For dеcades now, authors have attempted to givе a lеgаl definition of the phеnomenon of terrorism. Due to its complex nature, there is still no such definition established in the international legal doctrine.[i] The uncertainty of how to define terrorism is not born from a lack of effort. During the past decades, the UN Security Council adopted more than 10 different documents on national, regional and international terrorism without defining the term “terrorism”.[ii] In many instances, аttempts to аddress tеrrorism in intеrnational lаw hаve bееn complicated by long political discussions over the causes of terrorism, which action can be considered an act of terrorism, and which cannot?[iii]
[i] Cástor Miguel Díaz-Barrado, The Definition of Terrorism and International La” in Pablo Antonio Fernández-Sánchez (ed) International Legal Dimension of Terrorism (Koninklijke Brill, Leiden, 2009) pp. 26 – 31.
[ii] Some of them are:
Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism.
Declaration to Supplement the 1994 Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism.
UN General Assembly resolution 46/51 of 9 December 1991.
2010 Convention on the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Relating to International Civil Aviation.
2010 Protocol Supplementary to the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft And others.
[iii] Abraham D. Sofaer, Terrorism and the Law, 2nd ed. (FOREIGN AFF., 1986), pp. 900-905
