(a) whether India sponsored a draft convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations in January this year;
(b) if so, the details of the draft; and
(c) whether the same were adopted indicating the countries which have undertaken to implement the UN sanctions contemplated therein ?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS (SHRI AJIT KUMAR PANJA)
(a) Yes Sir. In 1996, at the 51st session of the UN General Assembly India had circulated a draft of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. In 1999 , at the 54th session of the UNGA, it was agreed that the Indian draft would be taken up for discussion in the Ad Hoc Committee on International Terrorism in September 2000.
(b) The Preamble of the draft Convention recognises that the suppression of acts of international terrorism, including those which are committed or supported by States, directly or indirectly, is an essential element in the maintenance of international peace and security and the sovereignity and the territorial integrity of States. Article 8 provides for the responsibility of State Parties to take all practicable measures to prohibit on their territories the establishment and operation of terrorist installations and training camps. The Draft Convention also covers actions that cause damage to property including state or government facilities or to compel a Government or an international organisation to do or abstain from doing any act. The Convention includes the principle of command responsibility as well as the political exception clause which states that acts of terrorism are under no circumstances justifiable by considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other nature.
(c) The draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism has not yet been adopted. It has been taken up for consideration in two rounds of negotiations from September 25 - October 6 2000 and 12 - 23rd February 2001. The third round of negotiations will be held in October 2001.