Global Policy Forum

Human Rights Watch Monday accused the UN Security Council of disregarding human right violations committed by countries combating "terrorism." "Governments around the world are using the global campaign against terrorism to crack down on human rights," said Joanna Weschler, Human Rights Watch's UN advocacy director. "The UN Security Council has been conspicuously silent about this dangerous trend," Weschler added in a statement.

In a 17-page briefing paper, the New York-based international organisation says countries "as diverse as Egypt, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Morocco and Sweden have violated human rights in their efforts to combat terrorism," Human Rights Watch said in a statement. The document is titled "Hear No Evil, See No Evil: The UN Security Council's Approach to Human Rights Violations in the Global Counter-Terrorism Effort."

The international organisation urged the United Nations to "immediately appoint at least one human rights expert to the staff of the newly created Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate." Countries should also report to the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee "in a more systematic, complete and timely way," Human Rights Watch said. "The Security Council should pay particular attention to governments conducting mass arrests of terrorism suspects," the rights group said. "Either those states face an alarming terrorist threat and need immediate international assistance, or counterterrorism legislation is being used excessively, inappropriately and perhaps opportunistically."