MUMBAI: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said the key conspirators and planners of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished, which undermined the collective credibility.
He also said that when it comes to proscribing some terrorists, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has "regrettably" been unable to act in some cases because of "political considerations".
The minister was speaking at a special meeting here on 'Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes'.
The first leg of the event is being held at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in south Mumbai.
This hotel was one of the places attacked by the terrorists during the November 2008 attacks.
"The key conspirators and the planners of 26/11 terror attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished," Jaishankar said. This undermines the collective credibility and collective interest, he added.
Jaishankar said the "shocking" terror attack was an attack not just on Mumbai, but on the international community.
"In fact, this entire city was held hostage by terrorists, who had entered from across the border," he said without naming Pakistan. As many as 140 Indian nationals and 26 citizens from 23 countries lost their lives in the attacks, he said.
On November 26, 2008, 10 terrorists trained by the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, killing 166 people.
Speaking before the Informal Briefing of the Counter-Terrorism Committee, Jaishankar said, "We all know that money is the lifeblood of terrorism. Terrorist organizations require funds and resources to maintain their organizational functions and undertake activities. The reality that terrorism continues to exist and expand points to an underlying truth: that terrorism continues to get the necessary financial resources to thrive."
"A key aspect of combating terrorism is to effectively curb terror financing. Today, the Counter-Terrorism Committee will also be hearing from experts on countering the financing of terrorism in the local & regional context," he said.
Asking the international community to remember the trauma faced by victims of the Mumbai terror attacks, EAM said "Your presence here demonstrates the commitment that each one of you and your countries and all other stakeholders from various organisations have shown towards combating the common threat of terrorism."
Jaishanakar said terrorism is a serious threat to international peace and security, indeed, to the entire humanity. "We have heard the voices of its victims today. Their loss is immeasurable," he added while referring to the victim's accounts that were heard prior to his speech.
The external affairs minister stressed the need to remember the trauma of victims of the Mumbai attacks to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice.
"However, it's incumbent on us, as responsible members of the international community to remember that trauma and to persevere in our efforts to bring the perpetrators of terrorism to justice. We owe this to every victim of terrorism across the world," he added.
Jaishankar, Michael Moussa, Gabonese Foreign Minister and president of the UNSC along with the members from international community also paid tributes to the victims who lost their lives in the 26/11 terror attacks.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)