Porlamar: Hitting out at Pakistan, India on Sunday said "one country" in its neighbourhood scuttled its proposal of setting up a working group on counter-terrorism within the NAM even as the final draft declaration of the bloc's summit strongly condemned terrorism and vowed to combat the scourge.
The final draft declaration of the 17th Non-Aligned Movement summit here in Venezuela also strongly pitched for decisive and coordinated action to prevent and combat the financing and illicit transfer of weapons.
The NAM Summit draft declaration reiterated that terrorism constitutes one of the most serious threats to internationalpeace and security.
Hence, the 120 NAM countries reaffirmed their firm condemnation of terrorist acts in all forms and manifestations, whatever their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever they are committed.
"They further condemned the destruction of cultural heritage and religious sites, as well as the commission of crimes against humanity by terrorist groups, among others, on the basis of their religion or beliefs," the draft that will be adopted as the 'Margarita Declaration' said.
"The way the NAM works is on consensus so we have to have consensus among all countries but that said we have been able to get references to terrorism (put in the declaration) which are purely and largely language suggested by India," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin, who is in this city of Margarita Island to take part in the deliberations of NAM, told reporters at a briefing. Asked about the working group on terrorism within NAM that India had proposed, Akbaruddin, without naming Pakistan, said there was "one country in our neighbourhood who did not allow consensus to be reached on this matter".
However, he said this was an issue Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has now put further on the agenda, saying that he will in his presidency outline this as one of his priorities.
"At this stage that (working group) is not reflected (in the draft declaration) as it could not gain consensus despite having support of the overwhelming majority but NAM rules provide for certain ways in arriving at decisions and it is regrettable that it did nothappen because of issues you are well aware of," he told reporters.
According to the draft declaration, the NAM countries recognised the threat posed nowadays by this "despicable scourge", particularly the activities carried out by terrorist groups such the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, ISIS and its affiliated entities, Jabhat Al Nusra, Boko Haram and Al Shabbaab, and other entities designated by the UN.
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