India ready with text of convention against international terrorism

India on Monday said it was ready with the text of the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism and would press for its early adoption by the United Nations.

“We now have a text on the table,” Indian envoy to the U.N. Hardeep Singh Puri told PTI.

“It is a text, which draws on all the work that has been done in the last eight or nine years,” he said, adding the text would appear to be an acceptable basis for negotiations.

However, there remain two outstanding issues that still needed to be resolved dealing with what kind of armed struggle, for instance a liberation movement, would not be called a terrorist act, and secondly would military forces be within the scope of the convention.

“Both of them have been discussed and I believe there is hope for language that will be the basis for the overall acceptance. I believe it is on the table,” Mr. Puri said.

“I don’t want to prejudge the outcome of the negotiations... clearly some more discussion and negotiation will be required but I think the basic contours for a settlement are there,” he said.

The negotiations over a comprehensive anti-terror convention have persisted for years but these efforts have largely been bogged down in technical issues. Getting CCIT wrapped up expeditiously is one of India’s main priorities at the U.N., said Mr. Puri.

“Participation in these meetings are by delegations from headquarters, therefore, I can only express the hope that the keenness with which New York-based delegations have expressed that is also shared in the capital of the member states and before too long we will able to action the text on the CCIT,” he said.

India circulated the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the U.N. General Assembly in 1996. The objective of the CCIT is to strengthen cooperation to combat international terrorism.

Mr. Puri also expressed India’s support for the plan to create a new U.N. gender entity focused on women. In 2009, the U.N. announced that four agencies would be amalgamated to create one single agency that would be dedicated to the welfare and equality of women.

In March, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged the General Assembly to pass a resolution that would create this body. “Certainly it is India’s priority to see a gender entity. Something which is carefully conceived, comprehensive, which is responsive to the interests of the gender empowerment and an entity which is will resourced,” Mr. Puri said.

“This is something India strongly favours,” he added.