India seeks 'decisive' action against terrorism

Observing that terrorism poses the "most serious" threat to the world, India today pressed for "decisive" action by the international community to dismantle the infrastructure of terror groups and end the menace.

Addressing a Summit of 22 Asian countries here on behalf of India, commerce and industry minister Anand Sharma  emphasised the need for early adoption of the Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) which has been
pending with the United Nations for long.
 
"Terrorism continues to be the most serious security threat confronting the international community," Sharma said at the 3rd Summit of Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building in Aisa (CICA).

He said all countries should act decisively to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and to effectively deal with terror groups that have chosen to perpetrate acts of indiscriminate violence.

"The choice before us is stark : We need to decisively act against this menace," said the minister at the meet being attended by world leaders, including Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin.

"Today, the world is facing non-military threats or non-traditional security challenges such as international terrorism, maritime security, piracy and clandestine proliferation," he said.

He said CICA needs to have the ability to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of security challenges. "We can no longer view security in narrow military terms," he said. 

India views CICA as an important player in the development of a cooperative and pluralistic security order in Asia, based on mutual understanding, trust and sovereign equality, Sharma said.

He pointed out that prime minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington in
April, had voiced concern on possible nuclear terrorism.

Singh had asked the world community to join hands to "eliminate the risk of sensitive and valuable materials and technologies falling into the hands of terrorists", Sharma said.

CICA is a multi-national forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

During the Summit, Iraq and Vietnam became members of
CICA taking the number to 22. India is part of CICA process
since its inception in 1992.

Sharma said the concept of security had undergone a change in the present century and CICA needs to have the ability to adapt to the rapidly changing nature of security challenges, including threats like international terrorism, maritime security and piracy and clandestine proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Noting that several steps had been initiated to strengthen cooperation to combat terrorism, Sharma, however said the international community was still far from rooting out the menace.

He said the task had in fact become more complex given that the dividing lines between terrorist organisations have blurred.

"Our task has become more complex as terrorists have adapted to counter the cooperative efforts of States to tackle terrorism. Distinctions between the terrorist organisations have become blurred, given the ease with which they blend together, both operationally and ideologically," the minister said in his address.

He also said that concerns against the possibility of nuclear terrorism confronting the international community and that of atomic weapons falling in the hands of terrorists were shared by India.

"We also share international concerns on possible nuclear terrorism. The Nuclear Security Summit held in Washington in April this year was a timely initiative, drawing attention to the danger of nuclear materials and technology falling into the hands of terrorists," he said.

He said process of globalisation has led to the globalisation of vulnerability and cited the recent financial crisis in Greece.

"The recent developments in Europe, coming on the heels of the financial crisis, have demonstrated the fragility of the global economic architecture and the risks associated with unsustainable lending patterns.

The minister said in the aftermath of the crisis it becomes vital to reform the global architecture to make it more representative of the current ground realities and give more say to developing economies.

"We approach the future with a sense of cautious optimism -- much will depend on the ability of nations to act in concert to reform the global architecture to make it more inclusive and representative in tune with contemporary global realities," he said.

He said CICA members, drawn mostly from developing countries, were important stakeholders in the global economic and financial recovery.