World News | India Contributes USD 500,000 to UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund

United Nations, May 8 (PTI) India has contributed USD 500,000 to the UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund, underscoring its unwavering commitment to support multilateral efforts in the global fight against the scourge of terrorism.

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj on Tuesday handed over to Under Secretary General, United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov the country's voluntary financial contribution of half a million dollars towards the UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund (CTTF).

Also Read | AstraZeneca Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine Worldwide, Cites Commercial Reasons Amid Side-Effect Row.

“India places great significance on the mandate and the work undertaken by the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism in building the capacity of member states to effectively deal with the threat of terrorism. The latest contribution reaffirms India's unwavering commitment to supporting multilateral efforts led by the United Nations in the global fight against the scourge of terrorism,” a statement by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN said.

The contribution is a testament to India's commitment to international cooperation on countering terrorism and continued implementation of the announcement made by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to contribute to the trust fund during the special meeting of the counter-terrorism committee held in New Delhi in October 2022 under India's presidency of the body.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian Secret Service Uncovers ‘Russian Plots’ Against Volodymyr Zelensky.

The statement said India's contribution would support UNOCT's global programmes -- mainly Countering Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and Countering Terrorist Travel Programme (CTTP).

"They are aimed at building capacities of the member states of eastern and southern Africa to combat the critical issues of financing of terrorism and prevent the movement and travel of terrorists,” it said.

Addressing the issue of the growing threat of terrorism in Africa has been one of the counter-terrorism priorities of India for the past few years.

Since 2018, India has also been actively supporting programmes combating this threat.

With its current contribution, India's cumulative financial support to the trust fund now stands at USD 2.55 million.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)