“No State can escape responsibility by pointing to non-State actors. As long as the territory of a country is used by non-State actors to prepare for terrorist attacks, that country owes a legal and moral responsibility to its neighbours and to the world to suppress those non-State actors and bring them to justice” Home Minister P Chidambaram said while addressing the 4th meeting of the SAARC Home Ministers here.
“What we need now is to be more proactive in implementing our resolutions in letter and spirit” he said adding that there the SAARC nations must share information on a real-time basis on terrorism and all forms of organized criminal activity.
“Take the case of our existing Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed nearly three years ago at the 15th Summit. If we act on the provisions of the Convention, it will facilitate evidence-sharing and the seizure and confiscation of criminal and terrorist funds” Chidambaram said.
The Home Minister emphasised the need for examining the existing mechanisms for countering terrorism, drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, arms smuggling and counterfeiting, including organised production and distribution of fake Indian currency notes.
Chidambaram said South Asia was perhaps the most troubled and vulnerable region in the world as the vast majority of terrorist incidents this year — as well as last year — occurred there.
Chidambaram also expressed India’s continuing commitment to discharge its responsibilities in SAARC in an effective manner, saying it would do its best to ensure that the grouping evolves into a vibrant regional economic organisation.
He said the threat of terrorism, which is a common challenge in the region, can be tackled only with the fullest cooperation amongst the member nations of the SAARC.
Referring to the existing Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed nearly three years ago at the 15th Summit of the grouping, Chidambaram said if SAARC acts on the provisions of the Convention, it will facilitate evidence-sharing and the seizure and confiscation of criminal and terrorist funds.
“Cooperation in our region should lead us to enhancing our cooperation in international fora as well. The proposed UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism is long overdue. As a region with the highest incidence of terror, we need to press for such a Convention soon.”
The Home Minister also announced that New Delhi will host the ‘Meeting of SAARC Eminent Experts to Strengthen Anti-Terrorism Mechanism’ sometime in October 2011.
Earlier, inaugurating the meeting on Saturday morning, Prime Minister of Bhutan Jigme Y. Thinley said that the spirit of understanding, trust and collaboration is growing among the member countries. He said every SAARC activity is important and Bhutan has had the honor and satisfaction of hosting several during the past one year. Home and Interior Ministers from the member states of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Maldives , Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives , Pakistan, and Sri Lanka are attending the meeting