UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged Nigeria and other nations to base the fight against terrorists on the rule of law, human rights, and gender equality to ensure its effectiveness.
Nigeria is currently battling Boko Haram, ISWAP and bandits wreaking havoc on innocent civilians and security operatives.

Mr Guterres said this at the opening of a counter-terrorism meeting on Tuesday in Málaga, Spain.

The two-day event is taking place against the backdrop of the growing threat of terrorism across the globe, and the resulting increase in related legislation and policies.

“As a moral duty, a legal obligation, and a strategic imperative – let’s put human rights where they belong: front and centre in the fight against terror,” Mr Guterres said in a video message to the high-level international conference on human rights, civil society and counter-terrorism.

During the conference, governments, international organisations, civil society and human rights defenders will examine how to formulate terrorism responses that comply with human rights and the rule of law and ensure meaningful participation of civil society in counter-terrorism efforts.

“This gathering reflects a central truth. Terrorism is not only an attack on innocent people. It represents an all-out assault on human rights,” the secretary-general said.

The threat was growing and global, he added, listing examples such as the continued expansion of Da’esh and Al-Qaeda in Africa, and resurgent terrorism in Afghanistan.

The UN chief spoke of how extremist groups were targeting women and girls with gender-based violence, including sexual violence, while terrorists are also using technology to “spread and export lies, hatred and division at the touch of a button.”

Meanwhile, he said xenophobia, racism and cultural and religious intolerance were accelerating.

Mr Guterres warned that at the same time, global responses to terrorism could make things worse.

“In the name of security, humanitarian aid is often blocked – increasing human suffering. Civil society and human rights defenders are silenced – particularly women. And survivors of terrorism and violence are left without the support and access to justice they need to rebuild their lives,” he said.

The secretary-general called for reaffirming commitment to core values, including by investing in health, education, protection, gender equality, and justice systems that are accessible to all people.

This must also include safeguarding humanitarian action, respecting international law and “opening the door to civil society – and especially women – to meaningfully engage with counter-terrorism efforts.”

In his opening remarks, UN Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism Vladimir Voronkov stressed that “countering terrorism helps protect human rights, but only if human rights are protected while countering terrorism.”

He added the violation or abuse of human rights only plays into terrorists’ hands, as they seek to provoke heavy-handed and indiscriminate responses from security forces.

“Terrorists do this with the aim of undermining public confidence in the ability of governments to protect their own citizens.  That is why a human rights-based approach is not aimed at challenging or frustrating counterterrorism initiatives,” said Mr Voronkov.

(NAN)