UNGA urges adoption of comprehensive anti-terror pact proposed by India

ARUL LOUIS

United Nations, June 23 (IANS) The UN General Assembly has called for the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that was proposed by India and has been languishing for more than a quarter of a century.

In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the Assembly urged its 193 members "to make every effort to conclude a comprehensive convention on international terrorism".

The resolution reviewing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy reiterated the obligation of all countries to "deny terrorist groups safe haven, freedom of operations, movement and recruitment and financial, material or political support" and to bring to justice or extradite terrorists and their supporters.

The Assembly adopted the resolution during the Counter-Terrorism Week at which a high-level meeting was convened and several programmes on fighting the scourge were held.

The main roadblock to adopting the convention proposed by India in 1996 is the definition of terrorists, with some countries claiming that their favoured terrorists are "freedom fighters".

UN Assembly President Csaba Korosi said, "We must ask ourselves, should we continue to bicker over what constitutes terrorism or violent extremism? To languish in details and remain blind to the bigger picture?"

"Or should we come together and channel all our resources to fight terrorism in all its forms," he asked, as he called for "political and moral will to act together".

Speaking at the high-level meeting on Tuesday, India's Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry, Praveen Vashishta, had said, "Unfortunately, there are also some countries who seek to undermine or subvert our collective resolve to fight terrorism. That cannot be allowed to pass."

"There cannot be any exception or any justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivations behind such acts," he had said.

It is "vital that we do not take a selective, tactical or even a complacent view of the problems we face" and "must never countenance sanctuaries for terrorists or overlook the raising of their resources", he had said.

"And when we see state hospitality being extended to those with innocents' blood on their hands, we should never lack the courage to call out this double-speak," he added in an obvious reference to Pakistan.

Another element in the resolution of relevance to terrorism from Pakistan asks for cooperation between countries in investigations of terrorism, but it is unlikely to be implemented.

It asked UN members "to provide full coordination and afford one another the greatest measure of assistance" in "criminal investigations or criminal proceedings relating to the financing or support of terrorist acts, especially with those states where, or against whose citizens, terrorist acts are committed, including obtaining evidence for the proceedings involving terrorist organisations, terrorist entities or foreign terrorist fighters".

It added, "All states must cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism on the basis of mutual legal assistance and the principle of extradite or prosecute."

(Arul Louis can be contacted at [email protected] and followed at @arulouis)