An investigation of the underlying reasons for the changing perspective of the United Nations on terrorism

Abstract

The norms and values of the United Nations are in constant flux as the world body strives to counter evolving security challenges while adapting to changes in the international system. This was also evident in the United Nations perspsctive on the issue of terrorism as part of its responsibilities regarding international peace and security. As such, the United Nations has changed its perspective on terrorism from an earlier emphasis on debating the causes of the phenomenon, towards an all-inclusive view which addresses both the causes of terrorism and measures to counter the manifestations of terrorism itself. The conclusion is that the United Nation's changed perspective on terrorism was a gradual process evolving over a period of nearly four decades and which has been facilitated by the demise of national liberation movements, changes in the phenomenon of terrorism itself, as well as by the changes in the international security environment after the end of the Cold War.