United Nations A/RES/61/171 General Assembly Distr.: General 1 March 2007 Sixty-first session Agenda item 67 (b) Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 19 December 2006 [on the report of the Third Committee (A/61/443/Add.2 and Corr.1)] 61/171. Protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism The General Assembly, Reaffirming the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, Reaffirming also the fundamental importance, including in response to terrorism and the fear of terrorism, of respecting all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, Recalling its resolutions 57/219 of 18 December 2002, 58/187 of 22 December 2003, 59/191 of 20 December 2004 and 60/158 of 16 December 2005, Commission on Human Rights resolutions 2003/68 of 25 April 2003, 1 2004/87 of 21 April 2004 2 and 2005/80 of 21 April 2005 3 and other relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the Commission on Human Rights, Reaffirming that States are under the obligation to protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms of all persons, Reiterating the important contribution of measures taken at all levels against terrorism, consistent with international law, in particular international human rights law and refugee and humanitarian law, to the functioning of democratic institutions and the maintenance of peace and security and thereby to the full enjoyment of human rights, as well as the need to continue this fight, including through international cooperation and the strengthening of the role of the United Nations in this respect, Deeply deploring the occurrence of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the context of the fight against terrorism, as well as violations of international refugee law and international humanitarian law, _______________ 1 See Official Records of the Economic and Social Council, 2003, Supplement No. 3 (E/2003/23), chap. II, sect. A. 2 Ibid., 2004, Supplement No. 3 (E/2004/23), chap. II, sect. A. 3 Ibid., 2005, Supplement No. 3 and corrigendum (E/2005/23 and Corr.1), chap. II, sect. A. 06-50469