After the attacks that happened on September 11, 2001 in the United States, nations across the globe have intensified counterterrorism focus in order to protect national security. Policies that were implemented as a result include the USA PATRIOT Act, mass surveillance programs, drone strikes, and indefinite detention. Currently, there is a large range of counterterrorism measures, including physical and digital surveillance, terrorist lists and sanctions, targeted killings, and enhanced interrogation techniques. However, these measures have raised serious ethical concerns regarding human rights and privacy. More specifically, they are disproportionately impacting the marginalized, restricting civil liberties, and undermining human rights, such as the right to privacy, fair due process, and to be free from torture.
In the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, drone warfare and military interventions have caused civilian casualties and worsened radicalization. Even more so, counterterrorism operations often lack transparency and accountability, resulting in far too many cases of abuse of power and violations of international law. As terrorism prevails, the international community must ensure that security does not come at the expense of fundamental human rights. SOCHUM must address how the international community can balance the legitimate need of counterterrorism measures for national security with its ethical implications.
In this committee, delegates will research and argue the extent governments should be able to monitor and control the digital platform, the appropriate range of these measures before they start to threaten human rights, whether these practices are protection or oppression, if these actions can be justified in the name of national and international security and whether they break international humanitarian law, and if governments should be held accountable for past and present actions and stances.
KMUN