Global Facilitation Network for Security Sector Reform (GFN-SSR)

Countering Terrorism in South Asia: Strengthening Multilateral Engagement

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How can the states of South Asia cooperate more effectively on counterterrorism? What role can the United Nations play in facilitating such cooperation? Focusing on the role of the UN, this paper from the International Peace Institute explores ways to strengthen regional cooperation on counterterrorism in South Asia. It argues that South Asia lacks a meaningful regional framework to facilitate the cooperation necessary to respond to and prevent terrorist acts. The UN, however, is well-placed to stimulate greater regional cooperation.

Limited institutional capacities and social, economic and political grievances make South Asia an attractive operating base for terrorist groups, while limiting state capacity to respond. Regional bodies such as the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) have developed potentially useful counterterrorism instruments. However, progress has been hindered by tensions between India and Pakistan and the limited capacity of these organisations. The UN’s perceived neutrality and technical expertise make it well-suited to play a critical role in a region lacking a mechanism for effective counterterrorism cooperation.

The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy offers states in the region the opportunity to develop a coherent, coordinated and holistic response to terrorism in South Asia. The UN Strategy consists of four pillars, which offer a number of points of entry for multilateral engagement in the region:

• Addressing conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. Poverty, discrimination and lack of good governance have the potential to encourage terrorism. The UN has long been active in addressing these issues in South Asia.
• Preventing and combating terrorism. SAARC has limited ability to act as a platform for counterterrorism cooperation. The UN Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) can therefore play an important role in regional and national counterterrorism efforts.
• Building states’ capacity. South Asia faces enormous capacity challenges in countering terrorism. Various parts of the UN system – including non-traditional counterterrorism actors, such as UNDP – have a vital role to play in this regard.
• Ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law. Given the range of challenges and the lack of an effective regional human rights mechanism, the UN has a particularly important role in this regard.

Recommendations to strengthen regional cooperation on counterterrorism in South Asia include the following:

• The UN should forge stronger cooperation on implementing the UN Strategy in South Asia. SAARC leaders should explicitly endorse the strategy and initiate a whole-of-government approach to implement its measures.
• South Asian leaders should develop a regional strategy for addressing the terrorist threat. A regional, technically-focused counterterrorism mechanism should be established to stimulate practical cooperation at the functional level.
• The UN Secretary-General should ask the chair of the Counter-Terrorism Task Force to spearhead efforts to deepen engagement in counterterrorism in South Asia. The Task Force should develop a strategy and action plan for engagement in the region.
• Greater consideration should be given to conducting UN counterterrorism country visits through the UN Strategy framework. CTED should continue to deepen its engagement and promote counterterrorism cooperation in the region.
• UN agencies should promote and institutionalise the protection of human rights in the context of counterterrorism. SAARC leaders should issue a standing invitation to all special rapporteurs and independent experts of the Human Rights Council.

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