UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has given the nod to create a new office for counter-terrorism by taking the Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force Office and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre out of the purview of the Department of Political Affairs, and India is only too happy about it.
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India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Syed Akbaruddin, has been quoted by PTI as saying: "Every day our collective conscience is being ravaged by terrorists in some part of the world or other. It is in this background of growing concerns, that we greatly appreciate the Secretary General's initiative to promptly address the need to enhance coordination of the UN's counter-terrorism efforts." Here are 5 reasons why India is happy with the UN move:
1. Countering Pakistan: The creation of the new office is aimed at improving the efficiency with which terrorism is fought against, with no change in the different mandates in counter-terrorism. If efficiency is indeed improved, it means more pressure on Pakistan to act on terrorists on its soil.
2. Less influence of China: Improved efficiency would also mean more terrorists actually being called out for what they are. This is again good news for India, which has been trying to get Jaish-e-Mohammed leader Masood Azhar designated as a global terrorist, but has seen its efforts thwarted by China. That may not happen when there is more efficiency.
3. Less influence of the US: The US has its own counter-terrorism policy. However, because it considers Pakistan a partner in its "war on terror," Pakistan often gets a pass when it comes to really strict counter-terrorism initiatives. The UN — also dominated by the US — has been trying to curb terrorism in the subcontinent, and with this new office, that effort will get a fresh push.
4. Monitor other neighbouring countries: India has been facing threats from all sides. There have been instances of agents of Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) working to destabilise India from Nepal. Fake notes are also smuggled into India from Bangladesh, and ISI is suspected to be behind this operation as well. Better efficiency in monitoring would help curb these incidents.
5. Use threat on Europe to curb terrorism: The threat of terrorist attacks in Europe has only risen over the past few years, as has terrorist activity in Afghanistan and the Middle East, from where many radical elements have been emerging. Interestingly, Afghanistan has blamed Pakistan for a majority of the terrorist activity on its soil. With the new UN counter-terrorism office, and better implementation of efforts to curb terror threats in Europe, terrorism in countries like Afghanistan can be halted, or entirely stopped.
