Kampala (Uganda): India Thursday called on Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member states to display zero tolerance for terrorism, saying any sponsorship, support, justification or cover-up of terrorism will “come back to bite those who do so”.
Delivering India’s statement at the 19th NAM Mid-Term Ministerial Meeting here, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said terrorism is a “shared threat” that can be addressed only through deeper international cooperation.
“For decades, India has been a victim of barbaric cross-border terrorist attacks, most recently on 22 April 2025, when innocent tourists were slaughtered in Pahalgam in Jammu & Kashmir,” he said.
He said that virtually every member of this movement is cognizant of the challenge posed by terrorism and is committed to combating it.
“However, it is a matter of deep regret that when the UN Security Council deliberated on the Pahalgam terrorist attack, a member state chose to defend the perpetrator – The Resistance Front – to the extent of seeking a deletion of any public reference to them,” Singh said, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
Unfortunately, we have another member state that defends the action of this country, Singh added, in a veiled reference to Pakistan’s all-weather ally China.
“It is imperative that the Non-Aligned Movement display zero tolerance for terrorism. Any sponsorship, support, justification or cover-up of terrorism will come back to bite those who do so,” he said.
When nations declare terror as state policy, when terror hubs are allowed to proliferate with impunity, when terrorists are glorified by the functionaries of a State, such actions deserve nothing but unequivocal condemnation, Singh added.
He said challenges of climate change, debt sustainability, resilient supply chains, technological divide, trade and tariffs, and terrorism, among others, have made the world and the global situation extremely volatile.
“This is exacerbated by a global governance architecture that has been frozen in the reality of 1945. It was our movement, founded during the Cold War to preserve strategic space and autonomy of developing countries, that led to global decolonisation efforts,” he said.
He said that the NAM platform should be used to further the legitimate aspirations of the Global South.
“Our quest today is: for fair & transparent economic practices and a stable environment for fair trade; for resilient, reliable supply chains; urgent resolution of conflicts and protecting innocents from cross-border terrorism, for securing the global commons and for collaborative leveraging of technology for development,” he said.
And, as new challenges emerge, NAM must re-purpose itself to find effective solutions that encourage collaboration, he said.
“We must raise our voice for Reformed Multilateralism, including the UN Security Council and the International Financial Institutions, for reflecting contemporary realities in global decision making,” he said.
Noting that climate change is a pressing concern, he said countries should work towards climate adaptation and mitigation through adequate, just and predictable financing.
“We must destigmatise the movement of skilled professionals while clamping down on illegal migration. These are of prime importance for harnessing our demographic dividend,” he said.
As a founding member of the NAM and a fellow Global South country, India has been sharing its experiences of its developmental journey with partner countries for shared global prosperity, he said.
“India remains committed to the principles and values of NAM and will continue to actively engage with partners to revitalise our Movement,” he added.
At present, the movement has 120 member states, with 18 observer countries and 10 observer organisations.
