Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Terrorism and Counter-terrorism Fact Sheet No

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Office of the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Human Rights
Human Rights, Terrorism 
and Counter-terrorism
Fact Sheet No. 
32

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NOTE
The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this 
publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the 
part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of 
any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the 
delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Material contained in this publication may be freely quoted or reprinted, 
provided credit is given and a copy of the publication containing the 
reprinted material is sent to the Office of the United Nations High 
Commissioner for Human Rights, Palais des Nations, 8-14 avenue de la 
Paix, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland.

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CONTENTS
Page
Introduction................................................................................... .
1
II
I.. HUMAN.RIGHTS.AND.TERRORISM.......................................... .
3
I
.
A.. What.are.human.rights?.................................................... .
3
.
B.. What.is.terrorism?............................................................. .
5
.
C.. The.impact.of.terrorism.on.human.rights..................... .
7
.
D.. Accountability.and.the.human.rights.of.victims............ .
9
.
E.. Terrorism.and.other.aspects.of.international.law.......... . 11
I
II.. HUMAN.RIGHTS.AND.COUNTER-TERRORISM..................................
19
.
. A.. The.promotion.and.protection.of.human.rights.while
.
. .
countering..terrorism......................................................... . 19
.
. B.. The.flexibility.of.human.rights.law..................................... . 22
III.. SPECIFIC.HUMAN.RIGHTS.CHALLENGES.IN.THE.CONTEXT.OF.
.
TERRORISM.AND.COUNTER-TERRORISM................................. . 30
.
A.. The.right.to.life................................................................. . 30
.
B.. Challenges.to.the.absolute.prohibition.against.torture...... . 32
.
C.. Transfer.of.individuals.suspected.of.terrorist.activity........... . 33
.
D.. Liberty.and.security.of.the.person...................................... . 36
.
E.. Profiling.and.the.principle.of.non-discrimination................ . 37
.
F.. Due.process.and.the.right.to.a.fair.trial............................. . 38
.
G.. The.principle.of.legality.and.the.definition.of.terrorism...... . 39
.
H.. Freedom.of.expression.and.the.prohibition.of.incitement.
.
.
to.terrorism....................................................................... . 41
.
I.. Freedom.of.association...................................................... . 43
.
J.. Surveillance,.data.protection.and.the.right.to.privacy........ . 45
.
K.. Economic,.social.and.cultural.rights................................... . 46
Annex:.United.Nations.action.to.counter.terrorism........................ . 57

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“The promotion and protection of human rights for all and the rule 
of law is essential to all components of the Strategy, recognizing that 
effective counter-terrorism measures and the promotion of human rights 
are not conflicting goals, but complementary and mutually reinforcing”
United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy 
(General Assembly resolution 60/288, annex)

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