Marilyn Gayton
ECOSOC Advisor
U.S. Mission to the United Nations
New York, New York
October 15, 2020
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Dr. Ni Aolain, for your work in this important area. Research shows human rights violations and abuses can fuel terrorism, conflict, and instability. Counterterrorism approaches that disregard human rights or defy applicable law can be self-defeating. No government should use counterterrorism as a pretext for stifling human rights or fundamental freedoms.
We work with other governments, civil society, the private sector, and within international fora to increase cooperation on counterterrorism, including by strengthening information sharing. This cooperation includes developing good practices that enhance our shared commitment to human rights based upon respect for and protection off fundamental freedoms.
We look forward to expanding our coordination with allies and partners to update the ways we work together to tap into our comparative advantages, more effectively address the evolving terrorist threat, and achieve lasting results.
Question: Special Rapporteur, given the evolving nature of threats, how can we take constantly changing inputs into account in a more systematic approach to updating our counterterrorism strategies?
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