[Human Rights] HRC / 22nd Session; Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights & Counter-Terrorism

Austria would like to fully align itself with the statement delivered by the EU.

Austria would also like to thank the Chair of the Working Group and the Special Rapporteur for their reports and their important work done for the promotion and protection of human rights.

The WG is the only UN body with a specific mandate to receive and examine cases of arbitrary detention and it has for now more than 20 years contributed significantly to the definition of arbitrary detention under international law. In this respect, we take note with appreciation of the deliberation no. 9 outlined in the report before the Council.

At its 20th session the HRC requested the WG to elaborate principles and guidelines on remedies and procedures to the rights of anyone deprived of their liberty. What is the state of the WG’s research in this respect and how will the findings of its latest deliberation be integrated in that work?

Austria believes that human rights have to be guaranteed at all times in the context of measures to combat terrorism. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism plays an important role to monitor compliance and to report shortcomings in this context.

Thus, we want to thank you, Mr. Special Rapporteur, for highlighting in your report, the failure to date to secure full accountability for gross or systematic human rights violations committed by public officials while countering terrorism and for setting out a series of framework principles for securing the right to truth and the principle of accountability in these cases.

 Mr. Rapporteur, how can the Human Rights Council and the OHCHR contribute to the further dissemination and application of your framework principles to enhance the protection of every person’s human rights while countering terrorism?

In conclusion, I would like to thank again both the Working Group as well as the Special Rapporteur for their work and express Austria’s full support for their mandates.

I thank you!