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September 11 - A global human rights agenda
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “Terrorism”?Amnesty International does not use the term “terrorism” because the meaning is not clearly defined in international law and its use is highly politicized. Despite the existence of 12 international Conventions addressing “terrorism”, an explicit reference in international humanitarian law (known as the “laws of war”) outlawing “terrorism”, and a wealth of academic and governmental research, there is no universally agreed upon definition of “terrorism”. In addition to the problems of definition, the terms “terrorism” and “terrorist” are inflammatory and politicized. Governments use the term to describe the actions of their enemies, but not their allies. Amnesty condemns specific acts such as the intentional targeting of civilians and other non-combatants and the use of violence to instill fear or terror. We condemn such acts as human rights abuses. And we condemn these acts in every instance, regardless of whether or not they have been called acts of “terrorism” or whether or not the perpetrators have been labeled “terrorists.”
What are the best approaches to stopping such abuses?The immediate response must be to make every effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. Such efforts must meet international standards for the investigation, prosecution and punishment of criminal suspects, including requirements for a fair trial. The world must be able to see that justice has been done. States should not wait until their own citizens have become targets of human rights violations before bringing the perpetrators to justice. Nor should governments ignore or excuse the violators committed by friends and allies. The international community should work to strengthen the capacity of national governments to carry out fair and impartial prosecutions. Where human rights violators remain above the law in their own countries, other states should exercise their jurisdiction to arrest and bring to trial accused human rights violators within their reach -- or support the establishment of international mechanisms that can do so. Any action to stop attacks on civilians or the spreading of terror should protect human rights, and not be used as a justification for human rights abuses. Longer term strategies must address the support given to human rights violators by governments, by private individuals and sometimes by broader sections of society. Such strategies should be far-reaching, including preventing arms sales to groups likely to use these weapons for human rights violations and greater transparency and control over international financial transactions including the sale of commodities directly linked to purchase of weapons.
What role does the United Nations play when attacks like this happen?Since 1963, the UN has developed 12 Conventions which criminalize international “terrorism” in its many forms — from the seizure of aircraft to hostage-taking to the financing of “terrorism” — and urge all states to take measures to eliminate international acts of terror. The General Assembly has also adopted the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism (1994) and the Declaration to supplement the 1994 Declaration (1996). The Security Council, the principal international organ dealing with international peace and security, has issued a number of resolutions over the years addressing specific acts of terror. Of particular relevance in light of the September 11 attacks are the following:
For more info see: http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/newsroom
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