India and four other members of the BRICS on Thursday said there should be no “political approaches” and “selective application” in dealing with terrorism and insisted that all countries should adhere to their obligations of fighting against the menace, a statement that could apply to Pakistan.
At a summit meeting in Ufa, the grouping, which includes Russia, China, Brazil and South Africa, also condemned terrorist activities of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) and associated terrorist groups.
“We believe that terrorist threats can be effectively addressed through a comprehensive implementation by states and the international community of all their commitments and obligations arising from all relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy,” said the BRICS Declaration.
“We call upon all states and the international community to adhere to their commitments and obligations and in this regard to resist political approaches and selective application,” it said.
Although there was no specific reference to Pakistan, the observation could apply to the country as it has adopted a selective approach towards dealing with terrorism.
“We reiterate our strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stress that there can be no justification, whatsoever, for any acts of terrorism, whether based upon ideological, religious, political, racial, ethnic, or any other justification,” the Declaration said.
It also said, “We condemn in the strongest terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the continued, widespread and grave abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law committed by the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al-Nusrah Front and associated terrorist groups, and in particular the persecution of individuals and communities on the basis of their religion or ethnicity, as well all forms of violence against civilians, particularly women and children.”
Expressing determination to “consistently strengthen our cooperation in preventing and countering international terrorism,” the BRICS leader said, “We stress that the UN has a central role in coordinating international action against terrorism, which must be conducted in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter, international refugee and humanitarian law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
In the declaration, China and Russia also said that they support the aspirations of India, Brazil and South Africa for permanent membership of the UNSC.
Criticising “double standards,” the BRICS nations promised to work closely with the UN to uphold international treaties.
“We emphasise the need for universal adherence to principles and rules of international law in their interrelation and integrity, discarding the resort to ‘double standards’ and avoiding placing interests of some countries above others,” the declaration said.
The BRICS countries also rallied behind Russia by opposing the Western sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine conflict.
“We condemn unilateral military interventions and economic sanctions in violation of international law and universally recognised norms of international relations. Bearing this in mind, we emphasize the unique importance of the indivisible nature of security, and that no State should strengthen its security at the expense of the security of others,” the declaration said.
The BRICS also adopted an “Action Plan” that maps the 2016 trajectory of the group.
The Russia-proposed “Strategy of BRICS Economic Partnership,” a blueprint for the group’s trade, investment and commerce ties up to 2020. Among other things, it will be aimed at increasing the competitiveness of BRICS countries in the global economy.
The five foreign ministries also signed an agreement on creating a joint BRICS website, which will act as a virtual secretariat of the group.
The Central Banks of the five countries have also signed cooperation agreements with the New Development Bank.
