Training Workshop on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism

On 16-18 January 2015, the CTITF Working Group on Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law while Countering Terrorism held its first pilot training workshop, in Abuja, Nigeria. Twenty-three Nigerian security officials attended the workshop.

The UN Resident Coordinator and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), CTITF Office and OHCHR also took part in the event. In his remarks, the Resident Coordinator welcomed the convening of the workshop, particularly in response to the threat posed by Boko Haram and the human rights violations it has committed, especially against women and children. He reaffirmed the United Nations’ support for Nigeria in its efforts to fight against terrorism and protect its people.

Speaking on behalf of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Nigeria, the Solicitor General noted that confronting the threat of terrorism can be difficult in countries with inadequate laws and weak institutions. The ONSA welcomed the workshop as a positive initiative. The ONSA stressed that frequent sensitization, such as this training, will encourage the armed forces to integrate and promote human rights approaches in their actions. The training workshop was designed around a core curriculum developed by the CTITF Working Group and focused on three specific areas: The International Legal Framework: Protecting Human.

Rights while Countering Terrorism; Legal Limitations on the Use of Force, and The Use of Special Investigative Techniques. The terrorism and international law module explored the overarching international legal regime relating to terrorism and some of the key legal instruments that govern state responses to terrorism threats. The second module examined the advanced techniques - such as mail and telephone interception, eavesdropping and video surveillance - currently being used by counter-terrorism forces around the world and the international human rights norms governing their use. The use of force module explored the wide range of circumstances in which law enforcement and security officials might be called upon to consider using force in the context of counter-terrorism operations, and the international human rights law regime that governs the use of force in such circumstances.