A/HRC/6/17 page 2 Summary The present report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism comprises two parts. Section I refers to the Special Rapporteur’s activities undertaken from 1 January to 31 October 2007. Sections III to V reflect the main thematic issue of economic, social and cultural rights in the context of countering terrorism. Section III refers to the normative framework and contains information on the work done to date by the United Nations human rights treaty bodies, special procedures and other United Nations entities, such as the International Court of Justice and the CounterTerrorism Committee of the Security Council. Regional organizations, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Council of Europe, and judgements from the European Court on Human Rights, have also addressed the relationship between economic, social and cultural rights and counter-terrorism measures. In Section IV, the Special Rapporteur’s own country-specific work and other sources illustrate the negative impact that counter-terrorism measures can have on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights. The Special Rapporteur examines a number of thematic and country-specific examples, such as how physical obstacles constructed for security reasons can affect access to health, education, work and so on; how charitable, humanitarian and financial organizations have been hindered from promoting economic, social and cultural rights by the justification of countering the financing of terrorism; how the right to education can be compromised or overlooked in the interest of national security; and how counter-terrorism measures can stigmatize and target indigenous and minority communities, resulting in the destruction of their means of livelihood, forced evictions and internal displacement. In Section V, the focus shifts to the role of the promotion of economic, social and cultural rights in addressing and countering the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. Such considerations need to be included in the formulation of long-term sustainable strategies against terrorism. The Special Rapporteur’s conclusions and recommendations are presented in section VI, which includes recommendations resulting from the country-specific work by the Special Rapporteur, recommendations for States and the international community, and specific recommendations addressed to various human rights mechanisms of the United Nations.