India has called for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) and urged the international community to demonstrate greater political resolve in combating terrorism, as it reiterated its policy of zero tolerance for the menace in all its forms.
Delivering India’s statement at the adoption of the Ninth Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said the absence of a universally agreed legal framework continues to hamper global efforts against terrorism.
“India called for adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) a decade before GCTS was first adopted in 2006. The absence of a universally agreed legal framework continues to hobble collective action against terrorism. This legal instrument is essential to close normative gaps, strengthen prosecution and extradition, and deny terrorists and their sponsors access to safe havens, funds and arms. Nearly three decades of delay has hindered our collective efforts to combat terrorism. The time has come to demonstrate political will to conclude the CCIT,” he said.
Recalling India’s long experience with terrorism, Harish said decades of cross-border terrorism had shaped the country’s uncompromising approach towards the issue.
“India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism for decades. Our people have paid the price of terrorism in lives lost, families scarred and societies shattered. This experience has shaped India’s approach: there can be no justification for terrorism. Irrespective of any grievance, political cause or strategic calculation, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned unequivocally,” he said.
Outlining India’s priorities under the Ninth Review of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the envoy called for eliminating double standards in counter-terrorism, strengthening action against terror financing, addressing the misuse of emerging technologies by terrorist groups, placing victims at the centre of global efforts, promoting demand-driven capacity building, and ensuring that terrorism is never justified under any circumstances.
Harish stressed that member states must hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorism accountable while enhancing international cooperation to combat terror financing through stronger implementation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards and improved financial intelligence sharing.
He also warned that terrorist organisations are increasingly exploiting emerging technologies such as encrypted communications, drones, artificial intelligence, deepfakes, virtual assets, social media, the dark web and specialised mapping applications, calling for a safe and secure digital ecosystem that prevents terrorists from exploiting technological advances.
Highlighting India’s contributions to the global fight against terrorism, Harish said the country has consistently played a leading role in shaping international counter-terrorism initiatives.
“We have hosted major international discussions. The Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes and the No Money for Terror Conferences are cases in point. It is a matter of great privilege that the Delhi Declaration is serving global good and two of its pillars have been implemented as the Abu Dhabi Guiding Principles and Algeria Guiding Principles,” he said.
The envoy said India has also worked to strengthen the global focus on terror financing through capacity-building initiatives, South-South cooperation and stronger multilateral frameworks.
Reaffirming India’s commitment to international cooperation, Harish said the country stands ready to work with all UN member states to strengthen the global counter-terrorism architecture, deny safe havens to terrorists, disrupt terror financing, prevent misuse of technology, support victims and ensure the United Nations speaks with one voice against terrorism.
He also noted that India works closely with the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and other UN Compact entities and contributes financially to capacity-building initiatives based on the requirements of recipient countries. India, he said, supports a more streamlined and precise Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy while maintaining the balance across its four pillars.
In his concluding remarks, Harish cautioned that effective global action against terrorism would only be possible if there were no double standards, no distinction between “good” and “bad” terrorists, objective sanctions mechanisms and greater international cooperation.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said, “Terror anywhere threatens peace everywhere.”
“The world cannot afford ambiguity on terrorism. The victims of terrorism deserve justice. Future generations deserve security. And this General Assembly must provide leadership,” he said.
