Round The World
New Delhi, 21 October 2016
Goa Declaration On Terrorism
BUILDING SUPPORT
BRICK BY BRICK
By Dr S Saraswathi
(Former Director,
ICSSR, New Delhi)
The Goa Declaration issued at the conclusion of the BRICS summit
is justifiably hailed as a diplomatic victory for India, in its attempts to gather
international support for its fight against the philosophy and practice of
terrorism. It called for a Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN General Assembly.
The Declaration contains nine points relating to combating
terrorism collectively out of the total of 109 points. It strongly condemned
terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and stressed that there can be no
justification whatsoever, for acts of terrorism, whether based on ideological,
religious, political, racial, ethnic, or any other grounds.
The Declaration specifically mentions the threat of chemical
and biological terrorism and the need to launch multilateral talks to put down
the threat. India’s
offer to host an international conference to strengthen global resolve to face
the challenge of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)-Terrorism nexus was
welcomed.
The Declaration called upon all nations to adopt a
comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, radicalism, recruitment and
movement of terrorists, sources of financing terrorism through organized crime,
money-laundering and drug trafficking, dismantling terrorist
bases, and misuse of information and communication technologies by terror
entities.
It was indeed a total fight targeting the source, the
course, strategies, and support structures and operations that go with
terrorism. What is required is the ability and willingness of the partners to
act collectively on the Declaration made at the BRICS Summit. No nation or
organisation can fight terrorism alone as the enemy mostly works in secrecy and
penetrates into normal life unlike traditional foes openly declaring war.
India has also maintained its balanced
posture knowing it fully well that however important and urgent may be the
fight against terrorism, BRICS platform cannot be reduced to deal exclusively
with this problem.
BRICS was originally BRIC, a multilateral forum formed in
2009 by four countries in three continents – Brazil
in South America, Russia
in Europe, and India and China in Asia.
It became BRICS with the admission of South Africa in another continent. They
have a common characteristic of being beyond the powerful hold of western
developed nations, and have a common interest in safeguarding their interests
and obtaining a higher role in international decision-making as in the World
Trade Organization (WTO) or Climate Change conferences. Global financial crisis brought these
countries together and their collective voice gained significance in international
platforms. However, they are all working
within the compulsions of economic liberalization that has engulfed the entire
world.
BRICS presents a united front of some of the fastest growing
economies more to defend their interests in globalisation despite some
bilateral problems within. Western countries including the US watch with
keen interest the proceedings and outcome of BRICS meetings. Each of these
countries has its individual relations with other countries and with other
regional organisations. Those links do
not and should not affect their solidarity. BRICS is an interest group and not
a political alliance.
In keeping with the broad objectives of BRICS, the Goa
Summit also dealt with several issues besides terrorism. The bloc agreed to
institute Agricultural Research Platform, Railway Research Network, a Sports
Council and youth-centred forum on which there were no two opinions. The meet
reaffirmed the need for comprehensive reform of the UN including its Security
Council with a view to making it more representative, effective, and efficient
and to increasing representation of developing countries so that it can
adequately respond to global challenges.
Goa Summit did not remain restricted to highlighting the
issue of terrorism as depicted in many reports, discussions, and comments,
which tend to overlook or treat as secondary some 100 other points in the
Declaration. China
and Russia recorded the
importance they attach to the status and role of Brazil,
India, and South Africa in
international affairs and their support to their aspirations to play a greater
role in the UN.
Goa also hosted a regional set up, BIMSTEC – Bay of Bengal
Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation – (Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Myanmar Nepal, and Sri Lanka)
along with BRICS providing opportunities for the two groupings to take some
common stand particularly against terror sponsors in the region. Prime Minister
Modi pressed for action saying “It is time to stand up and act and act
decisively. It is, therefore, imperative for BRICS and BIMSTEC to create a
comprehensive response to secure our societies against the perpetrators of
terror”.
The Outreach Summit, of BRICS’ leaders with those of BIMSTEC
has received more than normal attention in view of the failure of SAARC.
Besides that, Pakistan is
not a member of BRICS and BIMSTEC – a factor that provides fodder to
interpreters of Goa meetings.
BRICS has come a long way and is now acknowledged as an important
international organisation that is neither a regional nor a
commercially-oriented grouping of countries. The members have no common history
or polity. But, each one of them has the ability to speak and hold on to its
national ideologies and interests and together can present a pose that cannot
be ignored. It is a unique organisation
and its decisions make global news.
Bilateral relations within BRICS countries and of a BRIC
member with a non-member
State have not proved so
far a source of conflict for the future of the organisation. India-China issues
are a thorn that should be removed in their own self-interest. Some crucial
China-Pakistan ties in the vicinity of Indo-Pak differences, India-US strategic
partnership and interests in South China Sea, Russia’s defence agreements with Pakistan and joint military exercises, and India’s bid for NSG membership seeking a lead
over Brazil and South Africa
are some sources that may look incongruous with BRICS unity.
However, nations have matured enough in international
relations and capable of segregating issues and cultivating healthy relations
with different partners for different purposes at the same time. Remember –
there are groups to support arts and sports between warring countries, which
are fighting at their borders and argue that music, cinema, and cricket are
universal products. There is no danger
to BRICS declarations from other bilateral contacts provided the sanctity of
the Declaration is honoured.
Thus, India’s
diplomatic victory cannot be considered as total in Goa.
Notably, it has not been able to pinpoint Pakistan as the perpetrator of
terror as the “mothership of terror” as the Indian PM put it. It also failed to
convince China to believe
cross-border terrorism as Pakistan’s
handiwork.
Modi’s description of Pakistan in the context of
terrorism may have drawn global attention, but was not accepted unanimously by
all the members of BRICS to become part of the Declaration. Moreover, China has expressed its dissent to
depicting any nation or religion as terrorist or the mother of terrorism. Beijing’s argument that Pakistan has made many sacrifices
in fighting terrorism is indicative of the division within BRICS in fighting
terrorism despite unanimity in the goal of fighting terrorism.
Building BRICS against terrorism is not an overnight job. It
has to be done brick by brick. Goa Summit has covered a long way. ---INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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