FICS Director Poonam Joshi chaired a special event organised by BOND, the UK network of aid organisations, in September 2021, to mark the 20^th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks and the following UN resolutions on counter-terrorism.

The event looked at the profound and unchecked impact of the proliferation of counter-terrorism laws and policies on civic space and human rights over the last two decades.

The keynote guest speaker was the UN Special Rapporteur on the protection of human rights while countering terrorism, Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, and there were additional contributions from an inspiring group of experts and activists.

In her introduction Poonam drew attention to the way governments now routinely deploy the “security playbook” of counter-terrorism laws and narratives against opponents. This has led to the criminalising of activists, protestors and journalists; it is restricting civil society’s access to funding; and it sees activists routinely harassed, smeared and put under surveillance, with many subject to travel bans and other restrictions on their movement. But, Poonam concludes, civil society has been pushing back, and there is a growing spotlight on the harms being done to civic space and human rights.

You can watch Poonam, Fionnuala and all the speakers here.