Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism

What is CCIT?

• The Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism is a proposed treaty which intends to criminalize all forms of international terrorism and deny terrorists, their financiers and supporters’ access to funds, arms, and safe havens.
• It was proposed first by India in 1996.

Major objectives in draft:

• To have a universal definition of terrorism that all 193-members of the UN General Assembly will adopt into their own criminal law.
• To ban all terror groups and shut down terror camps.
• To prosecute all terrorists under special laws.
• To make cross-border terrorism an extraditable offence worldwide.

In deadlock

• Ratification of the CCIT remains deadlocked, mainly due to opposition from three main blocs – the US, the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), and the Latin American countries.
• The major reason for opposition is because of differences over the definition of terrorism.
• The OIC wants exclusion of national liberation movements, especially in the context of Israel-Palestinian conflict.
• The US wanted the draft to exclude acts committed by military forces of states during peacetime.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements regarding Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT):
1.CCIT was proposed by India in the United Nations General Assembly.
2.It was passed by the UN general assembly in 2001.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a)1 only
(b)2 only
(c)Both 1 and 2 
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question