India's agenda ''Financing of Terrorism'' gets place on IPU

Bali, Indonesia, May 1 (UNI) India's agenda on combating terrorism and the need to strengthen international cooperation on the issue will be discussed at the 116th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) here.

The proposal to add the agenda -- ''Combatting Financing of Terrorism--the need to strengthen international cooperation -- was presented by Dr Najma Heptulla, MP, on behalf of the Indian delegation participating in the week-long Assembly.

It was unanimously accepted after the country's strong assertion that terrorism posed a grave threat to society.

Dr Heptulla said terrorism continued to pose a grave threat to international peace and security and financing of terrorism had been playing a crucial role in the commissioning of terror acts.

She said easy flow of funds enabled terrorists to plan and execute their activities and emphasised the need that the international community effectively and constantly monitor the flow of funds to extremists and take action to check these channels of funding.

The IPU also included Dr Heptulla in the Drafting Committee to finalise a resolution on the issue for adoption by the 116th Assembly.

Earlier, speaking on the political, economic and social situation across the world with the overall theme of ''global warming: 10 years after Kyoto'', Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Atwal, who was heading the 6-member Indian delegation, said human activities were having an increased impact on the natural eco-system that supported human health and economic endeavours.

Referring to the general 'myth' that developing countries, including India, were among the major polluters in the world, he said in terms of per capital green house gas (GHS) emissions, it was only about 15 per cent of the global average and only 4 per cent of the US, 12 per cent of the European Union and 15 per cent of the Japanese emissions.

He urged the industrialised countries to take action against climatic changes and exercise their leadership to reduce gree house gases.

UNI