In a recent session of the UN Third Committee, U.S. Adviser, Timothy Johnson, expressed gratitude to Mexico and Egypt for their ongoing efforts within the UN system to address the crucial intersection of human rights protection and counterterrorism.
While acknowledging the continuous work on the resolution, Johnson raised concerns that it fails to incorporate important updates or language agreed upon by Member States in other UN bodies, particularly highlighting the eighth review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy adopted in June. He emphasized the risk of the resolution becoming outdated without incorporating these critical updates.
Additionally, the United States disassociated itself from Operational Paragraph 15 (OP15), of the resolution. Johnson clarified the U.S. commitment to increasing humanitarian assistance and access for those in need, aligning with both counterterrorism and humanitarian imperatives.
However, he stressed that the resolution should acknowledge that international law doesn’t mandate unrestricted delivery of humanitarian assistance to terrorist groups or individuals at all times. Johnson underlined that OP15 doesn’t affect the binding obligation for Member States to establish criminal offenses, allowing prosecution and penalties for willful financing of terrorist groups and individuals, even without a direct link to a terrorist act.
Furthermore, the United States dissociated itself from Operational Paragraph 31 (OP31), due to concerns that it might restrict freedom of expression beyond the narrow exceptions outlined in the U.S. Constitution and Article 19 of the ICCPR. Johnson reiterated the U.S. commitment to countering violent extremist propaganda online but cautioned against using terms like “preventing” that could potentially lead to excessive restrictions on speech, particularly in online spaces.
In conclusion, Johnson thanked the committee and reiterated the United States’ dedication to cooperation in countering violent extremism while upholding fundamental principles of freedom of expression.
