Need to restructure international legal framework, adopt CCIT to defeat terrorism: VP Ansari

Asserting that the biggest threat to international peace and to the sovereignty of states today is terrorism, Vice President of India, Mohammed Hamid Ansari said that terrorism can only be defeated by organized international action, adding we need to restructure the international legal framework such as by adopting a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

Speaking at the Nigerian National Defence College, Ansari said that Nigeria like India has suffered the horrors of this scourge of humanity and terrorism today has global reach, no city remains safe.

"There is a new level of threat to pluralist and open societies. Use of terrorism as an instrument of State policy is to be unequivocally condemned. There can be no distinction between good and bad terrorists. A terrorist is a terrorist; one who commits crimes against humanity cannot have any religion, or be afforded any political sanctuary," he said.

Maintaining that International terrorism can only be defeated by organized international action, he said, "We need to restructure the international legal framework such as by adopting a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. Societies that stand for peace and humanism have to increase their cooperation and strengthen efforts to prevent supply of arms to terrorists, disrupt terrorist movements, and curb and criminalize terror financing."

The Vice President called on people to help each other by sharing intelligence, securing cyber space, and minimizing the use of internet and social media for terrorist activities.

The Commandant of the National Defence Academy, Nigeria, Rear Admiral Samuel Alade and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.