UN to re-open anti-terror treaty negotiations News
UN to re-open anti-terror treaty negotiations

[JURIST] Negotiations over a global anti-terrorism treaty get under way again the week of July 25, according to Mohamed Bennouna, chairman of the UN General Assemby's treaty-writing (Sixth) legal committee. Earlier this month G8 leaders called for early agreement [JURIST report] on a draft of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism [PDF proposed text], which has been stalled in the legal committee for nine years over the definition of "terrorism," in reaction to the recent terror attacks in London. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has also pressed for an agreement, urging "I think a simple, clear definition that gets across the message that killing of innocent civilians or noncombatants, regardless of one's cause, is terrorism pure and simple, will suffice." It is unclear whether the definition would apply to the US invasion of Iraq. Reuters has more.