Human Rights Council 37: Statement on Terrorism and Cultural Rights
This UK statement was delivered for the Clustered Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Terrorism and the Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights, on 1 March 2018.
The Human Rights Council takes place at the Palais des Nations in Geneva
We would like to thank the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her report. We reaffirm our support for her mandate, and call on all states to cooperate with the requests of the special procedures. We welcome the opportunity for this interactive dialogue today.
Terrorism and extremism are serious, complex and evolving global threats, demanding a comprehensive approach. The United Kingdom is fully committed to the fight against them. However, that fight must always be conducted with full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
We agree with the Special Rapporteur’s view that counter-terrorism measures must meet the thresholds of legality, legitimacy, necessity and proportionality. We also agree that counter-terrorism legislation must be regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains necessary and proportionate, and we are grateful to the Special Rapporteur for her commendation of the role of the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation.
In addition to domestic oversight, the Special Rapporteur’s report highlights the importance of international oversight of counter-terrorism measures. With this in mind, we would like to ask the Special Rapporteur what support international human rights bodies, and UN institutions in particular, can provide to states to ensure the protection of human rights during states of emergency.