The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is all set to convene a crucial ‘Anti-Terror Conference 2023’ on October 5 to discuss various issues to deal with the menace and prepare a road map in the fight against it in close coordination with other agencies and State forces concerned.
The anti-terror agency has invited Union Home Minister Amit Shah to attend the event as a Chief Guest, and the Minister is learnt to have given his consent for his presence in the inaugural session of the conference.
The inaugural session of the conference will be held at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Delhi’s Chanakyapuri around 11 am on October 5.
Besides the NIA officials, the conference is learnt to be attended by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of State Police forces across the country and other concerned officers from different forces as well as other departments under the Ministry of Home Affairs engaged in anti-terror projects.
Counter-terrorism issues from financing to inter-State as well as foreign links of gangsters with banned terror outfits like Khalistani entities are among the issues to be discussed in the conference, which would be attended by different ranks of officers from Superintendent of Police to Director General.
The use of official and unofficial channels in financing terrorism, as well as the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorism financing would also be among the subjects of discussion.
The establishment of mechanisms to share information and best practices between States is also among other issues.
In November, the NIA had also organised a two-day ‘No Money For Terror’ (NMFT) Ministerial Conference with a commitment of 93 participating countries and multilateral organisations for strengthening international cooperation to address challenges in combating terrorism financing.
In the conference, the chair had affirmed that terrorism and its financing, in all forms and manifestations, continues to constitute one of the most serious threats to international peace and security and that any acts of terrorism and its financing are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomsoever committed, and called for listings and de-listings under these sanction regimes to be done in an objective manner, based on evidence and free from political considerations and duality of standards.
It was reaffirmed that the actions to counter terrorism and its financing should be collective and unified, without exceptions on any ground and recommitted to a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism.
It was also emphasised that the threat of terrorism and its financing is continuing, affecting a greater number of States across most regions, which contributes to undermining affected States, specifically their security, stability, governance, and social and economic development. It is desirable that states enhance their efforts to proactively counter these threats, even before they emerge.
(with inputs from ANI)
