India calls for concerted efforts to combat terrorism

United Nations: India has called for concerted global efforts to dismantle terrorist safe havens to isolate groups like Pakistan-based Haqqani network which threatens peace and security in the South Asian region.

"The international community needs to step up its collective efforts with real cooperation among member states to confront the scourge of terrorism squarely and decisively," India`s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri said during a Security Council joint debate on counter terrorism here yesterday. "We need concerted action against terrorists and their sponsors, including the complete dismantling of terrorist safe havens, sanctuaries, training grounds and financial and ideological support structures," he said. India, which chairs the UNSC Counter Terrorism Committee, said the international community needs to adopt a holistic approach that ensures zero-tolerance towards terrorism. Welcoming the UN sanctions against the Haqqani network, Puri said the terror group has targeted Indian interests in the past. "The unity of the international community is critical in isolating such terror groups which threaten peace and security in our region, and other parts of the world," he said adding that the linkages between al Qaeda and Taliban need to be comprehensively and objectively examined as these pose a serious threat to international peace and security. Puri voiced India`s "unwavering" commitment to support international efforts in preventing non-state actors and terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. "The international community must continue to strengthen its efforts to eliminate the risks relating to sensitive materials and technologies falling into the hands of terrorists and non-state actors. The international response to the threat needs to be national as well as multilateral and global," he said. Puri said India would fully support all efforts, which strengthen international and regional cooperation in counter-terrorism and help ensure the effective implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. He noted that it is critical that all sanctions regimes established by the Security Council should ensure swift, fair and transparent procedures in their decision-making. "India believes that meeting new proliferation challenges requires fresh approaches for evolving a more cooperative and consensual international security order that effectively addresses genuine proliferation concerns. "The success in the fight against terrorism goes hand-in-hand with progress in strengthening counter-terrorism cooperation and exchange of information at the international, regional and sub-regional level," he said. In a separate statement as Chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Puri said the committee would organise a special meeting on November 20 with UN member states and relevant international and regional organisations on "preventing and suppressing terrorist financing." The meeting would focus on raising member states` awareness of the terrorist financing threat; drawing attention to the related best practices discussion of experiences and effective measures in addressing the related challenges; and helping to ensure that combating terrorist financing remains a priority for Member States. As part of its outreach efforts, the committee would also explore the possibility of collaboration with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). In a joint statement on behalf of the al Qaeda Sanctions Committee, Puri said terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continue to pose a serious threat to international peace and security. He said the need to strengthen capacities remains a key concern of many states faced with emerging counter-terrorism challenges, particularly the challenges posed by exploitation of technological advances by terrorists and non-state actors. PTI