Episode 6 - UN Special Rapporteur - Australia 🇦🇺 Should be Doing Much More for Gaza 🇵🇸

In this episode of the Seeking Justice podcast, Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on Countering Terrorism and Human Rights, discusses his extensive work in international law as a UN Special Rapporteur from West Africa to Gaza, focusing on the challenges of counter-terrorism and human rights, the contentious nature of the use and abuse of the term "terrorism" to undermine human rights and civil liberties, and the importance of defining terrorism in harmony with international human rights law. Professor Saul says that the Australian government and all governments could and should be doing much more to stop the genocide in Gaza and highlights the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to be excluded from the definition of "terrorism". Professor Saul emphasises the role of Australia in upholding international law, the ongoing quest for justice for victims of terrorism and what inspired him to pursue a career in international human rights law.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur04:16 Focus on West Africa and Global Counter-Terrorism05:47 The Broad Mandate of Counterterrorism and Human Rights09:07 Challenges in Human Rights and Funding12:24 Contentious Nature of Human Rights Mandates12:52 Coordination Among Mandate Holders around Gaza Genocide and other issues16:11 Resources for a UN Special Rapporteur20:08 A Dark Time for Human Rights in the World21:08 The Dismantling of the Rule of Law via Dubious Trumpian Claims of "Terrorism"24:12 Israel Misusing and Abusing Counterterrorism Narratives to Suppress Freedom of Speech and Commit War Crimes etc27:19 Political Implications of Disingenuous "Terrorism" Designations28:18 The Definition of Terrorism in International Law32:45 Defining "Terrorism"  Consistent with Human Rights33:35 Misdefining "Terrorism" to Censor Free Speech37:56 Terrorism Laws that Criminalise Legitimate Humanitarian Assistance39:59 What Should the Australian Government be doing in relation to the Gaza Genocide?45:11 Justice for Victims of Terrorism47:35 Inspirations for Pursuing a Career in International Human Rights LawPlease “Like”, “Subscribe”, “Share” and support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/SeekingJusticePodcast or BuyMeACoffee: buymeacoffee.com/seekingjusticepodcast   Follow The Seeking Justice Podcast™ on social media: Substack: https://substack.com/@seekingjusticepod BlueSky: @seekingjusticepod.bsky.social Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573043997297 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseekingjusticepodcast/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@justice.seekers?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Twitter/X: https://x.com/SeekJusticePod Reddit: SeekingJusticePod Rumble: TheSeekingJusticePodcast