Statement by Mr. Raza Bashir Tarar, Deputy Permanent Representative of Pakistan The fifteenth session of the Ad Hoc Committee established by the General Assembly Resolution 51/210 (New York, 11 April 2011)

Mr. Chairman,

My delegation aligns itself with the statements made by the distinguished representatives of Syria and Iran on behalf of the OIC Group and the Non-Aligned Movement, respectively. We have a few brief comments in our national capacity.

We appreciate your sincere efforts, Mr. Chairman (Ambassador Rohan Perera) and those of the Coordinator, Ms. Maria Telalian, towards a compromise solution of the outstanding issues of the draft Counter-Terrorism Convention.

Mr. Chairman,

Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, committed by whomsoever, wherever, and for whatsoever purpose.

We, also, are of the view that the international community’s fight against terrorism is an intricate challenge. Nobody has a magic solution to address this challenge. Only with a multi-pronged and comprehensive approach can we defeat terrorists.

The denial of reality about the causes of this menace also needs to be overcome. The fixation on one-dimensional approach to fight terrorism, either through operational measures or through political measures alone, needs to be reconciled with reality.

We would further like to underscore that terrorism is a common threat to the international community and it can only be defeated through our collective endeavours.

Mr. Chairman,

The representative of the OIC Group in his statement has underscored the need for conclusion of the draft Convention through consensus. We fully subscribe to that point of view and support early conclusion of the draft Convention.

The General Assembly has already concluded important counter-terrorism conventions. We value consensus adoption of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The Assembly’s track record in the counter-terrorism domain is good. We are of the view that the adoption of the draft comprehensive Convention will add prestige to the Assembly’s existing achievements.

Mr. Chairman,

It is not encouraging that so far not all groups have been able to endorse the latest proposal on the scope of the draft Convention though it was presented almost three years ago. Some have even expressed their reservations. This state of affairs indicates that we are facing real challenges. The magnitude of the problem should not deter us from finding solution of the difficult outstanding issues.

I thank you Mr. Chairman.