R Mythili, Counsellor (Legal Adviser) at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations

India has called on the United Nations to ensure that terrorist acts meeting the requisite legal threshold are recognised within the framework of crimes against humanity, arguing that such offences should be appropriately reflected in any future international legal instrument on the subject.

Speaking during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly's Sixth Committee, R Mythili, Counsellor (Legal Adviser) at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, outlined New Delhi's position during discussions on the proposed international framework for the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity.

India stressed that while international cooperation remains essential, the primary responsibility for preventing, investigating and prosecuting crimes against humanity must rest with sovereign states through their own legal and judicial systems.

The country underscored the importance of preserving the primacy of territorial and national jurisdictions, while maintaining respect for state sovereignty and the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of nations.

New Delhi argued that any future convention on crimes against humanity should complement existing international legal mechanisms rather than duplicate them. It cautioned against simply transferring provisions from existing international regimes into a new treaty without careful consideration of their suitability and effectiveness.

India further advocated the use of broadly accepted principles of international law, stronger national institutional capacities, and transparent, inclusive negotiations as the basis for developing an effective and widely accepted international framework.

The intervention reflects India's long-standing position that terrorism remains one of the gravest threats to international peace and security and that serious terrorist offences should not escape accountability under evolving international legal norms.

India's remarks also align with its wider counter-terrorism strategy pursued over the past decade, marked by stronger legal frameworks, institutional reforms and enhanced intelligence coordination between central and state authorities.

Efforts to combat cross-border terrorism, dismantle terror-financing networks and modernise policing and security capabilities have strengthened the country's national security architecture. Expanded cyber-security capabilities have also improved preparedness against emerging digital threats.

According to the government's stated assessment, these measures have contributed to improvements in internal security indicators, including reductions in terrorist incidents and lower casualties among civilians and security personnel, while supporting broader public safety, development and national resilience objectives.

Through its statement, India reiterated support for an international convention on crimes against humanity that respects national jurisdiction, avoids duplication of existing legal mechanisms and is developed through transparent and inclusive negotiations, while ensuring that qualifying terrorist acts are appropriately addressed within the crimes against humanity framework.

ANI