NEW Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said strict economic crackdown should be launched against “terror haven” countries whose governments have made terrorism their state policy.
Addressing the closing session of the 3rd ‘No Money For Terror’ conference here, he also highlighted six priority issues, including eliminating the use of illegal channels, cash couriers and ‘hawala’ by terror networks.
In a veiled attack on Pakistan, Shah said that some countries, their governments, and their agencies have made ‘terrorism’ their state policy. In these terror havens, it is necessary to shackle their unrestrained activities along with a strict economic crackdown. All the countries of the world will have to make up their minds on this, rising above their geo-political interests,” Shah said at the conference being attended by 450 delegates from over 75 nations and international organisations.
‘’Terrorists understand information technology and cyberspace very well. They also understand the sensitivity of the public and tend to exploit them. Cyberspace today has become a major battleground in the fight against terrorism,” he said
Union Home Minister said that terrorism, today, has taken such a formidable form, that its effects are visible at every level. He said that “Terrorism is the biggest enemy of democracy, human rights, economic progress, and world peace, which we cannot allow to succeed”. Shri Shah said that no country or organization can successfully combat terrorism, alone. The international community must continue to fight shoulder-to-shoulder against this increasingly complex and borderless threat.
Union Home Minister said that in the last few decades, India has successfully tackled many challenges, including terrorism. He maintained that with India’s policy of Zero Tolerance against Terrorism, a strong framework of counter-terror laws, and empowerment of agencies, India has seen a significant reduction in incidences of terrorism and has succeeded in ensuring strict punishment in the cases of terrorism.
Shah said that forensic science is being promoted with the aim of equipping the investigation with science and technology and, in this direction, with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the world’s first National Forensic Science University has been established. Shah said that the Government of India has also decided to develop national and global databases on crimes such as terrorism, narcotics, and economic offenses. He said that in order to combat cybercrime in a comprehensive manner, the Government of India has established the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Center. Union Home Minister reiterated Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s resolve that India will be the focal point of international cooperation for “Counter-Terrorism (CT) and Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT)”.
He also drew the attention of the delegates towards six priority issues. They are: preventing diversion from legal financial instruments by fighting anonymity in financial networks, restricting the use of proceeds of other crimes for terrorist activities, preventing use of new financial technologies, virtual assets like crypto-currencies, wallets etc., for terror activities, eliminating the use of illegal channels, cash couriers, ‘hawala’ by terror networks, prevention of the use of non-profit organisation, NPOs sector to spread terror ideology and continuous capacity building of counter-terror and financial intelligence agencies of all countries.
Shah said across all stages of terror financing, such as fund-raising, fund movement, layering through other crimes, and finally, usage for terrorist activities, have to be cracked down at each stage. Each stage requires a “specific but collective approach” on a global scale.
All countries must implement the standards, and recommendations set by the Financial Action Task Force, FATF, not just on paper, but in spirit, he said.
The home minister said every country will have to identify and act against organisations pushing youths towards radicalisation and take stringent action against them.
“The strategy of ‘Trace, Target, and Terminate’ to be adopted from low-level economic offences to more organised economic crimes, he said.
Amit Shah said that the primary goal of this conference is to identify various channels and ideate a practical and workable roadmap against terror financing, identifying its various channels. He stated that according to an estimate by the IMF and the World Bank, criminals around the world launder around 2 to 4 trillion dollars every year. And a major part of it goes to fuel terrorism. Shah said that considering the quantum and challenges, the agencies and authorities working in the areas of counter-terror and terror financing, have to adopt a long-term strategy.
Shah said that across all stages of terror financing, such as fund-raising, fund movement, layering through other crimes, and finally, usage for terrorist activities, have to be cracked down at each stage and each stage requires a “specific but collective approach” on a global scale.
Shah said that to stop the borderless finance movement that supports terrorism, we also have to accept the approach of ‘Beyond-Border Cooperation’, among us, only then this platform will be successful.
Shah said this system established by the United Nations has successfully curbed to some extent, the actions of countries that make terrorism a state-funded enterprise, but it has to be further strengthened, made more rigorous, and transparent.
The home minister said the first commitment should be the cooperation with transparency and all countries and organisations must pledge complete transparency in sharing intelligence in a better and more effective manner.
Union Home Minister reiterated India’s commitment against terrorism and terror financing. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is committed to work with all countries to combat terror financing in all its forms, such as money laundering, misuse of digital financial platforms, hawala, etc. He said that during the deliberations, India has sensed the need for permanency of this unique initiative of NMFT, in order to sustain the continued global focus on countering the financing of terrorism and now the time is ripe for a permanent Secretariat to be established. Shah said that in order to take this thought forward, the Chair Statement includes the offers to establish a Permanent Secretariat in the country and shortly, India will circulate a discussion paper to all Participating Jurisdictions for their valuable comments.
Some priority issues listed:
1. Preventing diversion from legal financial instruments by fighting anonymity in financial networks,
2. Restricting the use of proceeds of other crimes for terrorist activities,
3. Preventing use of new financial technologies, virtual assets like crypto-currencies, wallets etc., for terror activities,
4. Eliminate the use of Illegal Channels, Cash Couriers, Hawala by Terror Networks
5. Prevent the use of Non-Profit Organisation, NPOs Sector to Spread Terror Ideology
6. Continuous capacity building of counter-terror and financial intelligence agencies of all countries.
