'Beautiful thing about India...': Top UN counter-terrorism official's praise
The UNSC counter-terrorism committee's meeting was held over two days - in Mumbai on October 28 and Delhi on October 29.
India's chairmanship of the United Nations Security Council will focus on new and emerging technology 'as a point of main concern and focus of attention', David Scharia, head of the global body's counter-terrorism unit, told news agency ANI on Saturday after a meeting of the Security Council's Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in New Delhi.
He also thanked India for focusing on global solutions to the spectre of terrorism despite facing its own challenges, saying it was a ‘beautiful thing’.
Scharia said a declaration to be adopted after the meeting will provide details on how the CTC and its executive directorate (CTED) will tackle these issues.
"What we are already seeing is United Nations Security Council engagement at a very high level on the issue of the threat of new and emerging technologies used by terrorists. That, in itself, is a huge accomplishment of this meeting (in New Delhi)," Scharia said.
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"The outcome document will lay out a very clear action plan for (the) counter-terrorism community... what activities they will take, what commitments they will make and how they will support with members states," he added.
"... one of the beautiful things about India is that it went out of its victimhood of terrorism and paved the way for the international community... identified three areas of concern and brought together 15 members of the council... will help India and all countries," he said.
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The Delhi Declaration 'will encourage member states to work collaboratively and collectively to counter the menace of terrorism', Ruchira Kamboj - India's Permanent Representative to the UN and CTC Chair - told ANI.
Earlier today, external affairs minister S Jaishankar addressed the meeting and flagged dangers posed by terrorists using advanced technology - 'as they become cheaper and more readily available' - to carry out their attacks.
He stressed that the threat posed by terrorists equipped with access to such tech had grown despite UNSC efforts over the past 20 years.
The minister also highlighted dangers posed by social media, declaring it had turned into 'potent instruments in the toolkit of terrorists and militant groups for spreading propaganda, radicalisation and conspiracy theories aimed at destabilising societies'.
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He also spoke about 'the use of unmanned aerial systems by terrorist groups and organised criminal networks'.
The global threat of terrorism is the 'gravest threat to humanity', Jaishankar said, as he announced a contribution of $500,000 from India to counter terrorism. The money will go to the UN Trust Fund for Counter Terrorism.
The two-day counter-terrorism meet finished in Delhi on Saturday. The first day's
With input from ANI, AP
