Shivraj Patil to inaugurate ''International Seminar on Terrorism'' today

New Delhi, Sept 15 : Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil will inaugurate a two-day ''International Seminar on Terrorism'' here today.

The seminar is being organised by the Asia Pacific chapter of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). India presently chairs the Asia Pacific World Regional Office of the IACP, and in that capacity, is the organiser of the seminar.

The seminar is aimed at providing an interactive platform for sharing of expertise and experience between India and other countries, which are similarly affected, by militancy and terrorism.

National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan will deliver the keynote address. Apart from the IACP President, Ronald C. Ruecker, the event will be attended by foreign delegates representing 13 countries in the Asia Pacific region including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Lead speakers will include Haroun Mir, Co-Founder of Afghanistan's Centre for Research and Policy Studies and Alain Bauer, President, French National Crime Commission, besides security analysts from American think tank institutions like Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

The deliberations will include presentations on terrorism in South Asia and its neighbourhood and on issues like youth radicalization and extremism and insurgency in South East Asia.

A panel discussion on the Indian experience in counter terrorism policing is scheduled for the second day.

The IACP is the world's largest organization of police officials, having a membership of around 20,000 spread across more than 90 countries. Its objectives are to develop and disseminate professional practices and processes for policing and law enforcement and to foster international cooperation amongst police or security organizations across the world in their fight against security threats such as terrorism, militant fundamentalism and organized crime.

In 2001, India had hosted IACP''s 8th Asian Executive Policing Conference, while in 1992, it had organized the 4th Asia Pacific Regional Conference in New Delhi.

ANI