Regional Outlook: “Strengthening international and regional cooperation to address the increasing terrorist threat in Africa”

Thank you, USG Vornokov.

Good morning excellencies, colleagues and friends.

I am grateful to join you today at the eighth meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact and welcome the focus on strengthening international and regional cooperation to address the increasing terrorist threat in Africa.

The growing insecurity in Africa due to terrorist threats and attacks highlights two critical issues: First, the importance of adopting a human rights-based approach to counter terrorism and violent extremism conducive to terrorism. Second, international cooperation in the field of human rights as an essential condition for preventing and countering terrorism.

On the first point, all counter-terrorism efforts should – as this forum has underscored on multiple occasions – be in line with international human rights standards. This is relevant not only to Africa, but to all regions, of course. While human rights are often perceived as an obstacle to counter-terrorism measures, they help us identify and understand better the root causes and underlying drivers that fuel and give rise to terrorist acts and thus contribute to a more effective response. Conversely, counter terrorism measures marked by arbitrary arrests, incommunicado detentions, torture, violations of the right to privacy and other freedoms are not only unlawful and infringe on human dignity and fundamental rights – but they are also ineffective and counter-productive, including by driving grievances underground.

A holistic approach to counter terrorism which addresses the gaps in the rule of law, democratic governance and civic space and reverses patterns of discrimination and marginalization of ethnic and minority groups contributes to greater stability and security. Compliance with international human rights standards during security operations also pays tangible dividends by decreasing the risk of civilian harm.

Second, the international community needs to act together coherently and in unity, and through renewed commitment to multilateralism, to ensure that all measures taken to prevent and combat terrorism comply with international human rights law and the Charter of the United Nations. The Global Compact, led by its Coordination Committee, is an important vehicle to coordinate and deliver effective human rights support when addressing terrorism in Africa and globally.

In this regard, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is committed to continue to work with Member States, United Nations entities, civil society actors and other stakeholders to ensure sustainable human rights impact in Africa. For example, together with UNOCT, we have carried out training of trainers’ workshops for law enforcement officials in Mali, Cameroon and Nigeria on international human rights standards in the counter-terrorism context.

Our Office also works with the African Union for the operationalization of its Compliance Framework to ensure that the African Union Peace Support Operations are planned and conducted in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law, and with the protection of civilians at their core. This builds on our experience with a similar project with the G5 Sahel Joint Force – also based on the principle of close cooperation with relevant national and regional actors.

In this spirit of partnership and collaboration, I wish to conclude by emphasizing that the eighth review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy next year presents an opportunity to mobilize the force of multilateralism to further strengthen human rights protection and increase support for the fourth pillar of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. On our side, we will continue to leverage our comparative advantage, as referenced by USG Bahous, and continue to do what we do best by making general recommendations on the effective implementation of States’ human rights obligations and provide technical assistance and advice in the field of international human rights law to Member States and United Nations entities as well as strengthening inclusive partnership to this end.

Thank you for your attention, and I wish you a fruitful meeting.