Threat of terrorism grave and universal, member states need to be agile, says Ruchira Kamboj
Oct 29, 2022
New Delhi [India], October 29 : Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, on Saturday highlighted that the threat posed by terrorism is grave and universal and member states need to be agile, forward-thinking and introduce comprehensive legislation to address the issue.
"Unprecedented technological progress is consistently breaking down barriers, connecting people, and laying out new possibilities like never before. Several technological innovations have created new prospects and tools for law enforcement, border security, countering terrorism financing, and other areas of counter-terrorism. However, their use is not uniform," she said at UNSC's Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) meeting at the Taj Palace in New Delhi.
India's Permanent Representative, who Counter-Terrorism Committee Chair, stressed the need for better collaboration to share big data-driven innovative solutions with States who lack the necessary resources.
"Member States need to be agile, forward-thinking and introduce comprehensive legislation to address this issue. Upholding human rights in practice and procedures, along with understanding the gendered impacts and biases of new technologies is crucial. Ongoing dialogue with multi-sectoral partners and sustained State efforts would be required to successfully create a bulwark against the use of new technologies for terrorist purposes," she said.
"The threat of terrorism is grave and universal and continues to grow in several parts of the world, particularly in several parts of Africa and South Asia. Terrorism in any part of the world is a threat to peace and security for the whole world. Therefore, it is important we reaffirm that all acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motivation, and wherever, whenever and by whomever it is committed", she added.
Highlighting the prevalence of commercially available unmanned aerial systems (UAS), she said how terrorist groups used these UAS for launching attacks.
"We have seen evidence of virtual assets being used to fundraise for families of foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and their affiliates in north-eastern Syria. In recent years, commercially available unmanned aerial systems (UAS) were used by terrorist groups, including Al-Qaida, Da'esh and their affiliates for the trafficking of drugs, arms and launching attacks. Unprecedented technological progress is consistently breaking down barriers, connecting people, and laying out new possibilities like never before. Several technological innovations have created new prospects and tools for law enforcement, border security, countering terrorism financing, and other areas of counter-terrorism. However, their use is not uniform. We need better collaboration to share big data-driven innovative solutions with States who lack necessary resources" she said.
In Mumbai on Friday, members of the international community attended the meeting at Hotel Taj Mahal Palace and paid tribute to victims of terrorism, one of the places attacked by a 10-member team of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in November 2008.
India is leading the Counter-Terrorism Committee until the end of this year. The two-day meeting in India marks the first time since 2015 that the Committee has convened outside the UN headquarters in New York.
The discussion will focus on three areas: internet and social media; financing for global terror networks; and the proliferation of unmanned aerial systems, such as drones.
The Counter-Terrorism Committee was established by unanimous consent on 28 September 2001, in the wake of the 11 September terrorist attacks in the United States, and all 15 Security Council members sit on it.
The Committee is tasked with monitoring the implementation of measures to enhance countries' legal and institutional counter-terrorism abilities, at every level, locally and internationally.
