UNITED NATIONS: UN chief António Guterres has warned that the fight against terrorism will fail if it was used as an excuse to erode human rights.

Speaking at the ninth meeting of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact in New York, he urged for all counter-terrorism policies and initiatives to be “firmly grounded” in basic human rights.

“Combatting terror must never be used as an excuse for trampling on people’s human rights,” he said.

The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy on Sept 8, 2006, and reviews it every two-year to ensure that it’s attuned to global counter-terrorism priorities.

Mr Guterres reminded the meeting, held in New York on Wednesday, that “when we protect human rights, we are in fact tackling many of the root causes of terrorism”.

“Terrorism remains a global scourge — an affront to humanity on every level,” said the UN chief while emphasising the need to avoid vacuums, where terrorism can breed. Lack of security, opportunity and hope, and impingement of human rights create such vacuums, as do the absence of political and civic institutions, Mr Guterres said. He also appealed for upholding equality, and dignity, especially for minorities and women and girls.

The UN counter-terrorism strategy, which will be reviewed in June, also addresses the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2023