Law and Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law, adopted in 2005 by the General Assembly in its resolution 60/147, underscore the need for victims to be treated with humanity and respect for their dignity and human rights, and emphasize that appropriate measures should be taken to ensure their safety, physical and psychological well-being and privacy, as well as those of their families. The Basic Principles and Guidelines also outline remedies to be made available to victims of violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. These include the victim’s right to equal and effective access to justice, effective and prompt reparation for harm suffered, and access to relevant information concerning the violations and reparation mechanisms. More specifically, they outline certain obligations on States to provide reparation to victims for acts or omissions which can be attributed to the State and constitute gross violations of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law, and to establish national programmes for reparation and other assistance to victims, if the parties liable for the harm suffered are unable or unwilling to meet their obligations. E.  Terrorism and other aspects of international law 1.  Terrorism and international humanitarian law International humanitarian law contains a set of rules on the protection of persons in “armed conflict”, as that term is understood in the relevant treaties, as well as on the conduct of hostilities. These rules are reflected in a number of treaties, including the four Geneva Conventions and their two Additional Protocols, as well as a number of other international instruments aimed at reducing human suffering in armed conflict. Many of their provisions are now also recognized as customary international law.15 There is no explicit definition of “terrorism” as such in international humanitarian law. However, international humanitarian law prohibits many acts committed in armed conflict which would be considered terrorist acts if they were committed in times of peace.16 For example, deliberate acts of violence against civilians and civilian objects constitute war crimes under international law, for which individuals may be prosecuted. This rule derives from the fundamental principle of international humanitarian law related to the protection of civilians in armed conflict, namely the principle of distinction. According to this principle, all parties to a conflict must at all times distinguish between 11