Permanent Mission of India
New York
--

80^th Session of the UNGA Sixth Committee on Agenda Item 109:
“Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism”

Statement by Ms. R. Mythili, First Secretary & Legal Advisor
6 October 2025

Thank you Mr. Chair.

1. Terrorism is among the gravest of offenses that fundamentally violates core values of humanity. Synthesizing bigotry, violence, intolerance and fear, it continues to devastate lives, societies and peoples around the world.

2. Terrorist groups have gained enormous capabilities and have equipped themselves with cutting edge and asymmetric technologies. Terrorist outfits are supported with regular flow of finance and increased recruitment enabling them to carry out terrorist activities beyond borders. Because it is a shared threat, it is essential that there is much deeper international cooperation for countering terrorism.

3. Terrorist networks will continue to be a curse on the international community till there is strong political will to destroy them. It is unfortunate that while terrorism remains a global challenge, our efforts towards concluding a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) remains elusive.

Mr. Chair,

4. Long before the initiation of multilateral efforts that led to the establishment of Counter Terrorism Committee in 2001, after the 9/11 attack, India was part of the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism, established in 1972. Our initiative of circulating the “first draft” of the CCIT in 1996 is almost three decades old. And till today, there is no consensus! We reiterate that OP3 of the UNSC resolution 1566 (2004) provides a acceptable definition for international terrorism and offers a good basis for further discussion to end this stalemate and agree to a comprehensive multilateral legal framework to counter terrorism.

5. My nation has been confronting the menace of terrorism since independence and has suffered immense human loss due to state-sponsored terrorist attacks emanating from across our borders. As if the pain caused by terrorist attacks such as the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, the 2016 Pathankot air base and the 2019 Pulwama terror attacks was not enough, we were again subjected to cross-border barbarism that saw the murder of innocent tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir in April this year.

6. Such barbaric acts not only target human lives but also undermine regional peace and stability. It is important to exercise a right to defend our peoples against terrorism and deliver justice to the families who get scarred for life. During the SCO Summit held at Tianjin, my Prime Minister echoed the UN Security Council’s statement that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of such attacks must be held accountable and brought to justice. He also warned member States not to adopt double standards on terrorism. We reiterate that terrorism should be opposed in every form. It is our collective responsibility towards humanity.

7. Countering the menace and supporting victims’ families should be the focus of all member states rather than diversion of resources towards aiding terrorist groups in furtherance of narrow political agendas. Sheltering the masterminds of the terror attacks is as much a crime as the conduct of these reprehensible attacks.

Chair,

8. In my nation,

• We condemn those who allow operationalization of terror hubs ,

• We reject public glorification of terrorists,

• We work towards disruption of the terror financing networks,

• We cooperate for dismantling of the entire ecosystem,

• We aid those working towards imposing sanctions on terrorists and their organizations,

• We maintain that those who condone nations that sponsor terror will find that it comes back to bite them.

Those who have made ‘Terrorism’ their State Policy and allow terror networks to operate must be held accountable.

8. We once again strongly reiterate that India will be at the forefront of global counter terrorism efforts. India has engaged actively with the global counter terrorism architecture, including at the United Nations and in the formulation of the Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS). The Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes, adopted under India’s chairmanship of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2022 marked a significant step in addressing threats posed by the misuse of advanced technologies for terrorism-related activities. Furthering these commitments, the "Abu Dhabi Principles", aimed at countering the terrorist use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and the "Algeria Guiding Principles", focus on preventing, detecting, and disrupting the use of new and emerging financial technologies for terrorist purposes. We welcome these and committ ourselves to their propagation.

9. India also continues to play a leading role in the global fight against terrorism through active international cooperation and awareness initiatives. We are a regular contributor to the UN Office of Counter Terrorism (UNOCT). We strongly believe in the importance of multilateral action through platforms like the UN, FATF, and GCTF. Our hosting of the “No Money for Terror” conference as well as the INTERPOL General Assembly in 2022 are a reflection of this commitment.

10. As founding members of the Group of Friends on Victims of Terrorism, India has consistently raised the issues related to victims' rights at international levels and implemented concrete actions at home. In June this year, we showcased an exhibition, here at the UN Headquarters on “The Human Cost of Terrorism.” It was an effort to give voice to those who can no longer speak, a tribute to those taken away so brutally from us by the scourge of terrorism. It conveyed stories of those whose lives were irreparably changed by acts of terrorism, and also stories of resilience, solidarity and fortitude. We thank all member states for receiving it so well and for expressing their solidarity with the victims.

12. To conclude, Mr. Chair, let me reiterate our commitment to implement the key principles to counter terrorism:

• no impunity to terrorists;

• need for greater political will;

• saying no to double standards;

• not yielding to blackmail of any kind;

• calling out proxies;

• reform of the UN Sanctions Committees;

• objective listing and delisting in the Sanctions Committees; and

• discouraging exclusivist thinking and being on guard against new terminologies and false priorities;

• recognizing linkages to organized crime;

• supporting FATF and greater funding to UNOC.

I thank you Mr. Chair