Decoding UNSC Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC)
New Delhi hosted a two-day special meeting of the United Nations Security Council’s Counte-Terrorism Committee (CTC) on the the 28-29 October 2022. The theme of the meeting was ‘Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes’ [1]. It was the first meeting held in India since the inception of the committee in 2001. The meeting comes at a time as transnational terrorism is gaining ground at every corner of the world. As terrorism evolves, the groups are employing new sources of funding including micro-financing, cryptocurrencies, and crowdfunding. Other major sources of illicit finance include state sponsors, organized crime, arms trafficking, extortion, narcotics, individual funds and non-profit organizations.
History of the CTC
The United Nations Security Council set up the Counter-Terrorism Committee through resolution 1373 on 28th September 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. It comprises all 15 UNSC committee members including the P5 or the permanent members China, France, Russia, UK, and the US. Resolution 1373 focussed upon “reaffirming further that such acts, like any act of international terrorism, constitute a threat to international peace and security” [2]. Prior to the CTC, the international community also adopted the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism in December 1999 with an aim to criminalize acts of financing acts of terrorism. Additionally, the treaty aims to encourage police and judicial cooperation in order to stop, look into, and punish the funding of such crimes. With more than 185 member states having signed and ratified the treaty, it is considered one of the most successful anti-terrorism treaties in the world. Entering into force in 2002, Article 2 defines the act of terrorism financing as “any person commits an offence directly or indirectly, unlawfully and willfully, provides or collects funds with the intention that they should be used or in the knowledge that they are to be used, in full or in part, in order to carry an offense within the scope of the Convention [3].
Delhi Declaration
The Indian Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar put forward five points to be considered from the Indian perspective for global security. First, effective and ongoing measures to stop financing for terrorism. Second, coordination with other fora, such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), is required for the UN's normative activities. Third, watch out for political factors that could render the Security Council's sanctions regime ineffective. Fourth, it is crucially important to work together and take coordinated action against terrorists and their backers, including destroying terrorist safe havens. Fifth, acknowledge these connections and step up international efforts to combat the links between terrorism and transnational organised crime, such as the trafficking of weapons and illegal drugs. India also pledged USD500,000 to the UN Trust Fund for Counter-Terrorism.
After multiple rounds of discussions, the 15 UNSC members unanimously adopted the Delhi Declaration on countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes [4]. The key themes of the non-binding declaration included talks concerning terrorist improvements in unmanned aerial systems (UAS), online radicalization, cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, and social media weaponization. Respect for international law and human rights was at the core of the discussions. Further, the participating countries agreed upon the importance of the role played by public-private partnership and civil society engagement to work together on this challenge. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, also underlined the role of "concrete measures to reduce these vulnerabilities while committing to protect all human rights in the digital sphere."
Importance and Challenges for India
India hosted the meeting at a crucial juncture of hosting the G20 presidency for the year 2022-23. This comes amid emerging and evolving challenges for India in the wake of unprecedented changes in the world. From 26/11 memorial in Mumbai, where the participants of the CTC laid on wreath on, to Easter bombings in Sri Lanka, it served as a reminder for the international community that terrorism had reached the doorstep of the Indian subcontinent. Some of the parts of the declaration had a personal connection with New Delhi given the kind of evolving threats it has dealt with in recent times. Drones used for cross-border transportation of narcotics and arms have been caught red-handed by the Army and Border Security Force (BSF) across the western border in the states of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir [5]. Revelations in Panama and Paradise papers highlighted how tax havens are used for laundering money to fund terrorist groups.
India has consistently pushed for the passing of the Comprehensive Convention on the International Terrorism (CCIT), first proposed in 1986, which has been stalled due to lack of unanimity for definition of terrorism among UN member states. The convention will provide a strong legal basis for the fight against terrorism. While the western front has to deal with the rise of Taliban in Afghanistan and political instability in Pakistan, our eastern neighbour China on the other hand continues to block any efforts at listing Pakistan-based terrorists including and in a veiled support to Pakistan.
Despite setbacks, India continues to lead by example and remains committed in the fight against terrorism. The efforts have been recognized at international forums including recently at the UN where the Security Council’s President for the month of November, Permanent Representative of Ghana to the UN, Ambassador Harold Agyeman Ghana welcomed the adoption of the “forward-looking” Delhi Declaration and “appreciate that it will serve as a non-binding benchmark for countering the new narratives of terrorists” [6]. This year, the Indian parliament also introduced and passed an amendment to the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005. The most recent modification satisfies India's international commitments with regard to WMD by seeking to outlaw funding of such weapons and giving the Center the authority to freeze and take the financial assets of anybody participating in such operations [7]. The prior WMD and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) law from 2005 merely outlawed their production. The United Nations Security Council’s targeted financial sanctions and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force have mandated against financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
India also hosted an international “No Money For Terror” conference held on November 18-19 and is due to host a UNSC special briefing on challenges to global counter-terrorism efforts on December 15-16. Home Minister Amit Shah identified the priority areas to disrupt the ‘money trail’ including fighting anonymity in financial networks, restricting and preventing the use of proceeds of other crimes, of new financial technologies, virtual assets like crypto-currencies, wallets, etc., or of non-profit organisations (NPOs) to spread terror ideology/activities, eliminating the use of illegal channels, cash couriers, hawala and continuous capacity building of counter-terror and financial intelligence agencies of all nations [8]. New Delhi is right to preach that the challenge of terrorism requires a long-term, united, and permanent approach rather abrupt ad-hoc measures.
References:
[1]https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1871875#:~:text=Heads%20of%20Delegations%20of%20the,28%2D29%20October%2C%202022.
[2]https://www.unodc.org/pdf/crime/terrorism/res_1373_english.pdf
[3]https://www.un.org/law/cod/finterr.htm
[4]https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl/35840/Delhi_Declaration_on_countering_the_use_of_new_and_emerging_technologies_for_terrorist_purposes
[5]https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/dronedelivered-arms-ammunition-recovered-near-pakistan-border-in-jk-101669268684900.html
[6]https://theprint.in/world/unsc-members-praise-india-for-ctc-leadership/1234181/
[7]https://prsindia.org/billtrack/the-weapons-of-mass-destruction-and-their-delivery-systems-prohibition-of-unlawful-activities-amendment-bill-2022
[8]https://indianexpress.com/article/india/fight-terrorism-geographical-virtual-amit-shah-nmft-meet-8277821/
Pic Courtsey-Fabien Maurin at unsplash.com
(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE.)
