111. CIVIL LIBERTIES (A) HUMAN RIGHTS IN AREAS OF TERRORISM AND INSURGENCY 3.1 Of all the assaults on human rights that the people of lndia have had to endure since Independence, none have been as vicious as the calculated acts of violence perpetrated by terro'rists. Nor have any been as cynical or as skillfully organized for political and propaganda effect.- This is not surprising, given the money, the means and the mercenaries used to this end, or indeed the professional capabilities of'the command structures that ha-~etargeted lndia in recent years. Those countries, and those people, who have been spared such attacks must count themselves to be exceedingly fortunate, for terrorism -as lndia knows with a certitude born of experience - is increasingly assuming an international, trans-boundary dimension; And none will long be immune from it, if an will not speedily unite to eliminate it. The Commission is tl-erefore gratified that there has been major progress in successive years, both at the national and at the international level, in clarifying matters concerning the manner in which States should react to the scourge of terrorism. The World Conference in Vienna marked a watershed in this connection. The Declaration and Programme of Action then adopted categorically asserted in its paragraph 17: 3.2 "The acts, methods and practices of terrorisn~in alI its forms and manifestations ..... are activities aimed at the destruction of human rights.... The international community should take the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and combat terrorism." 3.3 Armed with this consensus, the global community has since been able to proceed further, in the United Nations General Assembly on the one hand, and in the United Nations Commission or; Human Rights and in its Sub-Commission dn Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, on the other. In consequence, in series of- resolutions adopted since 1994, the world organisation has taken an increasingly clear view on two inter-related subjects: "Human Rights and Terrorism" and " ~ e a s h e s to Eliminate International Ter-orism." The former subject is covered, inte: alia, by General Assembly resolutions 4511 85 and 501186 and the Commission of Human Rights resolutions 1995143, 1996147 E 1997143, while the latter is 'dealt with comprehensively in General Assembly resolution 49160, to which was annexed the. 1994 Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism and resolution 511210 to which was