-terrorism, according to a new report released Tuesday at the UN headquarters in New York.
The report, prepared for Secretary-General Kofi Annan by a group of senior UN officials and outside experts, underscored thatthe struggle against terrorism "should be carried out in keeping with international human rights obligations."
Prepared by the UN Policy Working Group on the UN and Terrorism,the report identified the policy dimensions of terrorism for the UN, and offers a series of concrete recommendations on steps the world body can take to further address the problem.
The group argued that the UN must project a clear message that terrorism, no matter what the stated cause, is unacceptable and deserves universal condemnation.
Its recommendations aim to dissuade groups from embracing terrorism, deny groups and individuals the means to carry out terrorist acts, and promote broad-based international cooperation in the struggle against the menace.
It urged members states to adhere to international anti-terrorism treaties, and recommended the publication of a UN digestto guide governments on those elements of human rights law that have the greatest application to counter-terrorist activities.
Established in October 2001, the group is chaired by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Kieran Prendergast.
(Xinhua News Agency September 11, 2002)
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