UNSC Arria Formula Meeting: Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Transnational Activities of Terrorist Groups

(31 August 2022 from 3PM to 6PM in the ECOSOC Chamber)

India Statement

Thank you Co-chairs,

2.    I thank the delegations of Kenya and the United Arab Emirates for convening today’s Arria-formula meeting on “Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Transnational Activities of Terrorist Groups”, an issue of utmost concern to us. I also thank briefers for their useful insights.

3.    Terrorism continues to remain the gravest threat to humanity, in spite of efforts by the international community, including those led by the UN Security Council in the past two decades to combat and curb this menace. The threat of terrorism is not only growing and expanding at a rapid pace into new areas, particularly in Asia and Africa, but is also exacerbated by exploitation of new and emerging technologies by terrorist groups to achieve their vicious goals. 

4.    India has been at the receiving end of state-sponsored, cross-border terrorism for past several decades. UN-designated terrorist groups, such as Lashkar-E-Taiba, Harkat-Ul-Mujahidin, Jaish-I-Mohammad, as well as their aliases and proxies, continue to operate from across the border targeting civilians, security forces, places of worship and critical infrastructure in India. The threat posed by these groups to India has also recently been highlighted in the 13^th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team to the 1988 Committee. 

5.    In the recent past, we have witnessed that these terrorist groups and their proxies are increasingly adapting to the use of new and emerging technologies such as Internet, social media, encrypted messaging services, cryptocurrencies, crowd funding platform to disseminate propaganda, recruit cadre and raise and transfer funds for financing terror activities against India. There has been notable increase in use of drones for cross-border trafficking of arms and drugs as well as launching terror attacks. In Africa, drones have been used by the terrorist groups to monitor movements of security forces and peacekeepers making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks. In recent past, terrorists launched cross-border drone attacks on UAE and Saudi Arabia targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, which has resulted in loss of lives and injuries to Indian nationals as well. India had also condemned these cross-border drone attacks in UAE and Saudi Arabia. We also condemn the terrorist attack by Al Shabaab on a hotel in Mogadishu two weeks ago, in which more than 20 people lost their lives.

6.    The use of new technology by terrorist groups is a new and emerging trend, and therefore, the Council needs to pay close attention to assess this threat and ensure an effective and timely response to address this threat. In this context, India, as the Chair of Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC) of the Security Council, will be hosting a special meeting of CTC in Mumbai and New Delhi from 28 to 30 October 2022 for comprehensive discussions on this issue, associated risks, best practices and the ways to address this threat.  We invite all member states to contribute to its deliberations.

7.    We also need to see concrete progress in ensuring that proscribed terrorists or their aliases do not get any support, tacit or direct, from the terror sanctuaries. It is  high time that the international community calls out  such states, and seek effective, credible, verifiable, and irreversible actions from them against terror outfits operating from the territories under their control, without further delay. 

8.    Further, we need to strengthen the counter-terrorism architecture at the United Nations. In this regard, I would like to recall the eight-point action plan proposed by India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, 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). He had called for and I reiterate: a) Summon the political will. Don’t justify terrorism. Don’t glorify terrorists; b) No double standards. Terrorists are terrorists. No good or bad distinction needed; c) Don’t place block and holds on listing without any reason; d) Discourage exclusivist thinking by avoiding new terminologies and false priorities that may divide our fight; e) Enlist and delist objectively, not on political or religious considerations; f) recognize the linkage to organized crime; g) support and strengthen Anti Money Laundering / Combating Terrorist Financing efforts of FATF and h) provide greater funding to UN Office for Counter Terrorism from the regular UN budget to enhance its autonomy. 

8.    I would like to conclude by stating that it is imperative, more than ever, that our response to terrorism remains united, unambiguous, and effective. We must remain united against the tendency of justifying acts of terrorism based on its motivation. More than ever, we need a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. 

I thank you.