Ensure counter terrorism strategies comply with international human rights

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General, Dr Yousef A Al-Othaimeen, has called on states to ensure that their counter terrorism strategies are compliant with the international human rights, refugee and humanitarian laws.

"Counter terrorism measures like illegal and arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial killings, racial and ethnic profiling, and illegal settlements etc, pose challenges to human rights and the rule of law," he said in a statement posted on the OIC website.

He pointed out that such measures fostered an atmosphere of mistrust, resentment and marginalisation in a manner that diminished States' long-term security.

"Such counter-terrorism measures also disproportionately impact certain populations, including ethnic or religious minorities and migrants, which undermines social cohesion and intensifies radicalisation and violence," he added.

The secretary-general made the remarks while inaugurating the thematic debate of the 11th Session of the OIC Independent Permanent Human Raights Commission (IPHRC) with the theme ''Protecting Human Rights While Countering Terrorism'', at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

Al-Othaimeen also stressed that terrorism not only posed serious threat to the peoples' enjoyment of the right to life and liberty but also portends a perpetual danger to the existence of human civilisation, progress, welfare and global stability.

He said that in order to defeat the terrorists, it was crucial to first win "the battle of the hearts and minds," as countering terrorism merely through security and punitive legal and administrative measures only benefited the terrorists.

OIC Member and Observer States including its National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), experts from different relevant international and regional organisations, and senior officials of the OIC General Secretatriat and media representatives, attended the session.

-- BERNAMA