India to host UN meet; use of Net, drones by terrorists on agenda

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New Delhi, October 26

India will for the first time host a two-day meeting of the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) against the backdrop of its disappointment over China putting on hold a proposal to proscribe five Pakistan-based terrorists, including the son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed.

The conference’s “soft launch” will be in Mumbai on October 28 followed by a day-long meet in New Delhi the next day.

The CTC will begin its proceedings by paying homage to the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks, which was the handiwork of the LeT.

“This (Mumbai attacks) is the prime example of cross-border terrorism. Our attempts to designate terrorists in the UN listing process through the UNSC runs into subjectivity. It reflects the fact that the institutional arrangement or decision-making process in a body such as the UN seems outdated and anachronistic. The objections are guided by geo-strategic alliances that are far removed from the original cause for which the listing was suggested,” MEA’s Secretary (West) Sanjay Verma told the media here.

Asked about the Chinese putting on hold the proposal to blacklist five Pakistan-based terrorists, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said, “It’s a slow process, sometimes double standards are expressed. We will have to live with that and negotiate with like-minded countries. We are trying to incrementally tighten against forces that use all types to resort to medieval or primordial way of resolving political differences.”

Kamboj said, “The meeting will focus on the use of internet, new payment mechanism and drones by terrorists.”

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UNSC members will pay homage to victims of terrorism at Mumbai’s Hotel Taj Mahal Palace. Subsequently, an informal briefing of the CTC will be held on “Combating terrorism financing in local and regional contexts”.

Ministerial participants are expected to include Gabon’s Michael Moussa Adamo, Ghana’s Shirley Ayorkar Botchwey, UAE’s Reem Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UK’s James Cleverly and Albania’s Megi Fino.

The special meeting of the CTC will be in New Delhi on October 29 and will commence with a high-level ministerial plenary session, in which UNSC’s message will be read out.

The three themes of the discussions will be “Countering terrorist exploitation of Information and Communication Technologies”, “Countering terrorism financing online – threats and opportunities related to new payment technologies and fundraising methods” and “Threats posed by terrorist use of unmanned aerial systems”.

Misuse of tech cause for concern

Terrorism remains one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and misuse of emerging technologies is an issue of increasing concern. — Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to UN