United Nations, Apr 29 (PTI) India said that the "strong, unequivocal" support and solidarity extended by global leaders in the wake of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam is a testimony to the international community’s "zero tolerance" for terrorism.
"The Pahalgam terrorist attack represents the largest number of civilian casualties since the horrific 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008,” India’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel, said.
"Having been a victim of cross-border terrorism for decades, India fully understands the long-lasting impact such acts have on victims, their families and society," Patel added.
Patel was speaking at the hybrid launch event for the ‘Victims of Terrorism Association Network’ (VoTAN) of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism at the world body’s headquarters on Monday. She said that “India deeply appreciates and values the strong, unequivocal support and solidarity extended by leaders and governments across the world in the wake of the recent terrorist attack at Pahalgam, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
This is a testimony to the international community’s zero tolerance for terrorism.” The horrific April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam killed 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen.
The victims were mostly tourists from all across India. Global leaders, including US President Donald Trump, US Vice President J D Vance, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and expressed their condolences and solidarity with India.
Last week, the 15-nation UN Security Council issued a Press Statement condemning "in the strongest terms” the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, stressing that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable and organisers and sponsors of this "reprehensible act of terrorism" should be brought to justice.
The Council members “stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.”
A press statement is a declaration to the media made by the President of the Security Council on behalf of all 15 Members.
France is President of the Council for the month of April and the press statement was issued by Council President Permanent Representative of France to the UN Ambassador Jerome Bonnafont.
Pakistan currently sits in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.
A press statement requires agreement from all Council members and is a negotiated text. Patel highlighted that the Council, in its statement, has said that perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of reprehensible acts of terrorism must be held accountable and brought to justice.
"Acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomever committed.
We reiterate that terrorism in all its forms must be condemned unequivocally,” she said.
India also termed the establishment of the Victims of Terrorism Association (VoTAN) as a significant step, saying it will create a structured, safe space for victims to be heard and supported.
"India believes that initiatives like VoTAN are essential to strengthening the global response to terrorism, ensuring that victims remain at the centre of our collective efforts,” Patel said.
The hybrid launch event commenced with a video showing testimonies of survivors and families of victims of terror attacks around the world, including by survivor of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack Karambir Singh Kang, Nidhi Chaphekar and the son of a woman killed in the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 en route from Toronto to London.
Kang, who was the General Manager of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai when the 26/11 terror attacks occurred, lost his wife and two sons in the barbaric attack. Chaphekar is a survivor of the ISIS bombing at Zaventem Airport in Brussels, Belgium, in March 2016.
She was a cabin manager for the Indian airline Jet Airways and became the face of the victims and survivors of the terror attack after a photograph, showing her slumped on a chair at the airport, her stunned face bloodied and covered in dust and her yellow Jet Airways uniform blazer ripped apart, showcased to the world the horror of the attack.
VoTAN is an initiative bringing together victims of terrorism and victims’ associations from across the globe to drive collective action to support victims’ rights and needs.
“Terrorism remains a serious threat to international peace and security, and a daily reality for thousands of people around the world. Women, children, and young people continue to be among the most vulnerable victims of these attacks. Given the global nature of the threat, no nation, no community, no individual, is immune,” the UN said.
VoTAN aims to provide a safe space for victims and survivors of terrorism to support each other, build resilience and engage as advocates, educators, and peacebuilders.
By facilitating collaboration, sharing best practices, and amplifying the voices of victims, the network seeks to strengthen the resilience of societies against the impact of terrorism, it said.
The development of the network was supported by a financial contribution from Spain.
The initiative was a key outcome from the first United Nations Global Congress of Victims of Terrorism, held in September 2022 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
