Global Center delivers remarks on the 20th anniversary of UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counterterrorism
On 14 March 2025, the Global Center participated in a side event on the 20th anniversary of the mandate of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism. The event, hosted by the Permanent Mission of Mexico, took place on the sidelines of the 58th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, and featured reflections from mandate holders past and present, including Martin Scheinin, Fionnuala D. Ní Aoláin, and the current mandate holder, Ben Saul.
The Global Center’s Director of Civic Space and Multilateral Security, Franziska Praxl-Tabuchi, joined a panel of civil society colleagues invited to offer remarks on the occasion. The panel included representatives from the University of Geneva, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague, Space for Change, and the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism.
In her remarks, Franziska reflected on the global proliferation of abusive counterterrorism measures over the past two decades and the urgent need for action by the UN and its member states to protect human rights and defend civic space: “There has been a long-escalating attack on human rights and civil liberties around the world – and counterterrorism and related measures have been among the weapons of choice. While the mandate of the Special Rapporteur has been critical in bringing urgently needed attention to these challenges, it remains sorely insufficient when compared to the sheer magnitude of harms being perpetrated by states in the name of countering terrorism.”
Full the statement linked below.
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