United Nations: India today said it will
press for the finalisation of a comprehensive convention
against international terrorism by the United Nations as "a
text was on the table".
"We now have a text on the table," Indian envoy to the
United Nations Hardeep Singh Puri told PTI.
"It is a text, which draws on all the work that has
been done in the last eight or nine years," he said, adding
the text would appear to by and large an acceptable basis for
negotiations.
However, there remain two outstanding issues that
still needed to be resolved dealing with what kind of armed
struggle, for instance a liberation movement, would not be
called a terrorist act, and secondly would military forces be
within the scope of the convention.
"Both of them have been discussed and I believe there
is hope for language that will be the basis for the overall
acceptance. I believe it is on the table," Puri said.
"I don`t want to prejudge the outcome of the
negotiations... clearly some more discussion and negotiation
will be required but I think the basic contours for a
settlement are there," he said.
The negotiations over a comprehensive anti-terror
convention have persisted for years but these efforts have
largely been bogged down in technical issues. Getting CCIT
wrapped up expeditiously is one of India`s main priorities at
the UN, said Puri.
"Participation in these meetings are by delegations
from headquarters therefore I can only express the hope that
the keenness with which New York-based delegations have
expressed that is also shared in the capital of the member
states and before too long we will able to action the text on
the CCIT," he said.
Puri also expressed India`s support for the plan to
create a new UN gender entity focused on women. In 2009, the
UN announced that four agencies would be amalgamated to create
one single agency that would be dedicated to the welfare and
equality of women.
In March, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the
General Assembly to pass a resolution that would create this
body.
"Certainly it is India`s priority to see a gender
entity. Something which is carefully conceived, comprehensive,
which is responsive to the interests of the gender empowerment
and an entity which is will resourced," Puri said.
"This is something India strongly favours," he added.
-PTI
