The United Nations, Human Rights and Terrorism

The UN Watch group gave a speech at the UN on August 17, 2006. The speech was about the UN, terrorism and human rights. If you don't know who the UN Watch group is according to their web site it is a "non-governmental organization based in Geneva whose mandate is to monitor the performance of the United Nations by the yardstick of its own Charter." Here are the main points of the speech with my comments:

One, the UN must define terrorism to combat it. A good idea and I don't know why the UN has not done that yet. How about this definition taken from The Sage online dictionary:

"The calculated use of violence (or threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear."

A pretty good definition and in this case the goals are Islamic fundamentalism. The UN Watch speaker thinks that if there is no good definition then there is no common ground for cooperation to combat terrorism.

Second, UN human rights institutions must condemn specific terrorist crimes. I like to see this too happen. Not only should the UN groups speak out against specific terrorist crimes and terrorists but every law maker in every civilized country should too. Like the UN Watch speaker said there is nothing but silence from the international community on this issue.

Finally, UN must hold state-sponsors of terror to account. Iran anyone? This is the most important point. Since, terrorism affects the whole world community countries must do their best to combat terrorism anyway possible, and not to block sanctions against a terrorist enabler. That is exactly what Russia did when it blocked the US bid to impose sanctions on Iran. The UN Watch speaker said it best:

"The UN was founded in the wake of World War II in order 'to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war.' Today the world faces a threat that has adopted a different form but which is no less dangerous: the scourge of catastrophic, global terror.

"It is time for the UN-in particular its human rights bodies-to take action. The human rights experts, it is true, have no military divisions. But their moral writ runs across the globe. Terrorists read newspapers. They know when the assembly of nations signals condemnation, and when, with a wink and nod-like its exemption for 'resistance against occupation', for which the UN has allowed 'all available means, including armed struggle'-it signals approval.

"The UN must show unequivocal moral leadership on an issue that threatens us all. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights-particularly the right to life, liberty and security of the person-requires no less."

It seems the UN is not doing its job.

Pablo Kapusta, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fellow, "The UN, Human Rights and Terrorism." UN Watch.org. URL: (http://www.unwatch.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=bdKKISNqEmG&b=1313923&ct=2884311)

Jonathan S. Landay and Warren P. Strobel, "Russia blocks U.S. bid to impose sanctions on Iran." AZ Central.com. URL: (http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0929iran-split0929.html?&wired)