India Steps Up Efforts to Designate The Resistance Front as UN-Listed Terror Outfit

Strategic Insights -

The Indian delegation met with top officials of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in New York, coming in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian government has been pushing for The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to be designated as a UN-listed terror outfit. The delegation discussed ongoing collaboration with CTED and UNOCT within their respective mandates, particularly in support of implementing key Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions. Key areas of cooperation include technical capacity-building initiatives, countering terrorist travel, supporting victims of terrorism, and countering the financing of terrorism.

Key Takeaways:

  • An Indian technical team met with the Monitoring Team of the 1267 Sanctions Committee and other partner countries in the UN, as well as UNOCT and CTED, to discuss counter-terrorism cooperation.
  • The Indian delegation focused on ongoing collaboration with CTED and UNOCT in support of implementing key Security Council counter-terrorism resolutions.
  • Key areas of cooperation include technical capacity-building initiatives, countering terrorist travel, supporting victims of terrorism, and countering the financing of terrorism.
  • The discussions also covered efforts to counter the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, including the development of non-binding guiding principles on threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems.
  • The Indian government has been pushing for The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), to be designated as a UN-listed terror outfit.
  • TRF had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people.
  • India has previously informed the Monitoring Team about LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through small terror groups such as TRF.
  • Pakistan is currently a non-permanent member of the Security Council and will preside over the 15-nation body in July.

Statistics:

  • 26 people killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
  • TRF has claimed responsibility for the attack.
  • India has previously informed the Monitoring Team about LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammad operating through small terror groups such as TRF 6 times (in May and November 2024, and in December 2023).
  • UNOCT was established in June 2017.
  • The Security Council established the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) in 2001.
  • The 1267 Al Qaida Sanctions Committee oversees the sanctions imposed by the Security Council.

Sources:

  • https://www.un.org/terrorism/
  • https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/
  • Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Orissa TV.