Preparations of a new anti-terrorism convention continue at UN headquarters

Against the backdrop of increasing incidents of terrorist acts worldwide, an ad hoc committee of the United Nations General Assembly is meeting this week in New York to further develop a new anti-terrorism treaty that will strengthen the existing network of conventions dealing with the problem, reported the UN news center.

According to many of the participants in this session of the Committee, tragic events in various regions around the world clearly showed that terrorism was becoming a global phenomenon - a fact that only increased the relevance and urgency of the Committee's work.

At the opening Monday of the session, which ends on Friday, a number of delegations expressed support for a proposal by the representative of Malaysia, on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, to establish a clear definition of terrorism so that it could be, in Malaysia's words, "differentiated from the legitimate struggles of people under foreign occupation for national liberation, as recognized by the relevant resolutions and declarations of the United Nations."

The representative of the Government of India, which prepared the draft of the convention being considered by the Committee, has said the relevant sectoral conventions on terrorism must be preserved and their role enhanced in the elaboration of the new convention, which should have its own "legitimate, independent and effective role in tackling the multi-faceted problems posed by international terrorism."