United Nations, New York – October 14, 2025 – In a forceful intervention at the United Nations General Assembly's Sixth Committee (Legal), India has renewed its demand to explicitly recognize terrorism and its sponsorship as crimes against humanity, underscoring the need for universal accountability to combat the "heinous atrocities" inflicted by terror networks and their backers. The statement, delivered by BJP Rajya Sabha MP S. Phangnon Konyak on Monday, comes as the committee deliberates a proposed international convention to prevent and punish such offenses, highlighting India's longstanding crusade against cross-border terrorism amid escalating global security threats.
Konyak, the lone Rajya Sabha member from Nagaland and a vocal advocate for Northeast issues, addressed the panel during its thematic discussion on crimes against humanity, emphasizing that any comprehensive definition must encompass the barbarity of terrorists and those who enable them. "We emphasise that any definition of crimes against humanity must explicitly capture the heinous crimes and atrocities perpetrated by terrorists and their sponsors," she declared, adding, "Justice and accountability demand that such acts are not overlooked." Her remarks align with India's zero-tolerance stance, rooted in decades of suffering from attacks like the 2008 Mumbai siege and the 2019 Pulwama bombing, which she implicitly referenced as emblematic of state-sponsored terror.
The Sixth Committee's ongoing session, part of the 80th UNGA, is examining draft articles prepared by the International Law Commission (ILC) on an international convention to criminalize atrocities on par with genocide and war crimes. Adopted by the ILC in 2024, the draft draws inspiration from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), though Konyak cautioned against its wholesale adoption. India, like several permanent UN Security Council members including China, Russia, and the US, is not a party to the ICC due to concerns over its politicization and potential infringement on national sovereignty. "Any treaty should consider the diversity of legal systems and unequivocally respect national sovereignty," she stressed, warning that inconsistencies with the UN Charter could lead to "fragmentation and conflict with existing legal norms."
Nations, Konyak asserted, bear the "primary responsibility and obligation to ensure justice and accountability for the most egregious violations of human rights and mass atrocities committed either in their territory or by their nationals." The General Assembly has slated intergovernmental conferences in 2028 and 2029 to negotiate the treaty, a timeline India views as an opportunity to integrate terrorism explicitly, building on UN Security Council Resolution 1566 (2004), which provides a foundational definition of international terrorism.
Echoes of India's Broader Counter-Terrorism Agenda
Konyak's address builds on recent Indian diplomacy, including External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's June 2025 UN remarks decrying "no impunity for terrorists" and rejecting nuclear blackmail from terror sponsors. It also resonates with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's warnings at the September 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin against double standards on terrorism. India has long championed a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), first drafted in 1996, which remains stalled due to definitional disputes—particularly over "state terrorism." In a parallel Sixth Committee statement earlier this month on international terrorism, India reiterated that "sheltering the masterminds of terror attacks is as much a crime as the conduct of these reprehensible attacks," calling out nations that operationalize terror hubs or glorify attackers.
The push gains urgency amid rising global threats: the UN's 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment flags terrorism and nation-state sponsorship as top risks, while India's Northeast—Konyak's home turf—continues to grapple with insurgent spillovers from Myanmar. Domestically, the MP's intervention underscores the BJP's narrative of a "new India" confronting external threats, with Konyak herself hailing from a border state that has seen ethnic violence linked to cross-border elements.
Global Echoes and Challenges Ahead
Reactions have been swift, with UN diplomats from South Asia and Africa praising India's emphasis on victim-centered justice, though some delegates from the Global South echoed reservations about ICC-style mechanisms. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), in a September statement, condemned terrorism but framed it through the lens of "Israeli colonial oppression," highlighting fault lines in consensus-building. India's Permanent Mission to the UN, through Deputy Permanent Representative Yojna Patel, has been active in related forums, including the launch of the Victims of Terrorism Association Network under the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT).
As the Sixth Committee advances toward the 2028 negotiations, Konyak's call injects fresh momentum into India's decade-old advocacy. "Terrorism synthesizes bigotry, violence, intolerance, and fear—it devastates lives and undermines peace," she concluded, urging deeper international cooperation without "double standards" or "exclusivist thinking." With the UN's Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy under review, India's proposal could redefine the legal architecture against terror, ensuring sponsors face the same global opprobrium as perpetrators. Yet, bridging divides on sovereignty and politicization remains the litmus test for a treaty that truly safeguards humanity.
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