‘Seamless structure’ needed to tackle global terrorism: India

Masked ISIL gunmen patrol Fallujah, Feb. 8, 2014. India has said that the world community has failed to address the menace of terror, and that there is the need for a ‘seamless structure’ to tackle global terrorism. “Terrorism does not fit into the conventional paradigm of threats to peace and security. Yet, today it affects us all, across continents, whether we are from the developing or developed world”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said at a high-level UN General Assembly thematic debate on peace and security on May 11. Mr Akbaruddin expressed concern that terror thrives on ideology and is sustained by its trans-boundary networks for recruitment, propaganda, funding, arms training and sanctuary. Elaborating on the failure of the international community to tackle terrorism, Mr Akbaruddin said, “Here at the United Nations, there is a disaggregated counter-terrorism infrastructure with no effort to tie them together in a seamless weave under a high-level functionary. We need to address this”. India has been pushing for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT). The objective of the CCIT is to provide a comprehensive legal framework to combat terrorism. India took the initiative to draft the CCIT in 1996 but it has not yet been adopted. Emphasising on the increased use of technology by terror groups, Mr Akbaruddin said, “The ongoing exponential shrinking of our planet through the multiple strands of technology-driven globalisation including IT, electronic media and now social media, instantaneous transfers of funds and ease of travel have all helped in unprecedented growth and benefits. Yet, these very same inter-linkages are also now being used for the spread of radical propaganda, extremist ideologies, recruitment of followers beyond national boundaries and spread of terrorist networks”.