The United Nations, Counter Terrorism and Human Rights: Institutional Adaptation and Embedded Ideas

Abstract

How resilient is the human rights norm in the counter-terrorist era? This question is explored through examining the record of two of the UN Security Council's counter-terrorist committees. The article argues that, initially, the procedures of these two committees damaged human rights protections, an outcome criticized by UN officials, human rights NGOs, and certain, mainly middle-power, states. Using the UN as a platform, they made the argument that a failure to ensure that anti-terrorist measures were in accordance with human rights standards would be counter-productive. As a result, Committee procedures have evolved and now give greater attention to the human rights consequences of counter-terrorist action.