Human Rights and Terrorism

A/RES/59/195View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Resolution of the General Assembly, under agenda item 105b Human rights questions, including alternative approaches for improving the effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms, published in 2005.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 1994–2005

Year	Symbol	Title	Word length	Text similarity
2005	A/RES/59/195	Human rights and terrorism	1,623	79%Compare
2004	A/RES/58/174	Human rights and terrorism	1,330	66%Compare
2002	A/RES/56/160	Human rights and terrorism	1,257	55%Compare
2000	A/RES/54/164	Human rights and terrorism	761	75%Compare
1998	A/RES/52/133	Human rights and terrorism	668	61%Compare

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

2 reports · 2003–2005

Year	Symbol	Title		Mandate resolution
2005	A/60/326	Human Rights and terrorism report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/59/195
2003	A/58/533	Human rights and terrorism report of the Secretary-General		A/RES/56/160

What’s in this document?

18 operative paragraphs

Reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as activities aimed at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening the territorial integrity and the security of States, destabilizing legitimately constituted Governments, undermining pluralistic civil society and having adverse consequences for the economic and social development of States;

Strongly condemns the violations of the right to life, liberty and security;

Rejects the identification of terrorism with any religion, nationality or culture;

Profoundly deplores the increasing number of innocent persons, including women, children and the elderly, killed, massacred and maimed by terrorists in indiscriminate and random acts of violence and terror, which cannot be justified in any circumstances;

Expresses its solidarity with the victims of terrorism;

Reaffirms the decision of the Heads of State and Government, as contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,7 to take concerted action against international terrorism and to accede as soon as possible to all the relevant regional and international conventions;

Urges the international community to enhance cooperation at the regional and international levels in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, in accordance with relevant international instruments, including those relating to human rights, with the aim of its eradication;

Calls upon States to take all necessary and effective measures, in accordance with relevant provisions of international law, including international human rights standards, to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, wherever and by whomever it is committed, and also calls upon States to strengthen, where appropriate, their legislation to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations;

Urges all States to deny safe haven to terrorists;

Calls upon States to take appropriate measures, in conformity with relevant provisions of national and international law, including international human rights standards, before granting refugee status, for the purpose of ensuring that an asylum-seeker has not planned, facilitated or participated in the commission of terrorist acts, including assassinations, and to ensure, in conformity with international law, that refugee status is not abused by the perpetrators, organizers or facilitators of terrorist acts and that claims of political motivation are not recognized as grounds for refusing requests for the extradition of alleged terrorists;

Urges States and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to review, with full respect for legal safeguards, the validity of a refugee status decision in an individual case if credible and relevant evidence comes to light which indicates that the person in question has planned, facilitated or participated in the commission of terrorist acts;

Condemns the incitement to ethnic hatred, violence and terrorism;

Stresses that every person, regardless of nationality, race, sex, religion or any other distinction, has a right to protection from terrorism and terrorist acts;

Expresses concern about the growing connection between terrorist groups and other criminal organizations engaged in the illegal traffic in arms and drugs at the national and international levels, as well as the consequent commission of serious crimes such as murder, extortion, kidnapping, assault, the taking of hostages and robbery, and requests the relevant United Nations bodies to continue to give special attention to this question;

Requests the Secretary-General to continue to seek the views of Member States on the implications of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations for the full enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and on the possible establishment of a voluntary fund for the victims of terrorism, as well as on ways and means to rehabilitate the victims of terrorism and to reintegrate them into society, with a view to incorporating his findings in his report to the General Assembly;

Takes note of the work of the Subcommission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights on the issue of terrorism and the final report of the Special Rapporteur of the Subcommission on terrorism and human rights;¹⁰

¹⁰E/CN.4/Sub.2/2004/40.

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the course of the examination of the question and in the conduct of any study on terrorism that may be mandated, and in its activities relating to the issue of terrorism, to adopt a comprehensive approach, in particular by giving full and equal attention to the issues raised in the present resolution with relation to the grave impact of terrorism on the enjoyment of the human rights of individuals;

Decides to consider the question at its sixtieth session under the item entitled “Human rights questions”.

Human Rights and Terrorism

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

What other versions does this mandate have?

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What’s in this document?

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