The event began in Mumbai, at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, the site of a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that left 31 people dead and many injured, in November 2008. Among the survivors was Karambir. Kang, who also gave testimony for the meeting, ensured that the victim’s own views and needs, were heard loud and smallr.
He was part of the hotel’s workforce, and recalls the horrifying hours that watched him lose his wife and son, and many colleagues.
‘Our house was attacked’
“We feel that our home has been attacked. So we had to protect it. Taj Mahal is our monument of love. […] Terror is not something that happens to other people in some other place. It’s real, and It can happen to anyone, anywhere“, I said.
As a survivor, he insisted that his “act of defiance” was to rebuild the hotel in just 18 months. He concluded: “I will therefore urge the Security Council to defy these acts of terrorism by acting and cooperating, resolutely against terrorism.
At the time, Moishe Holzberg was only two years old, also a survivor of the attacks. Saved by his nanny, he now lives in Israel with his grandparents – his mother and father were shot dead in the terrorist attack.
“Your gathering in Mumbai is very important. It is very important that you find new ways to fight terrorism, so that no one has to go through what I went through,” he urged in a video message.
‘victim of an attack on humanity’
The inaugural event was held at the hotel in memory of its victims and included Security Council Member States – both incumbent and recently elected, commencing service next year.
The Chairman of the Commission, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj of India, emphasized that these testimonies are important to show the international community the consequences of acts of terrorism and the resilience of the survivors.
“One thing that is still common to all of us [survivors] is pain,” added Ms. Chaphekar. She concluded: “We are the victims of an attack on humanity.
The general secretary, António Guterres, was in India last week and visited the Taj Mahal Palace hotel. In his remarks reflecting on the attacks, he stated that “terrorism is an absolute crime and has no place in today’s world.”
He added that “fighting terrorism must be a global priority” and that it is a central priority for UN action. He also expressed solidarity with the victims and survivors of the Mumbai attacks.
Informal press conference for the United Nations Security Council of the Counterterrorism Committee is underway in Mumbai, India.
The Many Faces of Terrorism
After the honor ceremony, the representatives descended on business, debating the core topic of the special meeting, of how useful technology is being misused, to sow terror. They presented their concerns and were briefed by UN experts.
When people think of terrorism, the image that comes to mind is often large-scale attacks carried out by notorious extremist groups, mainly against civilians. However, technology has revealed another facade of terrorism, bring the threat of ‘invisible’ attacks closer and, in many cases, literally just one click.
On Saturday in the Indian capital New Delhi, there will be several sessions on the online financing of terrorism, the use of drones in conflicts and the importance of humanity. authority to determine guidelines in this regard.
David Scharia, Branch Head of the Anti-Terrorism Executive Committee, said United Nations News that CTED hopes to gain some understanding of how to balance the benefits and risks of these innovations.
Risks and challenges
“There are many benefits to our economy and society from these technologies. At the same time, it will probably realize that there are a risk and a challenge in dealing with that risk, will require several steps,” he argued.
Furthermore, Mr. Scharia is confident that the outcome will “not sacrifice our values, especially human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association, right to information, right to privacy.” .
Expert round table
An essential asset of the discussion, he said, is bringing together civil society, the private sector and academia.
“Surname [the private sector] They understand the technologies much better than the governments and they also know if our solutions will work. “
Representatives from international technology companies such as Google and Meta are expected to brief Security Council members.
He explained that “the meeting will not end with a concrete plan of action” but will pave the way, in coordination with Member States, for further discussions, which he considers to constitute progress. significant in this important part of the counterterrorism program.
