UN COUNTER-TERRORISM EXPERT TO LAUNCH INQUIRY INTO THE CIVILIAN IMPACT OF DRONES AND OTHER FORMS OF TARGETED KILLING

22 January 2013

http://www.unog.ch/unog/website/news_media.nsf/(httpNewsByYear_en)/49B3559D6EEE9FBFC1257AFB005E88CA?OpenDocument



GENEVA / LONDON (22 January 2012) - The United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, will formally launch on 24 January an inquiry into the civilian impact of the use of drones and other forms of targeted killing, focusing on the applicable legal framework, a critical examination of the factual evidence concerning civilian casualties, with a view to making recommendations to the United Nations General Assembly concerning the duty of States to conduct effective independent and impartial investigations into the lawfulness and proportionality of such attacks, to be presented later this year.  



The inquiry will be launched publicly at a press conference on Thursday, 24 January 2013, to be held at 11:00 GMT, at Matrix Chambers, Griffin Building, Grays Inn, London WC1R 5LN. The Special Rapporteur will make a statement setting out the aims and objectives of the inquiry, its modalities and time-frame. He will also announce the names of the experts and other personnel who will be involved in the inquiry.