India asks UN member states to adopt global treaty on terror

Expressing concern over the scourge of terrorism, India has asked the United Nations (UN) member nations to rise above their differences and adopt an international convention to unitedly combat the menace.

"The darkening shadow of terrorism has been spreading its menacing influence across the globe," India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin said on Thursday after a briefing by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on his priorities for the year.

"Every day we are faced with distressing reminders to governments, societies and individuals of the threat held out by terrorists."

Akbaruddin said the time has come to have a closer look at what the members of the world body "can do more" and "do better" together to build global norms to counter the common threat posed by terrorism and violent extremism.

"Are we at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) content to remain silent by standers? Is it not time that we show a common resolve to rise above our semantic definitional differences and work on the long overdue Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism? Or are we condemned to allow each society or each Government to battle on its own? If so can we remain relevant to those who are affected by this scourge?" he asked.

Negotiations for Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism have been deadlocked for over 20 years, despite a renewed commitment to it by world leaders in 2005.

Currently, the negotiations are deadlocked because of differences over the definition of terrorism. India has proposed this convention in 1996 and has since demanded consistently, especially after the 2008 Mumbai attack.