The increase in acts of terrorism has necessitated the collaboration and cooperation of different nations which has essentially led to the development of international laws and regulations purposed at addressing terrorism. International law provides the framework within which effective and efficient strategies can be promoted to address terrorism with the collaboration and cooperation of different states being increasingly emphasized. This framework integrates specific instruments, each objectified at addressing the different types of terrorist activities around the world. One important factor to note is that varied international laws and regulations have been developed, each purposed at addressing an element or aspect of terrorism. Some of the identified laws include:
- The United States Patriot Act
- The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020
The United States Patriot Act is a law that grants law enforcement agencies with more powers aimed at preventing terrorist activities both within and outside the United States. This law is considered an anti-terrorism act, implemented with the primary purpose of deterrence, rather than mitigation. It strengthens the United States’ measures and strategies in preventing, detecting, and prosecuting terrorism, especially in the financial sector. In this case, both domestic and foreign institutions are subjected to increased scrutiny to prevent corruption or the theft of citizens’ assets and resources. It facilitates the return of stolen assets to the citizens of countries to whom these assets belong to (Lutz & Lutz, 2013). Additionally, it allows law enforcement agencies to leverage surveillance and wiretapping to investigate terrorist activities around the country.
The Anti-terrorism act of 2020 is the most recent effort purposed at addressing the issue of terrorism both within and outside the United States of America. It ensures the protection of the civil and political rights of the American people while at the same time safeguarding against terrorism activities. It is vital to note that the enactment of this Act was a modification or rather, an enhancement of the United States Patriot Act. In this case, there has been increased concern on the patriot’s act breach of confidentiality and privacy, which essentially imposes on the rights and freedoms of the citizens. As a result, research and analysis was conducted to identify regulations that could ensure the safety of the people while at the same time promoting and safeguarding their rights and freedoms. The Anti-Terrorism Act is broad and covers a wide range of terrorist activities revolutionary terrorism and cyber terrorism. This Act has been largely effectively in addressing the needs and wants of the U.S citizens, integrating information and knowledge from a variety of sources such as the Constitution and the jurisprudence of the court system.
With the prevalence of terrorist activities around the world, it is clear that additional laws and regulations should be implemented to prevent its progression. These laws should focus on collective defense, crisis mitigation, and establishing collaborative and cooperative security. In this case, nations around the world can converge to discuss a universal laws or regulations that would fit within their constitutions and their inherent domestic laws and regulations, while at the same time addressing the global terrorism threat (Pain, 2014). One important factor to note is that the United Nations plays a significant role in enforcing these international laws and regulations. The United Nations Security Council enforces international law through the implementation of sanctions or peace-keeping operations, ensuring countries and nations around the world relate cohesively and peacefully. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of this body is increasingly limited with a variety of factors. For instance, the power of the UN goes as far as these member states allow. Current decision-making powers, are accorded to the five power nations including Russia, United States, China, France, and the United Kingdom, which consequently affect truth and fairness. This in consequence influences the drafting of laws and policies that do not necessarily capture the needs and wants of other member states.
References
Lutz, J., & Lutz, B. (2013). Global terrorism. Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203731321/global-terrorism-james-lutz-brenda-lutz
Pain, R. (2014). Everyday terrorism: Connecting domestic violence and global terrorism. Progress in Human Geography, 38(4), 531-550.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0309132513512231
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