India suffered immensely due to cross-border terrorism: Amb Ruchira Kamboj
UN has told the Security Council, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, Ruchira Kamboj, made the remarks on Friday at the Security Council open debate on Small Arms.
«Having fought the scourge of terrorism for several decades, India is aware of the perils of the diversion and illicit transfer of small arms and ammunition to armed non-state actors and terrorists,» Kamboj said.
«We have suffered immensely due to cross-border terrorism and violence carried out by terrorist groups using these illicit weapons smuggled across our borders, including now through the use of drones,» she said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.
Kamboj added that the increase in volume and quality of the arsenal acquired by these terrorist organisations «reminds us time and again that they cannot exist without the sponsorship or support of states.»
India emphasised that it is important that the Security Council exercises "zero tolerance" to terror actors and their sponsors, their possession and misuse of small arms and light weapons.
Kamboj underlined that the illicit traffic of small arms and light weapons and related ammunition is a «key enabler» for sustaining conflicts by armed and terrorist groups.
«This necessitates the need for coordinated efforts by states to limit the acquisition of small arms and light weapons by such actors,» she said.
She further said that international cooperation is essential to strengthen existing mechanisms for information exchange to identify diversion points, trafficking routes, customs control, and cross-border cooperation to prevent diversion and the illicit transfers of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition.
