Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 19 (IANS) India will press for the finalisation of a crucial global terrorism treaty and pitch for completing the long-pending reform of the UN Security Council during the 64th UN General Assembly next week.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will represent India at the high-level segment of the 64th session of the UNGA. He will leave for New York Sunday and return Sep 27.

India will emphasise that it should be a priority to complete the long-pending reform of the UN and expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters here Saturday.

India will also stress on a “concerted effort” to finalise the long-debated Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism during the current session, Rao said.

The India-submitted draft convention, aimed at denying terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, arms and especially safe havens, is held up due to differences over the definition of terrorism.

Climate change and non-proliferation will be among other important issues that will come up for discussion at the UNGA and UNSC.

Alluding to the US-sponsored resolution on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation which will come up in the UNSC, Rao said India is committed to strengthening disarmament and promoting a global consensus on the issue.

The draft resolution, which stresses on universal adherence to Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), is a cause for worry for India which has not signed NPT and Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) on grounds that they are discriminatory and tend to divide the world into the nuclear haves and have-nots.

India’s Permanent Mission in the UN is closely monitoring it, Rao said.

“India is also in touch with friendly countries” over the draft resolution, Rao replied when asked if India will face increasing pressure form the US on signing the CTBT in days ahead.

Krishna will also represent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a high-level meeting on climate change Tuesday.

Spelling out India’s position ahead of the December Copenhagen conference, Rao said India believes in “a truly global, transparent rule-based regime” on climate change and emphasised that any global deal should take into account imperatives of poverty reduction and economic development of developing countries on the one hand and historical responsibilities of developed countries that have been biggest emitters of greenhouse gas on the other.