NEW DELHI: India on Sunday made a strong pitch for the finalisation of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) with the President of the UN General Assembly, who is in India on a two-day visit.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj stressed on the need for UN Security Council reforms and said, “No country could be immune to the threat of terrorism especially with emergence of IS. It is important that there should be a collective effort to deal with this menace.”
The Indian side also strongly pitched for early finalisation of the CCIT, a treaty proposed by India in 1996 to ban terrorists and make it binding for countries to deny funds and safe haven to them.
Sushma conveyed to the UN President-elect Mogens Lykketoft about India’s expectations to achieve concrete forward movement under his presidency on the finalisation of the CCIT.
Lykketoft was unanimously elected by the UN General Assembly as the President of the 70th Session on June 15 and is scheduled to assume his new responsibilities with the commencement of the Session from September 15.
Earlier, Lykketoft was the Speaker of the Danish Parliament and has served as Finance Minister and Foreign Minister of Denmark.
“The minister had productive and good discussions with the visiting dignitary. It is also significant given that he will be playing a pivotal role as we discuss key issues during the 70th session of the UN,” the Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry said.
She also congratulated him on his election as President of the landmark 70th Session which is expected to address several important issues, including adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UN Security Council Reform, Review of UN Peacekeeping Operations, Climate Change and Review of the Tunis Agenda (World Summit on Information Society).