Expert Consultation with Mr. Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism
Expert Consultation with Mr. Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism
Expert Consultation with Mr. Ben Saul, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism
On 14 March 2024, the Bulan Institute organized an expert consultation with Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. The event was organized jointly with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Just before the event, Mr Ben Saul presented his first report to the UN Human Rights Council, where he painted a counterterrorism landscape strewn with human rights violations, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, unfair trials, and privacy infringements from mass surveillance.
On 14 March 2024, the Bulan Institute organized an expert consultation with Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. The event was organized jointly with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Just before the event, Mr Ben Saul presented his first report to the UN Human Rights Council, where he painted a counterterrorism landscape strewn with human rights violations, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, unfair trials, and privacy infringements from mass surveillance.
On 14 March 2024, the Bulan Institute organized an expert consultation with Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. The event was organized jointly with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Just before the event, Mr Ben Saul presented his first report to the UN Human Rights Council, where he painted a counterterrorism landscape strewn with human rights violations, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, torture, unfair trials, and privacy infringements from mass surveillance.
The new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Saul, was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in October 2023. He took up his duties in November 2023 in an extremely tense international context, at a time when recent events contributed to bringing the issue of terrorism back to the forefront of the public debate in many countries and at the international level.
The new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Saul, was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in October 2023. He took up his duties in November 2023 in an extremely tense international context, at a time when recent events contributed to bringing the issue of terrorism back to the forefront of the public debate in many countries and at the international level.
The new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Saul, was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in October 2023. He took up his duties in November 2023 in an extremely tense international context, at a time when recent events contributed to bringing the issue of terrorism back to the forefront of the public debate in many countries and at the international level.
In his first report, which he will present to the 55th Human Rights Council in March 2024, the Special Rapporteur stresses that despite almost two decades of operation, and the hard work of his three predecessors, the issue of the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights remains just as critical and the mandate is just as important as ever. Recent events suggest the lessons of the “war on terror” and the abuses it caused remain ignored by many. In this context, while almost all of the human rights concerns identified by previous mandate holders are still present today, recent events suggest that a growing number of new additional challenges are rapidly accumulating. From the rise of authoritarianism to surging domestic political polarization and extremism, geopolitical competition, and dysfunction in the UN Security Council, as well as new tools, including social media, for fueling dehumanization, vilification, incitement and misinformation, there is no shortage of challenges.
In his first report, which he will present to the 55th Human Rights Council in March 2024, the Special Rapporteur stresses that despite almost two decades of operation, and the hard work of his three predecessors, the issue of the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights remains just as critical and the mandate is just as important as ever. Recent events suggest the lessons of the “war on terror” and the abuses it caused remain ignored by many. In this context, while almost all of the human rights concerns identified by previous mandate holders are still present today, recent events suggest that a growing number of new additional challenges are rapidly accumulating. From the rise of authoritarianism to surging domestic political polarization and extremism, geopolitical competition, and dysfunction in the UN Security Council, as well as new tools, including social media, for fueling dehumanization, vilification, incitement and misinformation, there is no shortage of challenges.
In his first report, which he will present to the 55th Human Rights Council in March 2024, the Special Rapporteur stresses that despite almost two decades of operation, and the hard work of his three predecessors, the issue of the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights remains just as critical and the mandate is just as important as ever. Recent events suggest the lessons of the “war on terror” and the abuses it caused remain ignored by many. In this context, while almost all of the human rights concerns identified by previous mandate holders are still present today, recent events suggest that a growing number of new additional challenges are rapidly accumulating. From the rise of authoritarianism to surging domestic political polarization and extremism, geopolitical competition, and dysfunction in the UN Security Council, as well as new tools, including social media, for fueling dehumanization, vilification, incitement and misinformation, there is no shortage of challenges.
The expert consultation facilitated the exchange of views on the current priorities and most pressing concerns regarding the defence of human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism. The exchange was organized the first time with the newly appointed Special Rapporteur and was an opportunity for participants to share their insights, present their most recent work, and reflect candidly on challenges and difficulties in a confidential and informal setting, to provide the Special Rapporteur with relevant information to consider over the course of his tenure.
The expert consultation facilitated the exchange of views on the current priorities and most pressing concerns regarding the defence of human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism. The exchange was organized the first time with the newly appointed Special Rapporteur and was an opportunity for participants to share their insights, present their most recent work, and reflect candidly on challenges and difficulties in a confidential and informal setting, to provide the Special Rapporteur with relevant information to consider over the course of his tenure.
The expert consultation facilitated the exchange of views on the current priorities and most pressing concerns regarding the defence of human rights in the context of the fight against terrorism. The exchange was organized the first time with the newly appointed Special Rapporteur and was an opportunity for participants to share their insights, present their most recent work, and reflect candidly on challenges and difficulties in a confidential and informal setting, to provide the Special Rapporteur with relevant information to consider over the course of his tenure.
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Copyright © 2025 Bulan Institute