4 Report of the Eminent Jurists Panel on terrorism, counter-terrorism and human rights Middle East and North Africa (assisted with the Middle East Hearing); José Zeitune, Legal Officer for Latin America (assisted with the Southern Cone Hearing); Lenka Koutnakova, a consultant with the ICJ, organised the Russia Hearing; and staff at the regional ICJ offices in Thailand and Nepal assisted in the South Asia and South East Asia Hearings. The preparation of the report has been a difficult task. The notes and records of the Hearings, and the written submissions received run to many thousands of pages. It is not possible to record all that we heard or to comment on all the oral and written submissions made to us. The report focuses on common themes that were brought to our attention, amplified by footnotes referring to sources, and brief summaries of the evidence given at each of the Hearings, prepared by the Secretariat of the ICJ, which will be placed on the ICJ website from where they can be sourced. Richard Carver took responsibility for writing early drafts of the report, assisted by Gerald Staberock and his team, and we thank him for that. During this process Professor Robert Goldman, Professor Georges Abi-Saab and I, served as a subcommittee of the Panel, commenting on and writing sections of the draft. I would like to express my appreciation to Professor Goldman and Professor Abi-Saab for taking on this additional responsibility which required them to spend time in Geneva when they were under pressure to meet other commitments. Later the report was brought to final form by Maggie Beirne who attended the final plenary meeting of the Panel at which direction was given for the final preparation of the report. The Panel is particularly grateful to her for her contribution to the report. Implementing the mandate has been a long, educative and at times exhausting process, which Panel members had to fit in to the busy programmes they all have. The Panel, though assisted by the ICJ in the many respects I have indicated, has at all times acted as an independent unit. The views expressed in the report are the views of the Panel members for which we take responsibility. I would like to express my appreciation to all the members of the Panel for their contribution to the report. It has been a great pleasure to get to know them and to work with them. Arthur Chaskalson Chair, Eminent Jurists Panel December 2008