Asserting that the UN should do more to send the right message to terror groups, India has said that the inconsistent implementation of sanctions on some of the terrorist outfits eats away at the UN's authority.
"The United Nations must do more to send the right message. Inconsistent implementation of sanctions on some of these terrorist outfits eats away at the UN's authority and needs to be addressed," Indian Ambassador to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said in his address to the UN General Assembly.
"The leader of the Taliban - a proscribed entity - needs to be designated as a terrorist individual. The international community is impatient for action," the Indian diplomat said.
Earlier this week, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani himself asked a delegation of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee to include the new Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah (Akhundzada) and such others, in the list of terrorists.
"Unless the Security Council and its subordinate organs are part of a cohesive response to global terrorism they run the risk of becoming marginalised from the most fundamental security priorities of Member States whose fabric is being torn as under by terrorists," Akbaruddin warned.
Addressing the UN General Assembly as it adopted an unanimous resolution on Afghanistan, he said the security challenges faced by the Afghan people and Government have not receded.
"We note that Afghanistan, along with the Resolute Support Force, continues to make efforts to combat terrorism," he said.
"However, the shadowy supporters of some of these terrorist organisations like the Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS, AI-Qaeda and its designated affiliates such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed have not been deterred, as is reflected in the upwards trend in the toll of causalities," the diplomat said.
The resolution unanimously adopted by the UN General Assembly pledged its continued support, in particular as the Afghan Government rebuilt a stable, secure and economically self-sufficient State free from terrorism and narcotics while strengthening the foundations of its constitutional democracy.
At the same time, it heard expressions of alarm over recent spikes in civilian casualties and the influence of violent extremists.
In her address, Pakistan Ambassador to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said the presence of large numbers of terrorists, foreign fighters and militant groups in the vast ungoverned areas of Afghanistan presents an imposing challenge to the' long-term stability of the war-torn country.
"They pose a threat not only to Afghanistan but also to Pakistan and indeed the entire region. Afghanistan could once again become a source of global terrorism, with grave implications for the region and the world," Lodhi said.
"A dialogue between the Afghan Government and the Afghan Taliban remains the only way to end Afghanistan's long night of suffering," she added.
On the global economic situation, the UN report said it is
trapped in a self-perpetuating cycle of weak investment, dwindling world trade, flagging productivity growth and high debt which is hampering progress in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
"The world economy is projected to grow by 2.7 per cent in 2017 and 2.9 per cent in 2018, remaining below the average growth of 3.4 per cent in the decade prior to the global financial crisis," it said.
The eastern and south Asian countries are the world's most dynamic regions currently, said the report, adding robust domestic demand and supportive macro-economic polices are benefiting these nations.
Developing countries remain the main drivers of global growth, accounting to about 60 per cent of the world gross product growth in 2016-18, said the report.
However, to address global challenges, it highlighted greater international policy cooperation and coordination, as well as steps to mitigate negative spillover effects of macroeconomic policies for a fair and equitable global trade.
Clean technology transfer and climate financing need to be expediting to tide over these challenges, the report said, adding that there is also a need to strengthen international tax cooperation.
Also, there are challenges posed by large movements of refugees and migrants which need to be addressed, the UN study said.
