[JURIST] Cooperation among judges is vital to combating terrorism and upholding the rule of law around the world, UN officials said Thursday. In an effort to “[promote] counter-terrorism measures within the human rights and legal frameworks,” the UN brought together Supreme Court justices from around the world at an event sponsored by the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) [official website]. The justices presented in interactive panels, sharing the particular challenges of upholding the laws of their nations in the face of terror. In order to alleviate some challenges, the justices also discussed ways to prevent wrongdoers from utilizing loopholes in the law of one nation to perpetrate terroristic acts in another. The discussions were held as part of CTED’s partnership with the Global Center on Cooperative Security and the South Asia Judges Project, and was one of a series of workshops attended by representatives of the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation [official websites].

Terrorism remains a constant threat worldwide. Earlier this month a UN report outlined [JURIST report] despair and acts of terror in conflict areas in Eastern Ukraine. Last month Amnesty International criticized [JURIST report] the state of justice in Iraq, after a court in that country sentenced 40 men to death on terrorism charges. In January Saudi Arabia executed [JURIST report] 47 prisoners convicted on terrorism charges.