OPENING REMARKS BY HON’BLE HOME MINISTER AT THE THIRD
SAARC INTERIOR/HOME MINISTERS MEETING
ISLAMABAD, JUNE 26, 2010
His Excellency the Interior Minister of Pakistan
Their Excellencies Interior/Home Ministers of SAARC Member
States
His Excellency the Secretary General of SAARC
Distinguished Delegates
It is a pleasure for me to attend the Third Meeting of SAARC
Interior/Home Ministers. I wish to express, at the outset, our
appreciation to the Government of Pakistan for the warm hospitality
extended to participants at this meeting. I also wish to congratulate
His Excellency Mr. Rehman Malik, Interior Minister of Pakistan for his
election as Chairperson of the Meeting.
2.
At the recently concluded 16th Summit in Thimphu, Heads of
State and Government expressed satisfaction that SAARC had
achieved a number of important milestones with the completion of
twenty five years of its establishment. They underscored the
relevance and importance of the Association in providing a platform
for regional cooperation to accomplish the Charter objectives.
3.
As members of SAARC, we can be justifiably proud of the
progress the Association has achieved in the last 25 years. In the
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past few years, in particular, SAARC has created the building blocks
of regional development in the form of the SAARC Development Fund
(SDF) in Thimphu, the SAARC Regional Standards Organisation
(SARSO) in Dhaka, the SAARC Arbitration Council in Islamabad, the
South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi and the SAARC Food Bank,
among others.
4.
We still, however, have a long way to go.
As the Prime
Minister of India pointed out at the 16th SAARC Summit, although
South Asia had recorded growth by way of trade, transport and
telecommunications links, this was far below the growth rates
achieved among nations of similar associations in East and SouthEast Asia and certainly below the potential of South Asia. The Prime
Minister had urged, in this context, greater regional cooperation
through the freer movement of people, goods, services and ideas.
5.
As Ministers of Interior/Home Affairs, we have a major
responsibility in ensuring that regional cooperation in meeting the
challenges posed by terrorism, arms smuggling, fake currency, drug
and human trafficking, would create an environment conducive to
greater connectivity, accelerated progress and development in the
region. I note with satisfaction that the Chair, His Excellency Mr
Rehman Malik, devoted a considerable part of his opening remarks to
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the subject of terrorism and especially to the fall out of the 9/11
attack in New York and the 26/11 attack in Mumbai.
6.
We can all undoubtedly agree that the South Asian region is
faced with a serious security situation. The increasing threat of
terrorism poses a major challenge to the maintenance of peace and
security and adversely affects economic development in our region.
The Thimphu Declaration, adopted at the 16th SAARC Summit,
emphasized the need to strengthen regional cooperation to fight
terrorism and transnational organized crimes and the importance of
a coordinated and concerted response to combat terrorism.
Excellencies,
7.
It is only with the fullest cooperation among our countries that
we will be in a position to effectively tackle the grave threat of
terrorism in our region. It is incumbent upon us to ensure that the
instruments and resources at our disposal are put to the best
possible use in our fight against terrorism.
We need to examine
whether the existing conventions at our disposal have been effective
and, if not, we need to understand why. We also need to cooperate
with each other in sharing information on potential terrorists and
planned acts of terrorism, and all other forms of criminal activity, in
order to create a more secure environment.
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8.
The 16th SAARC Summit underscored the importance of the
SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters signed
during the 15th Summit in August 2008, and called for its ratification.
At the same time, it recommended that pending completion of the
ratification process of the Agreements signed during the 14th and 15th
Summits, and given the urgency to advance regional cooperation in
these
areas,
the
provisions
of
these
Agreements
may
be
operationalized while the work to complete the due legal process
may
continue.
I
would
urge
this
meeting
to
begin
the
implementation of this important regional Convention even while it
awaits ratification by all Member States. The Convention will
facilitate evidence sharing among Member States and the seizure
and confiscation of funds meant for criminal and terrorist activities.
Its implementation will not only contribute to the creation of a more
secure environment in the region, it would also represent a concrete
manifestation of the region’s determination to address the common
and pressing security concerns before it.
9.
The 16th Summit recognized the value of the proposed UN
Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and called for
its early conclusion.
I would urge all Member States to work
together to implement this directive by our Heads of State and
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Government to ensure the early conclusion of the Convention on
International Terrorism.
10.
My delegation notes with great satisfaction the Islamabad
SAARC Ministerial Statement on Cooperation Against Terrorism. I
wish to congratulate the delegations that put their heads together to
draft this very important statement against terrorism.
11.
I take this opportunity to announce that as a follow-up of the
decision taken at the 16th Summit, India will be pleased to host a
meeting of the High Level Group of Eminent Experts to Strengthen
SAARC Anti-Terrorism Mechanism as recommended in the SAARC
Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism. We
propose to hold this meeting in New Delhi in January 2011. I do
hope this receives your endorsement.
12.
In a significant gesture reflective of the solidarity in our
regional fight against terrorism, the SAARC Council of Ministers at its
32nd session preceding the Thimphu Summit, decided to observe the
2nd of October every year as the ‘SAARC Day of Non-Violence’. The
Council also welcomed the decision of the Standing Committee to
develop a symbol representing the unity among the Member States in
their fight against terrorism. I call upon the Secretary General of
SAARC to facilitate implementation of these decisions with the
fullest support of the Member States.
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Excellencies,
13.
India is committed to discharging its responsibilities within
SAARC in a non-reciprocal manner. Since the 14th Summit held in
New Delhi in April 2007, more than thirty training programmes have
been offered by India to SAARC Member States in the areas of
criminal investigation, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances,
cyber crime, economic offences and bank fraud cases. It is our
intention to continue to offer such programmes in the future.
14.
I have no doubt that cooperative action among Member States,
in all areas of common interest and concern, will be critical in
supporting our individual and collective actions intended to provide
a more secure and peaceful environment to the people of our
countries and the region.
I thank you for your support.
****
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