Events

Panel Discussion: Human Rights and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Hopes and Challenges

12:30–2:00 pm, 12 June 2008 | Washington College of Law

Commentator: Robert K. Goldman, Professor of Law at American University Washington College of Law

• Santiago Cantón, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
• Steve Crawshaw, UN Advocacy Director, Human Rights Watch, New York
• Ngonlardje Mbaidjol, Director, New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
• Eric Rosand, Senior Fellow, Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
• Martin Scheinin, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism
  

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Panel Discussion: UN Terrorist Designations and Sanctions: a Fair Process and Effective Regime?

2:00-4:00, 5 June 2008 | Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC

The United Nations Security Council's global sanctions against al-Qaida and the Taliban are an important component of an effective international counterterrorism campaign. The Council will be reviewing the mandate of its Al-Qaida/Taliban Sanctions Committee Monitoring Team this June. The mandate review will provide the Council an opportunity to ensure that the sanctions reflect the current al-Qaida threat. It comes at a time when a number of countries and human rights organizations are highlighting concerns that the current procedures for listing and delisting individuals, businesses and groups subject to the sanctions fail to meet the minimum due process standards required under international human rights law. Consequently, a number of legal challenges to the UN and EU procedures are working their way through courts in Europe and elsewhere.

Moderated by: Thomas Sanderson, Deputy Director, Transnational Threats Project, CSIS

• Richard Barrett, Coordinator of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team
• Eric Rosand, Senior Fellow, Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation
• Michael Jacobson, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute on Near East Policy

Click here to read senior fellow Eric Rosand's remarks.

Workshop on "The Role of the UN in Promoting and Strengthening the Rule of Law and Good Governance in Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy"

22-23 May 2008 | Antalya, Turkey

On 22 and 23 May 2008, the Republic of Turkey hosted the third workshop in the International Process on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation, which is being co-sponsored by Turkey, Costa Rica, Japan, Slovakia, and Switzerland, and supported by the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation. That meeting, which included some 55 experts representing states, multilateral bodies, and civil society from around the world, focused on "The Role of the UN in Promoting and Strengthening the Rule of Law and Good Governance in Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy."

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Risks & Rewards of a Multilateral Counterterrorism Strategy:
A New Report on Hard Choices in a Changing International Order

9 May 2008 | New America Foundation

On 9 May 2008, Alistair Millar and Eric Rosand discussed and responded to questions regarding their new report commissioned by the Better World Campaign, Building Global Alliances in the Fight Against Terrorism, in which they contend that while targeting and capturing terrorists remain at the forefront of the nation's counterterrorism strategy, the United States will need to adopt a much more internationalist approach -- relying on multilateral cooperation for information sharing, enhancing counterterrorism capacities of states big and small, engagement of non-traditional allies, and international legitimacy. The discussion focused on the trade-offs the next administration will face in a changing international landscape.

This event was co-sponsored by the New America Foundation and the Better World Campaign, the advocacy arm of the United Nations Foundation.

Click here to see a video of the event.

Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the Western Hemisphere

31 March 2008 | New York, NY

On 31 March 2008, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations hosted a workshop on implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the Western Hemisphere. It brought together representatives from OAS member states, UN Secretariat officials, officials from the OAS Secretariat, and leading academic and other non-government experts on the region. Participants examined the nature of the terrorist threat confronting the Americas and the role of the UN, OAS, governments, civil society, and the private sector in addressing the threat.

Click here to read the discussion paper.
Click here to read the workshop summary.

Workshop on "UN Engagement with Regional, Sub-Regional and Functional Bodies and Civil Society in Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy”

17-18 March 2008 | Bratislava, Slovakia

The government of Slovakia hosted the second meeting of the International Process on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation on 17-18 March 2008 in Bratislava. That workshop dealt with the "UN Engagement with Regional, Sub-Regional and Functional Bodies and Civil Society in Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy."

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Implementing the UN Global Counterterrorism Strategy in East Africa (IGAD Region)

4-5 March 2008 | Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

On 4-5 March 2008 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Center hosted a conference financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in East Africa. Experts from the UN, regional and sub-regional bodies, and academic and research institutions participated in discussions held under the Chatham House Rule. That meeting was the second as part of a Danish-sponsored project on implementing the UN Strategy in the region.

Click here to read the discussion paper.

Counterterrorism & Human Rights Discussion Panel

28 February 2008 | Columbia University Law School, New York, New York

Columbia Law School's Human Rights Institute hosted a discussion of two new publications from the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation: Handbook on Human Rights Compliance while Countering Terrorism by Dr. Alex Conte, and Human Rights and the Implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy: Hopes and Challenges by Eric Rosand, Alistair Millar, and Jason Ipe. Discussants included:

• Alex Conte, reader in law, University of Southampton, member, Advisory Panel of Experts to the
  UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism,
  and fellow, International Policy Institute on Counter-Terrorism
• EJ Flynn, senior human rights officer, UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate, and former
  officer, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva
• Eric Rosand, senior fellow, Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation in New York and
  non-resident fellow, NYU's Center on International Cooperation
• Margaret Satterthwaite, assistant professor of clinical law and faculty director, Center on
  Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU Law School, and member, Advisory Panel of Experts to
  the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering
  terrorism.

"The long-term success of the United Nations’ global counter-terrorism strategy depends upon the protection of human rights, said experts at [the] panel discussion..." Read more.

"How the UN Can Help Stop Terrorism"

24 January 2008 | Austin, Texas

The Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas hosted Center Senior Fellow Eric Rosand who spoke about the role of the UN in combating terrorism.

Click here to read the article from the Daily Texan.

Workshop on "Institutional Challenges in Implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy"

21-21 January 2008 | Zurich, Switzerland

The Government of Switzerland hosted the first meeting of its expert-led "International Process on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation" on 21-22 January 2008 in Zurich. That workshop dealt with the "Institutional Challenges in Implementing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy."

Click here to read more.

Workshop on "Implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in East Africa"

14-15 January 2008 | Copenhagen, Denmark

On 15 and 16 January 2008 in Copenhagen, the Center hosted a workshop financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark on implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in East Africa. Experts from the UN, regional and sub-regional bodies, and academic and research institutions participated in discussions held under the Chatham House Rule. That meeting was part of a Danish-sponsored project on implementing the UN Strategy in the region. A larger follow-on meeting meeting will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in March 2008.

Click here to read the workshop summary.
Click here to read the discussion paper.

Workshop on Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism: Implementing Pillar I of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy

5 December 2007 | New York, NY

The Center and the International Peace Academy organized a workshop hosted by the Permanent Mission of Belgium to the UN on "Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism: Implementing Pillar I of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy" on 5 December 2007. It brought together representatives of some 25 UN Member States, UN Secretariat officials, and leading academic and other nongovernmental experts to discuss how the UN can best address conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism identified in the September 2006 UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, how these efforts can be strengthened, and how member states can contribute to a fuller implementation of this part of the Strategy.

Click here to read the workshop summary.

Center Presents Recommendations for Addressing Youth Radicalization

30 November 2007 | New York, NY

The Center presented recommendations for addressing youth radicalization and implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy at a lunch including 100 UN officials and diplomats hosted by the Permanent Representative of Italy to the UN. Those recommendations are based on meetings convened on 11-12 July in Rome with the Istituto Affari Internazionali.

Click here to read more.