General Assembly General Assembly

Adoption of Resolution on 7th Review of Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS)

 

General Debate

 

India’s Statement

By

Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti

Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations

 

[6 July 2021]

 

 

Thank you, Mr. President for giving me the floor.

 

1. I would express my sincere thanks to the co-facilitators Ambassador Mohammad Al Hassan, the Permanent Representative of Oman and Ambassador Augustine Santos Maraver, the Permanent Representative of Spain and their dedicated teams for the hard work invested in steering the review process and drafting of this resolution.

 

2. The Global Counter Terrorism Strategy was adopted by consensus 15 years ago and was a major step forward in maintaining and achieving international peace and security. The international community acknowledged that the threat of terrorism is grave and universal, and can only be defeated by collective efforts of all UN member states, without any exception. It was agreed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations should be condemned, there cannot be any exception or justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivations behind such acts, and wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed. It was also recognized that the menace of terrorism cannot be and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group.

 

3. However, it is essential for all member states to not only not squander the gains of what we have achieved so far but also ensure that we do not give the slightest opportunity to provide excuses or justification for terrorism, thereby diminishing our collective fight.  Justifying terrorism in any way, whether on grounds of religion, ideology, ethnicity or race, will only provide the necessary fodder for terrorists to enhance their activities even more.

 

4. Further, let us not forget that before 9/11 happened, the world was divided into “Your Terrorists” or “My Terrorists”.  It is only after 9/11 that we accepted that terrorism in one part of the world can directly impact another part of the world and we all came together to fight terrorism collectively.  20 years later,  we are now seeing attempts to divide us once again by adopting new terminologies under the guise of “emerging threats” such as racially and ethnically-motivated violent extremism, violent nationalism, right wing extremism, etc.  I do hope that member states do not forget history and divide terrorism again into different categories and take us back to the era of “Your Terrorists” and “My Terrorists” and erase the gains we have had over the last two decades.

 

Mr. President,

 

5. Today, the misuse of internet and social media for terrorist propaganda, radicalization and recruitment of cadre; misuse of new payment methods such as block-chain currencies, payment wallets, crowdfunding platforms for financing of terrorism; and misuse of emerging technologies such as Drones, 3D printing, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics for terrorist purposes have emerged as the most serious threats of terrorism, which warrants collaborative actions from all member states.

 

6. While the matter of religious “phobias” finds mention in the current document, we are once again constrained to point out that this listing has been selective and confined only to the three Abrahamic religions.  This august body has once again failed to acknowledge the rise of hatred and violent terrorist attacks against other religions, inter alia, Buddhism, Sikhism and Hinduism.  Further, we need to make a distinction between countries which are pluralistic and those which resort to  sectarian violence and trample over minority rights.  The United Nations is not a body or the forum where member states should take sides on religious-phobias, but should instead truly foster a culture based on universal principles of humanity and compassion so that terrorists’ narratives are fought collectively.

 

7. The continued absence of a universally agreed definition of terrorism is detrimental to our shared goal of eliminating it. The current strategy fails to resolve the stalemate preventing the adoption of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism, which India has championed.

 

Mr. President,

 

8. Before I conclude, I would like to submit that the success of this strategy, will depend only if member states walk the talk by sincerely implementing the provisions and fulfilling their obligations as envisaged in the strategy. As a victim of cross-border terrorism for several decades, my country has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism and one of the major victims of terrorism. However, it’s time to call out those that blatantly violate global commitments by harboring terrorists and terrorist entities, including those proscribed by the UN, by willfully giving moral, material, financial and ideological support to these groups to foment terrorism and disrupt social harmony and peace.

 

9. The international community needs to adopt a policy of zero-tolerance towards terrorism. Our collective condemnation of terrorism must be loud, clear and without any ambiguity.

 

I thank you.