Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 22 December 2003  [on the report of the Third Committee (A/58/508/Add.2)]  58/174. Human rights and terrorism        The General Assembly,    Guided by the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of  Human Rights,1 the Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning  Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States in accordance with the Charter of  the United Nations2 and the International Covenants on Human Rights,3    Recalling the Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the  United Nations,4 as well as the Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International  Terrorism,5    Recalling also the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action adopted by  the World Conference on Human Rights on 25 June 1993,6 in which the Conference  reaffirmed that the acts, methods and practices of terrorism in all its forms and  manifestations, as well as its linkage in some countries to drug trafficking, are  activities aimed at the destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and  democracy, threatening territorial integrity and the security of States and  destabilizing legitimately constituted Governments, and that the international  community should take the necessary steps to enhance cooperation to prevent and  combat terrorism,    Recalling further the United Nations Millennium Declaration adopted by the  General Assembly,7    Recalling, in this regard, the reference in the report of the Secretary-General  on the implementation of the Millennium Declaration to the fact that terrorism itself  is a violation of human rights and must be combated as such and that efforts at  _______________  1 Resolution 217 A (III).  2 Resolution 2625 (XXV), annex.  3 Resolution 2200 A (XXI), annex.  4 See resolution 50/6.  5 Resolution 49/60, annex.  6 A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.  7 See resolution 55/2.   A/RES/58/174  2  combating it must be pursued, however, in full compliance with established  international norms,8    Recalling also its resolutions 48/122 of 20 December 1993, 49/185 of  23 December 1994, 50/186 of 22 December 1995, 52/133 of 12 December 1997,  54/109 and 54/110 of 9 December 1999, 54/164 of 17 December 1999, 55/158 of  12 December 2000, 56/160 of 19 December 2001 and 57/219 and 57/220 of  18 December 2002,    Recalling in particular that, in its resolution 52/133, it requested the  Secretary-General to seek the views of Member States on the implications of  terrorism in all its forms and manifestations for the full enjoyment of human rights  and fundamental freedoms,    Recalling previous resolutions of the Commission on Human Rights,    Bearing in mind all other relevant General Assembly resolutions,    Bearing in mind also relevant Security Council resolutions,    Aware that, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, the world is witness to  historic and far-reaching transformations, in the course of which forces of  aggressive nationalism and religious and ethnic extremism continue to produce fresh  challenges,     Alarmed that acts of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations aimed at the  destruction of human rights have continued despite national and international  efforts,    Bearing in mind that the right to life is the basic human right, without which a  human being can exercise no other right,    Bearing in mind also that terrorism creates an environment that destroys the  right of people to live in freedom from fear,    Reiterating that all States have an obligation to promote and protect all human  rights and fundamental freedoms and to ensure effective implementation of their  obligations under international law,     Seriously concerned about the gross violations of human rights perpetrated by  terrorist groups,     Expressing its deepest sympathy and condolences to all the victims of  terrorism and their families,    Alarmed in particular at the possibility that terrorist groups may exploit new  technologies to facilitate acts of terrorism, which may cause massive damage,  including huge loss of human life,    Emphasizing the need to intensify the fight against terrorism at the national  level, to enhance effective international cooperation in combating terrorism in  conformity with international law, including relevant State obligations under  international human rights and international humanitarian law, and to strengthen the  role of the United Nations in this respect,     Emphasizing also that States shall deny safe haven to those who finance, plan,  support or commit terrorist acts or provide safe havens,  _______________  8 See A/58/323, para. 28.   A/RES/58/174  3    Reaffirming that all measures to counter terrorism must be in strict conformity  with international law, including international human rights standards and  obligations,    Mindful of the need to protect the human rights of and guarantees for the  individual in accordance with the relevant human rights principles and instruments,  in particular the right to life,     Noting the growing consciousness within the international community of the  negative effects of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations on the full  enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and on the establishment of  the rule of law and democratic freedoms as enshrined in the Charter of the United  Nations and the International Covenants on Human Rights,     Noting also the developments that have occurred since its fifty-sixth session,  on addressing the issue of human rights and terrorism at the national, regional and  international levels,    1.  Reiterates its unequivocal condemnation of the acts, methods and  practices of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as activities aimed at the  destruction of human rights, fundamental freedoms and democracy, threatening the  territorial integrity and security of States, destabilizing legitimately constituted  Governments,  undermining  pluralistic  civil  society  and  having  adverse  consequences for the economic and social development of States;     2.  Strongly condemns the violations of the right to life, liberty and security;    3.  Profoundly deplores the increasing number of innocent persons,  including women, children and the elderly, killed, massacred and maimed by  terrorists in indiscriminate and random acts of violence and terror, which cannot be  justified in any circumstances;     4.  Expresses its solidarity with the victims of terrorism;    5.  Reaffirms the decision of the heads of State and Government, as  contained in the United Nations Millennium Declaration,7 to take concerted action  against international terrorism and to accede as soon as possible to all the relevant  regional and international conventions;    6.  Urges the international community to enhance cooperation at the regional  and international levels in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and  manifestations, in accordance with relevant international instruments, including  those relating to human rights, with the aim of its eradication;     7.  Calls upon States to take all necessary and effective measures, in  accordance with relevant provisions of international law, including international  human rights standards, to prevent, combat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms  and manifestations, wherever and by whomever it is committed, and also calls upon  States to strengthen, where appropriate, their legislation to combat terrorism in all  its forms and manifestations;     8.  Urges all States to deny safe haven to terrorists;     9.  Calls upon States to take appropriate measures, in conformity with  relevant provisions of national and international law, including international human  rights standards, before granting refugee status, for the purpose of ensuring that an  asylum-seeker has not planned, facilitated or participated in the commission of  terrorist acts, including assassinations, and in this context urges those States that   A/RES/58/174  4  have granted refugee status or asylum to persons involved in or claiming to have  committed acts of terrorism to review those situations;    10. Condemns the incitement to ethnic hatred, violence and terrorism;     11. Stresses that every person, regardless of nationality, race, sex, religion or  any other distinction, has a right to protection from terrorism and terrorist acts;     12. Expresses concern about the growing connection between terrorist  groups and other criminal organizations engaged in the illegal traffic in arms and  drugs at the national and international levels, as well as the consequent commission  of serious crimes such as murder, extortion, kidnapping, assault, the taking of  hostages and robbery, and requests the relevant United Nations bodies to continue to  give special attention to this question;    13. Welcomes the report of the Secretary-General on human rights and  terrorism,9 and requests him to continue to seek the views of Member States on the  implications of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations for the full enjoyment  of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and on the possible establishment of  a voluntary fund for the victims of terrorism, as well as on ways and means to  rehabilitate the victims of terrorism and to reintegrate them into society, with a view  to incorporating his findings in his report to the General Assembly;     14. Decides to consider this question at its sixtieth session, under the item  entitled “Human rights questions”.    77th plenary meeting  22 December 2003  _______________  9 A/58/533.