India to host UNSC meet on counterterrorism

GS paper 2

Syllabus: UNSC, members of UNSC, important international institutions etc

Directions: UPSC may ask questions regarding permanent members of UNSC, distribution of non permanent membership etc

Source: The Hindu

Context:

• In a first, India will host diplomats and officials from all 15 countries of the United Nations Security Council, including China, Russia and the United States, for a special meeting on terrorism, in Delhi and Mumbai in October.
• The meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), which India is chairing for 2022 as a member of the UNSC, will focus particularly on challenges such as terrorism financing, cyberthreats and the use of drones, said officials.

Key Highlights:

• Cross-border threats from Pakistan and Afghanistan: India is expected to highlight cross-border threats from Pakistan and Afghanistan at the meeting, which will come two months before India completes its tenure as an elected member of the UNSC (2021-22).
• Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism: In addition, India has been pushing for the UN members to adopt a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (first proposed in 1996), which is likely to be raised during the meeting.
• Victim of terrorism: The event will showcase India’s role as a victim of terrorism as well as a country at the forefront of global counter-terrorism efforts.
• India as President of UNSC: They said the CTC meeting in India could also pave the way for a possible visit to New York by the Prime Minister in December, where India will be the President of the UNSC for the entire month.
• Focus on significant areas: The special meeting will specifically focus on three significant areas:
  • Where emerging technologies are experiencing rapid development
  • Growing use by Member States (including for security and counter-terrorism purposes)
  • Increasing threat of abuse for terrorism purposes, namely:
    • The Internet and social media
    • Terrorism financing, and
    • Unmanned aerial systems.

Insta Links:

UNSC

Practice Questions:

Q. The long sustained image of India as a leader of the oppressed and marginalized nations has disappeared on account of its new found role in the emerging global order.’(UPSC 2019)