Sushma Swaraj: Need to guarantee zero tolerance towards terrorism

New Delhi, Jan 9 Asserting that no nation is insusceptible to the "existential danger" of terrorism, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said the need of hour is to guarantee zero resistance towards terrorism and those using it as an "instrument of convenience".

Swaraj, in her address at the Raisina Dialog here, said that with immovable confidence in multilateralism, India talks for itself as well as for the reason for equity, opportunity and success around the globe.

"For us, change isn't only a local motivation yet a worldwide vision," she said.

Discussing the "critical challenges" that stand up to the world, she said the first among them is terrorism.

"There was a time when India would talk about terrorism and it would be treated as a lawfulness issue at numerous worldwide stages. Today, no nation, enormous or little, is invulnerable to the existential risk, especially fear mongering effectively bolstered and sponsored by states," Swaraj said.

In this digital age, the challenge posed by terrorism is even greater with more vulnerability to radicalisation, she said.

As far back as 1996, India proposed a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism at the United Nations, however it remains a draft right up 'til the present time on the grounds that the nations can't concur on a common definition of terrorism, she said.

"Guaranteeing zero tolerance towards terrorism and towards those using it as an instrument of accommodation is the need of great importance," the external affairs minister said.

She said the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and climate change were also real difficulties confronting the international community.