In January 2022, India will chair the UNSC counterterrorism committee, after 10 long years.

Key Points

• The Counter terrorism committee is of a greater significance for India, because, India has been pitching pertinent measures to fight terrorism across the global platform.
• India last chaired the committee in 2012.

Background

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador TS Tirumurti had announced on January 8, 2021 that, India will chair three important communities at the UNSC in 2021-22. The three committees are- Taliban Sanctions Committee, Counter-terrorism Committee and Libya Sanctions Committee.

India’s resolution on counter-terrorism

• TS Tirumurti had announced in November 2020 that, India’s annual resolution on counter-terrorism issue was co-sponsored by more than 75 countries. The resolution was adopted by consensus in the First Committee of the UNSC.
• India has encouraged stronger international cooperation for preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems in the annual resolution called “Measures to Prevent Terrorists from Acquiring Weapons of Mass Destruction.”
• India has been at the forefront of emphasising the treat to international peace and security that terrorist groups pose, because India has been a victim of state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
• At United Nations, India had called for stronger national measures for addressing this issue before the UN Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 1540.

UNSC Resolution 1540

UNSC Resolution 1540 requires all states to refrain from supporting non-state stakeholders in developing, manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, transferring, transporting, or using nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.

Counter-Terrorism Committee

Counter-Terrorism Committee is a subsidiary body of United Nations Security Council. It is a 15-member committee, established in the aftermath of 9/11 attack in United States to monitor the UNSC resolution 1373. The resolution was adopted mandates all States to criminalize assistance for terrorist activities, share information on groups planning terrorist attacks and deny financial support & safe haven to terrorists.