Human Rights and Democracy - Official Documents

SECTION II: Human Rights in Safeguarding Britain’s National
Security
The National Security Strategy published in October establishes two complementary
strategic objectives: to ensure a secure and resilient UK; and to shape a stable
world. The Government will tackle potential risks affecting the UK or our direct
interests overseas, at source.
The Government’s primary duty is to safeguard our national security. The threat
from international and domestic terrorism is as serious as we have faced at any time
and is unlikely to diminish. It remains real and severe and it is our duty to deal with
that threat. It is essential that we give the police and the intelligence agencies the
powers they need to protect the public. But it is also important that we ensure that
these powers are necessary, appropriate and proportionate and that they support
fundamental human rights, the rule of law, and tolerance and respect for the civil
liberties that terrorists seek to undermine.
In its Programme for Government, the Government committed itself to looking at
some of the most difficult and fundamental issues about how we, as a society, tackle
terrorism and other crimes. The Counter-Terrorism and Security Powers Review,
which was completed in early 2011, will be the yardstick for the Government’s
continuing approach to counter-terrorism and security powers: that in protecting the
public we will also protect the long-held rights, freedoms and values that are the
bedrock of our society. Where the review recommends changes to the law, we will
legislate at the earliest opportunity. This will ensure that the police and the security
and intelligence agencies can continue their vital work with certainty and confidence
about the powers that they have available.
That same approach underpins how we deliver our counter-terrorism strategy,
CONTEST, to counter the threat from international terrorism overseas. As we build
the political will and capacity of our international partners to counter terrorism and
violent extremism, we place a particular emphasis on ensuring that all of our work is
46