New Delhi: Terrorism is absolutely “unjustifiable” and the time has come for the international system to combat it seriously, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Friday while noting that India naturally has its own concerns over the menace.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Guterres said combating terrorism must be a “fundamental priority” for “all of us” and that it is something that is very high in his priorities.
“This is something that is very high in my priorities. The first reform I made when I came to the United Nations was exactly to create the Office of counter-terrorism,” he said.
His remarks came when asked about India’s concerns over “cross-border terrorism” and what the United Nations can do in terms of collaborating with the member states in the fight against terrorism.
The UN Secretary General said terrorism has become a global phenomenon and that India “naturally” has its “own concerns”.
“Terrorism is indeed something that we must seriously consider and must be a fundamental priority of the international system,” he said.
Asked about China blocking attempts to blacklist certain terrorists, the UN Secretary General said the process should not be based on political considerations.
“Now, there is a mechanism within the Security Council with a committee of experts, and this is something that should not be based on political considerations that, of course, are different from area to area,” he said.
“I think this should be done with solid technical expertise in order to be able to identify those that are terrorists and must suffer the corresponding sanctions,” he added.
In the last few years, China repeatedly blocked proposals at the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based terrorists.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday said he fully understands India’s aspirations to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council but asserted that it is for the member countries to decide about the reform of the top global body.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, he acknowledged the need to adjust the composition of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to the “realities of today’s world”.
“It’s not for me to define who will be or who should be in the Security Council, that’s for member states (to decide) but I believe that what we need is to have a Security Council that represents today’s world,” Guterres said.
“The present composition of the Security Council represents the world after the Second World War. Today’s world is different. As you mentioned, India is today the largest country with the largest population in the world,” he said.
“So, I fully understand India’s aspirations in this regard. It’s not for me to judge, it’s for member states, but I believe, and I repeat, we need to adjust the composition of the Security Council to the realities of today’s world. I’m sure that you know those realities quite well,” Guterres said.
The comments by the UN Secretary General came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi told PTI in an interview that a mid-20th century approach cannot serve the world in the 21st century while strongly calling for reform of the United Nations in line with the changing realities of the world.
India is a strong contender for a permanent membership at the UNSC.
New Delhi has been upset over lack of any meaningful movement forward in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform.
At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the UN.
The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution.
The UN Secretary General also hailed India’s proposal to include the African Union into the G20 as a permanent member, describing it as an “excellent idea”.
“I think that it will be a very important voice, and that as the number of African countries is very limited in the G20, that will be a way to compensate for that fact,” he said.
Guterres said induction of the African Union into the G20 will bring the “voice” of the continent to the global decision-making forum, and cited how Africa was impacted by inequality, especially due to colonialism in the past.
“I think that the presence of the African Union will allow that continent to have a much stronger voice in the G20 and in international architecture.
The UN chief also complimented Modi for being able to bring the voice of the Global South into the G20.
He praised India for its initiative to launch the International Year of Millets for 2023.
“Now, food security is for us an essential concern. And what we are discovering is that there are many forgotten ways to solve problems of food security, and those forgotten ways are much better than what sometimes new technologies bring,” he said.
“So, I think the initiative on millet is a good way to demonstrate that we have the tools, we have the resources, we have the instruments to solve the problem of food security,” Guterres said.
On India’s contribution to UN peace-keeping, he said the global body is “extremely grateful” to the country.
“I think we need to pay tribute to all these people (Indian peace-keepers) and recognise that India has been a leading country in this regard,” he said.
Asked about the UN Summit of the Future next year and whether he was hopeful of delivering a UN that gives the Global South its due in decision-making by the time of the conclave, Guterres said it is expected to sow the seed of transformation.
“I see the summit of the future as the moment for the seed to transform itself into a beautiful green plant like the ones we have in this room,” he said.
