Huge reduction in militant activities in J&K: NIA DG
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 17: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver the inaugural address at the third ‘No Money for Terror’ (NMFT) Ministerial conference on counter-terrorism financing in New Delhi tomorrow.
The two day conference scheduled for November 18 and 19, will offer a unique platform for participating nations and organizations to deliberate on effectiveness of the current international regime on counter-terrorism financing as well as steps required to address emerging challenges, an official statement ahead of start of the conference, said.
The conference will build on gains and learnings of previous two conferences (held in Paris in April 2018 and in Melbourne in November 2019) and will work towards enhancing global cooperation to deny finances to militants and access to permissive jurisdictions to operate.
It will be attended by about 450 delegates from across the world, including Ministers, Heads of multilateral organizations and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Heads of Delegations.
“During the Conference, deliberations will be held in four sessions which will focus on ‘Global Trends in Terrorism and Terrorist Financing’, ‘Use of Formal and Informal Channels of Funds for Terrorism’, ‘Emerging Technologies and Terrorist Financing’ and ‘International Co-operation to Address Challenges in Combating Terrorist Financing’, the statement said.
The international ministerial conference on how to deal with terror financing, including legitimate and illegitimate funding routes will be attended by representatives of 75 countries and international bodies.
The participating nations will also deliberate on how to effectively enforce the standards mandated by the FATF and UN listings on terror group and terrorists.
The Home Ministry said that the hosting of this conference shows the importance being given by the Modi Government to the issue of international terrorism as well as its zero tolerance policy against this menace and having discussions on this issue in the international community.
Shah is expected to convey India’s determination in its fight against terrorism as well as its support systems for achieving success against it.
Globally, countries have been affected by terrorism and militancy for several years. The pattern of violence differs in most theatres, but is largely engendered by a tumultuous geo-political environment, coupled with prolonged armed sectarian conflicts, the sources said, adding such conflicts often lead to poor governance, political instability, economic deprivation and large ungoverned spaces.
The involvement of a compliant state often exacerbates terrorism, especially its financing.
India has suffered several forms of terrorism and its financing over more than three decades, hence it understands the pain and trauma of similarly impacted nations.
The forthcoming NMFT conference will further India’s efforts to build understanding and cooperation amongst nations.
According to a document paper of the conference, the discussion on global trends in terrorism and terrorist financing will cover on trends in terror financing in South Asia, evolving global terrorist threats, potential of global terrorist organizations to expand and recent trends in combating terrorist financing and money laundering risks.
The session on use of formal and informal channels of funds for terrorism will discuss links between legitimate economic activities and terror financing, misuse of Non Profit Organizations (NPOs) and Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBP) in terror financing, terror financing through Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS), ‘Hawala’ or ‘Hundi’ networks and other informal means, nexus between terrorists and transnational organized crime, especially drug trafficking in financing of terrorism, the paper noted.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference ahead of the meeting, , National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General Dinkar Gupta said Pakistan and Afghanistan were not participating in the conference, while China was yet to confirm.
Asked if Pakistan, China and Afghanistan were invited to the conference, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Sanjay Verma said, “China has been invited.” He, however, remained silent on the other two neighbouring countries.
Giving details of the conference, Gupta made it clear that no country-specific discussion is part of the agenda but representatives of 73 nations, including Ministers of over 20 of them, will discuss with an open heart all issues, be it the source of terror, the threat or its funding.
“Every participating country has full right to express its views,” he said.
Gupta said terror activities have declined in India during the last eight years, and there is a “huge reduction” in terror activities in all “theatres of conflicts”, be it Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, the northeast or the areas affected by Left Wing Extremism.
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