DEC/15/116 Human rights and issues related to terrorist hostage-taking

GE.10-16763

Human Rights Council Fifteenth session Agenda item 3 Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

Decision adopted by the Human Rights Council*

15/116 Human rights and issues related to terrorist hostage-taking

At its 33rd meeting, on 1 October 2010, the Human Rights Council decided to adopt the following text:

“The Human Rights Council,

Recalling previous resolutions of the General Assembly, the Commission on Human Rights and the Human Rights Council on hostage-taking, on human rights and terrorism and on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, in particular Assembly resolutions 61/172 of 19 December 2006 and 64/168 of 18 December 2009, Commission resolutions 2004/44 of 19 April 2004 and 2005/31 of 19 April 2005 and Council resolution 13/26 of 26 March 2010,

Recalling also all General Assembly resolutions on measures to eliminate international terrorism and on the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, including resolutions 46/51 of 9 December 1991, 60/288 of 8 September 2006 and 64/297 of 8 September 2010,

Underlining the importance of the ratification of all relevant international conventions against terrorism, especially the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and the International Convention against the Taking of Hostages,

Reaffirming, in particular, that peace and security, development and human rights are the interrelated pillars of the United Nations system, and renewing its commitment to strengthen international cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism,

* The resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council will be contained in the report of

the Council on its fifteenth session (A/HRC/15/60), chap. I.

Reaffirming also that the promotion and protection of human rights for all and the rule of law are essential to the fight against terrorism, and recognizing that effective counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights are not conflicting goals but are complementary and mutually reinforcing,

Expressing concern at the increase in incidents of kidnapping and hostage- taking,

Recognizing, therefore, the need to reflect on the question of human rights and issues related to terrorist hostage-taking,

1. Decides to convene, within existing resources, at its sixteenth session, a panel discussion on the issue of human rights in the context of action taken to address terrorist hostage-taking, with a special focus on the primary responsibility of States to promote and protect human rights for all in their jurisdiction, on the strengthening of international cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism and on the protection of the rights of all victims of terrorism involved;

2. Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to liaise with the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism and all concerned parties and stakeholders, including relevant United Nations bodies and agencies, with a view to ensuring their participation in the panel discussion;

3. Also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a report on the outcome of the panel discussion in the form of a summary.”

33rd meeting 1 October 2010

[Adopted without a vote.]