Terrorism: The Ambiguity of a Concept and the Need for Consensual Definition

Abstract

Many countries have had to deal with the tragic consequences of terrorist attacks. However, there is still very little consensus within the international community on which action actually constitutes an act of terrorism. This lack of consensus has made it virtually impossible to adopt an international convention on terrorism that includes a legally binding and an all-inclusive definition of terrorism. The main consequence of the absence of a UN Security Council definition of terrorism is, that it is left to states to determine which violent acts constitute an act of terrorism. Therefore, states are allowed to develop their own definitions of terrorism, which may be ambiguous and contradictory. This has in turn allowed states to persecute and prosecute known and perceived opponents and breach fundamental human rights under the guise of UN Security Council Resolutions. There is need for countries to adopt a common definition of terrorism in order to form a strong international coalition against the terrorist movement.