RIGHTS: WEF Takes On Terrorism, Terribly

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Ravi Kanth Devarakonda

DAVOS, Jan 25 2008 (IPS) - The global political elite at the World Economic Forum in Davos is focusing on terrorism as the major threat to international peace – but is conspicuously silent on ensuring that counter-terrorism measures do not breach human rights.

WEF President Klaus Schwab has said tackling terrorism is a major theme of the Davos 2008 along with climate change, implementing a workable peace process in the Middle East, and discussing how technology could usher in a new age of social networking that knows no borders.

But there is not a single session at Davos on what needs to be done to achieve a balance between tackling terrorism and ensuring fundamental human rights.

"I&#39m studying this issue (concerning counter-terrorism and the breach of human rights) with an eminent panel of jurists in 30 countries, and it is quite a serious problem because it is leading to erosion of the rule of law institutions," former UN human rights commissioner Mary Robinson told IPS.

"We have not been effective in ensuring that counter-terrorism measures safeguard basic human rights in various countries," she said. At Davos, she said, there has been no focused discussion on this issue.

The fight against terrorism figured prominently during several sessions at Davos Thursday. Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai told delegates that the "wildfire" of terrorism in his country is undermining the law and order situation, and asked the world community to help his government defeat this threat.

He spoke of recent attacks including the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, and bombings in Afghanistan and Pakistan that have killed hundreds, including many children. "It seems that extremism is dangerously unleashed across the region," Karzai said. "It bodes terribly badly for the whole world."

Sharing a podium with Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf at a discussion on the &#39quest for peace and stability&#39, the Afghanistan President described terrorism as "a venomous snake that some among us tried to nurture and befriend at the expense of others, which I hope we realise now was a mistake."

Though the underlying tensions between Karzai and Musharraf did not come into the open, it was clear that Karzai&#39s comments were targeted at his neighbour. Musharraf is widely held responsible for not shutting down the sanctuaries for Taliban fighters in Pakistan&#39s tribal region along the border with Afghanistan.

"Complacency must no longer be tolerated," Karzai said. "A global endeavour to fight terrorism is vital, the war can only be won if local populations are empowered to fight it."

Musharraf, who attended the Davos meeting after visiting Brussels and Paris to shore up his image, said he is in control of his country after months of political instability. He said terrorism cannot be fought by "military means" alone, but did not indicate what political or social methods he would adopt to address this issue.

U.S. intervention in the region is critical. In her keynote address on Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice touched on several facets of the "democratic agenda" that President George W. Bush is promoting in the Middle East.

"The main problem for democracy in the Middle East has not been that people are not ready for it." The problem is that violent forces of reaction (terrorists) should not be allowed to triumph, she said.

"The so-called &#39war on terror&#39 has led to an erosion of a whole host of human rights," Amnesty International said in a recent report. "States are resorting to practices which have long been prohibited by international law, and have sought to justify them in the name of national security."

Bangladesh&#39s foreign minister Dr Iftekar Ahmed Chowdhury said his government has not "fired one bullet" in its fight against terrorism. "We are fighting the problem through social transformation, and adopting policies that would mitigate terrorism," Dr Ahmed told IPS.