According to a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council, classifying terrorist acts as having religious or ideologically motivated intent would undermine the shared global commitment to fight terrorism.
According to a concept note circulated by India in the UN Security Council, classifying terrorist acts as religiously or ideologically motivated would undermine the shared global commitment to combat terrorism. (file photo)
by Press Trust of India: The era of categorizing terrorists as “bad” or “good” on the basis of “political convenience” must end immediately, says a concept note circulated by India at the UN Security Council here as religious Classifying terrorist acts with intent or as ideologically motivated would undermine the shared global commitment to fight terrorism.
India, the current chair of the 15-nation UN Security Council, will hold two signature events on reformed multilateralism and counter-terrorism, chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on December 14 and 15.
India has proposed to hold a Security Council briefing on ‘Global Counter-Terrorism Approach – Principles and the Way Forward’ under ‘Threats to International Peace and Security due to Terrorist Acts’ on 15 December.
Ahead of the meeting, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj in a letter to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a concept note to be circulated as a Security Council document with the aim of guiding discussions on the subject.
“The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001, marked a turning point in the global approach to combating terrorism. Since then terrorist attacks have occurred in London, Mumbai, Paris, several parts of West Asia and Africa.
It said that these attacks highlight that the threat of terrorism is serious and universal and that terrorism in one part of the world seriously affects peace and security in other parts of the world.
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“The threat of terrorism is international. Terrorist actors and their supporters, facilitators and financiers cooperate while residing in various jurisdictions to organize acts anywhere in the world. An international threat can be defeated only by the collective efforts of all member states of the United Nations,” it said.
Emphasizing that the threat of terrorism cannot be linked to any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group, the note states that all acts of terrorism are criminal.
“Terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned. There can be no exception or justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of its motivation and committed wherever, whenever and by whomever. The era of categorizing terrorists as “bad”, “not so bad” or “good” on the basis of political convenience must end immediately.
It states that current and emerging threats call for a renewed collective approach to terrorism.
It added, “Looking at the motive behind terrorist acts and classifying such acts as political or religious and ideological motivation would undermine our shared commitment to fight terrorism.”
The concept note expresses concern that in the recent past, there has been a resurgence of terrorist activities both in range and diversity as well as in geographical location.
The threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan, al-Qaeda, and terrorist groups seeking refuge in Afghanistan has increased in the Indian subcontinent after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban in August 2021. Told.
It added that the collective expectation of the Security Council, expressed in its resolution 2593 (2021), which was adopted under India’s August 2021 presidency of the Council, was that the use of Afghan soil for terrorism, in any Nothing will be done to threaten or attack the country. Harboring or training terrorists or planning or financing terrorist activities.
However it noted that the “threat potential remains high.”
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In addition, indigenous terrorist groups in Africa have received ideological support from global terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIL.
“The terrorist threat was further compounded by pirates and organized criminal networks facilitating the trafficking of arms, drugs, human beings and finance to these terrorist groups. The threat continues to gravitate towards the West African coast.
The concept note states that digitisation, the proliferation of new and emerging communication and financial technologies have also increased the risk of these technologies being used by terrorist groups.
The risk of radicalization through the internet and social media, and terror financing using cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding platforms, had increased, especially during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
Member states have also seen the use of unmanned aerial systems in recent days to monitor targets, smuggle drugs and weapons, and launch terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure and public places.
The proposed high-level briefing is intended to provide an opportunity for Council members to build on the recent deliberations of the Counter-Terrorism Committee meeting held in Mumbai and Delhi in late October under the presidency of India, in order to “further share their views”. can be shared.” Aiming to arrive at the key principles of the global community’s collective fight against terrorism on the present state of affairs and the way forward.
The guiding questions for the meeting are what are the trends that the global collective in the fight against terrorism needs to be wary of and how the sanctity of sanctions against terrorists and terror organizations can be safeguarded and made effective in countering terrorism can go.