Anti-terrorism fight should take strong steps against states providing havens to terrorists: India

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, India has asserted that the global fight against terrorism should identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against states that finance and provide sanctuary to terrorists.

Addressing the UN Security Council Ministerial Debate on Wednesday, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan called upon the international community to expeditiously adopt the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) "without any further delay".

The CCIT is a proposed treaty, which intends to criminalise all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, arms and safe havens.

"We believe that our fight against terrorism should not only seek to eliminate terrorists, and disrupt terror organisations and networks, but should also identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against states that encourage, support and finance terrorism, provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups," Muraleedharan said, without naming Pakistan.

The minister said today's security problems are not constrained by physical or political boundaries. Terrorism, drug trafficking, transnational crime and the security implications of new technologies are global challenges which cannot be viewed in compartmentalised terms.

"Our response to them therefore, also has to be coordinated across borders," he added.

India had proposed a draft document in 1996 on CCIT at the United Nations but it remained a blueprint as the UN member states were unable to reach a consensus.

With terrorism posing the single most significant threat to peace and stability today, Muraleedharan said, "We are confronted with groups that have linkages across regions and continents in terms of recruitment, financing, and operation. We are committed to combat this menace in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever."