UN-UK-CANADA: Fighting terrorism
01 January 1997
The Conclusions of the G7/8 Ministerial meeting on 30 July in Paris on terrorism were, on a UK initiative, adopted in similar terms by the United Nations on 18 December 1996 (see Statewatch, vol 6 no 6, "G7/8 terrorism summit"). The Resolution, following the decision of the eight governments - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA and Russia - equates dissent with terrorism. One effect is to deny refugee status under the UN Convention to people "suspected" of committing, financing, planning or inciting terrorists acts.
On 16 December at a EU-US Summit in Washington it was agreed that a mutual recognition agreement should be reached to create a "common market" for telecommunications equipment which would not need to be reinspected and recertified for each others markets. Joint plans were also agreed to combat drug trafficking in the Caribbean and on money laundering. EU President John Bruton said that there was a need to "use technology to the full to combat the use of technology for crime" (see front page story in this issue).
On 17 December in Ottawa the "EU-Canada Political Declaration and Action Plan" was officially signed. The Plan is a very similar to the "Transatlantic Agenda and Joint EU-US Action Plan" agreed in December 1995 (see Statewatch, vol 6 no 1). It includes measures to combat illegal migration, terrorism, and organised crime. Reference is made too to the "misuse of the information highway" speaking of the need to: "promote respect for public policy concerns (eg: privacy, hate propaganda, obscenity and law enforcement access)" (emphasis added).
In the UK the government's attempt to introduce legislation reflecting the UN Resolution, through a Private Members Bill supported by the Labour opposition front-bench, was thwarted when two Labour MPs, George Galloway and Dennis Skinner, called for a "quorum" vote and the government side could only muster 26 votes when a minimum of 40 was required. The Jurisdiction (Conspiracy and Incitement) Bill reflected pressure on the UK from other governments like Saudi Arabia to stop harbouring "dissidents". The Bill would make it a criminal act to incite or conspire in activities affecting a foreign country which are illegal both in the UK and the other country. It would affect the activities of many groups of political refugees living in the UK and would have outlawed historically Karl Marx, Nelson Mandela, anti-fascists in the 1930s, Palestinians, and opponents of the regimes in Chile and Indonesia.
A Guardian newspaper feature commented: "What is extraordinary is that such a sweeping change in UK law could have been rushed through the Commons in the last fortnight with broad support of the main opposition parties and barely a whisper of media comment."
Measures to eliminate international terrorism, ref: A/RES/51/210, United Nations General Assembly, 16 January 1997; "UN agrees British sponsored Declaration against terrorism", Home Office press release, 18.12.96; Guardian, 15 & 17.2.97; Financial Times, 1.3.97; Agence Europe, 18.12.96; From Secretary-General to delegations: EU-Canada Relations - Joint EU-Canada Political Declaration and Action Plan, ref 12909/1/96 REV 1, Limite, CDN 11, Brussels, 20.12.96.