India urges countries to expedite adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism

India on Wednesday called upon all the countries to work together to expedite the adoption of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) without any further delay.

The statement was made by Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan who attended the UN Security Council Ministerial Debate on Cooperation between the UN and the Regional and Sub-Regional Organisations in maintaining international peace.

Underlining that terrorism is the single most significant threat to peace and stability today, the minister said, "We are confronted with groups that have linkages across regions and continents in terms of recruitment, financing and operation."

"Our fight against terrorism should not only seek to eliminate terrorists, disrupt terror organisations and networks, but should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against states that encourage, support and finance terrorism, and provide sanctuary to terrorists," Muraleedharan remarked.

"We call upon all countries to work together to expedite the adoption of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN General Assembly without any further delay," he said.

Muraleedharan stressed that India will continue to participate constructively in the UN's engagement with relevant regional organisations, as it did recently with the adoption of the UNGA resolution on cooperation between the UN and the SCO.

On Monday, the minister reiterated India's support on an early conclusion of the CCIT during the CICA informal meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs in New York.