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C I V I L L I B E RT I E S
resolution 49/60, states that terrorism includes:
'criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in
the general public, and groups of persons or particular persons for
political purposes.'
The Declaration goes on to assert categorically that all such acts
'are in any circumstances unjustifiable, whatever the consideration
of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious, or
other nature may be invoked to justify them.'
4.10 The General Assembly has, in addition, passed a series of resolutions on
the subject 'Human Rights & Terrorism,' the first of which was adopted on 20
December 1993 (A/RES/48/122). In these resolutions, the General Assembly has
unequivocally condemned
'all acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations, whenever and by whomever committed, as activities
aimed at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms
and democracy, threatening the territorial integrity of States,
destabilizing legitimately constituted governments, undermining
pluralistic civil society and having adverse consequences on the
economic and social development of States.'
The resolutions of the General Assembly, on 'Human Rights and
Terrorism' have, in addition, consistently called upon States,
'in accordance with international standards of human rights, to take
all necessary and effective measures to prevent, combat and
eliminate terrorism.'
Resolutions in a similar vein have also been regularly adopted by the UN
Commission on Human Rights.
4.11 A resolution of the United Nations General Assembly dealing specifically
with the subject "Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while
countering terrorism" was adopted for the first time on 18 December 2002 (A/
RES/57/219). That resolution affirmed that
N AT I O N A L H U M A N R I G H T S C O M M I S S I O N