A Terrorist Is a Terrorist: India Urges UN to Reject Double Standards on Terror

Declaring that "a terrorist is a terrorist" , India has urged the international community to adopt a unified and uncompromising approach against terrorism , asserting that "no grievance, political cause or strategic calculation" can justify terrorist acts. Addressing the United Nations General Assembly during the adoption of the Ninth Review of the United Nations Global Counter Terrorism Strategy (GCTS) , India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Harish Parvathaneni , called on member states to reject double standards and strengthen global cooperation. The review marks 20 years since the GCTS was first adopted in 2006.

"India has been a victim of cross border terrorism for decades. Our people have paid the price of terrorism in lives lost, families scarred and societies shattered. There can be no justification for terrorism," Parvathaneni said. Echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message that "terror anywhere threatens peace everywhere," he added, "We must work hand in hand to root out the murderous ideology without finding any grievance to justify terrorism." India also stressed that victims of terrorism must remain at the centre of global counterterrorism efforts.

The Indian envoy said there is an obligation to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of terrorism accountable and called for stronger implementation of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, enhanced financial intelligence sharing and action against jurisdictions facilitating terror financing . He also warned against terrorists exploiting artificial intelligence , drones, encrypted communication platforms, virtual assets, deepfakes and the dark web, saying it was "disheartening" that the latest GCTS review failed to adequately address the growing misuse of emerging technologies by terrorist groups.

Reiterating India's long standing demand for the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) , Parvathaneni said the absence of a universally accepted legal framework continues to weaken collective action against terrorism. "Nearly three decades of delay have hindered our collective efforts to combat terrorism. The time has come to demonstrate political will to conclude the CCIT," he said. India also criticised the omission of the Delhi Declaration from the 2023 GCTS review despite its leadership through initiatives such as the No Money for Terror conferences.

Concluding his address, Parvathaneni warned that terrorism could only be defeated if countries demonstrated genuine political will. "Only if there are no double standards, only if there is no distinction between good or bad terrorists, could the menace of terrorism be successfully combatted by us together," he said, while also urging the UN to condemn prejudice against all faiths , alongside Islamophobia, Christianophobia and antisemitism.