Thaindian News

New Delhi, Sep 23 (IANS) Boosting the global fight against terrorism, differences have narrowed down on the proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) as India plans to make a fresh pitch for early adoption of the treaty by the UN.
India, which was among the initiators of the proposed convention in 1996, is hoping for “a positive movement” on the treaty when the

ad-hoc UN committee on the CCIT takes it up next month, official sources said Thursday.

In his address at the United Nations General Assembly next week, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna is expected to make a fresh pitch for early adoption of the CCIT.

The global treaty aims to address “gaps” in sectoral conventions on terror such as those relating to hijacking and to clear the ambiguity over definitions of terrorism. The treaty intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters access to funds, arms, and safe havens.

The chairman of the ad-hoc group has proposed a text that could bridge the gap between the concerns of some countries and the text tabled by India eight years ago.

Over the years, the number of countries opposing the CCIT has come down. What has surprised India is that Pakistan, which was once in the forefront of opposing the India-proposed convention, has shed its hostility, especially after a spate of terror attacks that hit that country over the last two years.

There is only a small minority of 15-20 countries, mostly from the the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), who continue to air reservations about some aspects of the convention due to its feared fallout on the Palestinians’ quest for a homeland.

The CCIT is embroiled in differences over whether self-determination should be outside its scope and whether it will take into account excesses by state forces.