HRC61 – written statement on Human Rights and Counterterrorism 

 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL 61st Session 

Written Statement by Legal Action Worldwide (LAW)  

ID with SR on Human Rights and Counterterrorism 

10-11 March 2026

Counterterrorism laws and operations are meant to protect people from violence. However, we have recently seen in places like Palestine, Turkey, Somalia, Nigeria, and beyond, that “counterterrorism” efforts are being misused, not against terrorists, but against humanitarian personnel.  

Legal Action Worldwide provides legal assistance to humanitarians on the frontlines and seeks accountability for violations against them when they occur. More and more, our clients are being attacked and detained simply for providing services or delivering food, medicine, and shelter to communities in need. 

This creates a chilling effect. Organisations pull out of the most dangerous regions, where aid is needed the most. Banks refuse to transfer funds. Donors pause or rescind funding. And life-saving programs are delayed and shut down, putting the lives of already fragile populations further at risk. Aid must be based on human need, not politics or military advantage. When counterterrorism efforts ignore this core principle, particularly in situations of armed conflict, they breach international law and weaken our collective duty to protect and provide for the most vulnerable. 

We ask the President, what measures will the Human Rights Council take to tackle disinformation on humanitarianism and to narrow overly broad counterterrorism laws? And, to the Special Rapporteur, how can States best implement the recommendation to carve out a humanitarian exemption from the definition of terrorism, ensuring that aid workers are protected, not killed or punished for doing their work?