Adoption of GCTS Review Resolution

[Thursday, 22 June 2023]

Explanation of Position (EOP)

Thank you President,

Today, the member states are well aware that terrorism is an existential threat to international peace and security. It knows no borders, nationality, or race, and is a challenge that the international community must combat collectively.

India has been at the forefront of the global fight against terrorism. As a country which itself has been a victim of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism for nearly past three decades, India is acutely aware of the socio-economic and human cost of terrorism.

My External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar had put eight-point action plan for global fight against terrorism, before the member states, during his statement on 12 January 2021 at the Ministerial meeting on 20th Anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1373 (2020) and the establishment of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC).

As the Chair of the Counter Terrorism Committee last year, India has striven to bring these principles into the counter-terrorism architecture of the UN and into the debate on terrorism at the United Nations.

India hosted a Special Meeting of the CTC in Mumbai and Delhi in October 2022. The “Delhi Declaration” that was adopted then is a landmark document to deal the issue of countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, an issue, which is of an acute importance for several Member states.

Mr. President,

In this context, my delegation has serious concerns with respect to the Rev-4 of the draft review resolution, which was circulated by the co-facilitators under silence on 19 June 2023.

We had submitted to the Co-Facs that DELETING a factual reference to Delhi Declaration, which was unanimously adopted by all Council members is uncalled for on two principled grounds:
 

One, on grounds of process, no consultation with member states was convened and the reference to an unanimously approved Council document was removed in an opaque and non-consultative manner by the Co-Chairs. The membership has not been made aware, as on what substantive grounds the reference to the Delhi Declaration has been removed. This is uncalled for!!

Two, the proceedings of the High Level Conference on Counter Terrorism over the last few days amply demonstrated the wide support for the Delhi Declaration that provides important policy pointers on the critical challenges facing the counter terrorism discourse. UNOCT, CTED and other Global Compact Entities cited it as an example of the pathway ahead. For us now to arbitrarily ignore the same and play pick and choose over certain Council documents while ignoring others is equally disturbing.

In view of our concerns as outlined today, my delegation is constrained to disassociate from the 8^th Review Resolution of the GCTS, which is being placed for adoption in this meeting today.

I thank you Mr President.

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