UN: Promoting and protecting human rights while countering terrorism

Human rights belong at the heart of all Counter-Terrorism efforts, or these efforts risk exacerbating

the very conditions conducive to terrorism or becoming sources of rights violations themselves.

ARTICLE 19 echoes the report’s concerns on how counter-terrorism and security frequently serve as

political and legal justifications to use high-risk and highly intrusive technologies – often with the

promise of limited application. However, in reality these technologies are broadly used, without adequate human rights or rule of law safeguards. Human rights experts should be able to participate in crafting

technology governance in companies and in governments. States need to ensure that in the development, use, governance, and

transfer of 'these technologies, actors strictly comply with key rights such as freedom of expression,

privacy

and data protection, equality and non-discrimination. In addition, State regulation needs to require

access to

effective remedies, transparency, accountability, and human rights protection, including through impact assessments. Regarding privately developed surveillance tools, ARTICLE 19 calls for an immediate

moratorium on the

export, sale, transfer, use or servicing of these tools until a human rights’ compliant safeguarding regime

is in place.

Finally, ARTICLE 19 raises specific concern with the abuse of national security and counter-terrorism

laws to

restrict freedom of expression in Hong Kong where, for example, Apple Daily publisher and pro-

democracy

activist Jimmy Lai faces life in prison for ‘collusion with foreign forces’ charges under the National

Security

Law.

Thank you.