Geneva, November 20: Syed Akbaruddin, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations on Tuesday praised Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)'s Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure and termed it as a useful mechanism for coordinated action against terrorism and drugs. He also stated that India values the cooperation in various fields under the SCO framework.  During his address at the the third high-level special event of the United Nations and SCO, Akbaruddin stated that the United Nations designated terrorist organizations including the ISIL, Al-Shabab, Al-Qaida, Boko Haram, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), continue to destabilise entire regions through their cross-border financing, propaganda, and recruitment.

During his address, Akbaruddin said terror-crime nexus is an existential global threat, the contours of which are mutating everyday. He said to combat this menace we will all need to keep ahead of the new trends and technologies - something that can only be achieved if we work together, with a zero-tolerance approach, bereft of double standards. Read Syed Akbaruddin's Full Statement Here.

"We welcome expansion of SCO’s cooperation with UNODC & Central Asian Regional Information&Coordination Centre for Combating Illicit Narcotic-Trafficking", Akbaruddin said. Akbaruddin added saying that since joining the SCO in June 2017, India has actively engaged in enhancing the role of SCO at the international level. Syed Akbaruddin, India's UN Envoy, Makes Veiled Attack on Pakistan Over Providing Safe Havens to Terrorists.

He said while we have an expanding body of international legal instruments to prevent transnational organized crimes in specific sectors, there is still no common global strategy to curb criminal activities in cyberspace. Akbaruddin further added saying that terrorist organizations are engaging in lucrative criminal activities such as human trafficking to raise funds and several criminal groups have joined hands with terrorists to provide illicit financing. "The financing is being done through drug trafficking, arms dealing, selling looted antiquities, money laundering and counterfeiting. Depending upon the circumstances, these groups can coexist, cooperate and even converge", he added.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 20, 2019 09:48 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).