A/HRC/45/27 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 9 September 2020 Original: English Human Rights Council Forty-fifth session 14 September–2 October 2020 Agenda items 2 and 3 Annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the Secretary-General Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Terrorism and human rights Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights* Summary The present report focuses on measures taken by States to ensure criminal accountability for human rights abuses committed by terrorist groups 1 and human rights violations committed in the context of countering terrorism. It also sets out the main requirements under international human rights law to ensure the rights of victims to an effective remedy and reparation. The final section offers some guidance to States on how to strengthen efforts towards ensuring accountability and upholding the rights of victims in accordance with international human rights law. * The present report was submitted after the deadline so as to include the most recent information. 1 The term “terrorist group” is used in the present report in accordance with Human Rights Council resolutions 37/27 and 42/18 and does not represent an acknowledgement or recognition on the part of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of any designation of a group as terrorist by a State or a regional or international organization. GE.20-11536(E) 