India wants UN members to ensure zero tolerance towards terrorism

NEW YORK: India will ask members of the United Nations to ensure a "zero tolerance" approach towards terrorism besides pressing for an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism during the UN General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders.

Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said India also proposes to focus on the issue of terrorist financing at a special meeting of the UN Security Council's Committee on Counter Terrorism in November.

Mathai said India would continue to stress the need for a "proactive campaign" against terrorism during the current session of the General Assembly and would work towards an early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

India, which chairs the UNSC's counter-terrorism committee, would also "urge all member states to ensure zero tolerance towards terrorism and to take urgent action to prevent and combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," Mathai told reporters at India's UN mission here yesterday.

India would also continue to emphasise its commitment to universal, non-discriminatory, phased and verifiable nuclear disarmament in a time bound manner.

Mathai said the ongoing 67th session of the General Assembly is taking place at a time when the world is facing continued economic and financial uncertainty and the Middle East and North Africa regions are in a "state of flux".