The report of the UN Secretary-General on terrorist attacks on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion and belief

ASG keynote address

Excellencies,
Distinguished guests.

I would like to thank the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism for the invitation to address this high level event.

Our Office very much welcomes this initiative and the Secretary-General’s report offers an important first step towards tackling this emerging threat.

Our first priority should be addressing this complex issue in a holistic manner.

This means looking at this phenomenon as interconnected to a broad range of drivers and societal realities. This will, in the long term, prove more effective in countering the motivation behind such terrorist acts.

It is also important that the human rights perspective is central to this comprehensive approach.

Allow me to briefly unpack what this entails.

Because terrorist attacks on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion and belief, are often the result of years of incitement to hatred, racial and religious structural discrimination, or other conducive factors, it is important to address the broader conditions, including combating incitement to violence, discrimination, and racism.

This does not mean that racial and religious equality and non-discrimination are subjugated to counter terrorism.

Instead, counter terrorism and the principles of equality and non-discrimination are to be pursued as mutually reinforcing constructs. This synergy can be achieved by:

• Upholding the principle of equality and freedom of religion and belief; and
• Limiting human rights in the name of terrorism or national security only within the legitimate grounds provided for in international human rights law.

There is no doubt that there is a compelling need to secure the safety of the State and people against terrorism on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion and belief. However, restrictions to human rights should be the last resort.

Second, a comprehensive and evidence-based understanding of the situation is needed. This will avoid conflating this type of terrorism with other acts of violence. Not every form of violence or hate-inspired conduct is best, or most appropriately, regulated within the counter-terrorism framework.

It would also move away from the tendency to link this category of terrorism with certain groups or religions. This can lead to counter-terrorism measures that entail differential treatment, including on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, and political opinions.

For example, our Office has documented incidents where vague and broad counter-terrorism measures have discriminatory impact on the human rights of racial and ethnic minority communities.¹ At the same time, migrants, refugees, and members of religious, ethnic, and racial minorities are often the targets of terrorism and violent extremism.²

An empirical understanding of terrorist attacks motivated by these factors would also result in precise and effective measures, including improved counter-terrorism responses. For example, in some States, systematic disaggregated data on law enforcement practices have led to more professional policing policies towards racial and ethnic minorities.³

Third, a comprehensive approach gives equal importance to every stakeholder. National authorities in-charge of human rights, civil society organizations, and national human rights institutions should be at the decision-making table and not on the sidelines.

In conclusion, I wish to underline that OHCHR is committed to supporting States and UN partners in bringing human rights to the core of counter-terrorism measures. Our project on Model National Human Rights-Based Counter-Terrorism Responses precisely focuses on providing practical, comprehensive and multidimensional solutions. We hope that this will increase understanding of the value and benefit of human rights in counter-terrorism efforts. 

We look forward to further cooperation with the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism.

Thank you.