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The Paris attacks took the centre-stage at the G20 Summit today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling for a united global effort to combat terrorism as world leaders joined a clarion call to eliminate the ISIS network.
“Today, we meet in the tragic shadow of dreadful acts of terrorism. Combating it must be major priority for G20,” Modi said here at the G20 Summit of leaders from the world’s top 20 economies.
As the two-day Summit began in the Turkish coastal resort town, US President Barack Obama vowed to stand with France in hunting down the perpetrators of Paris attacks and said that “the killing of innocent people based on a twisted ideology is an attack not just on France, not just on Turkey, but it is an attack on the civilised world”.
He also vowed to “redouble” efforts to “eliminate” the ISIS jihadist network, as the gruesome Paris attacks and the war in Syria overshadowed the Summit.
Cutting off funding
The G20 Summit, which was expected to mainly discuss inclusive economic growth and climate change, was set to adopt a resolution at the end of the two-day meeting on Monday calling for better coordination and exchange of information to cut off funding and a more comprehensive approach on “addressing the conditions conducive to terrorism”.
Modi also participated in a meeting of BRICS leaders on the sidelines of G20 Summit.
“The entire humanity must stand together as one against terrorism. The need for a united global effort to combat terrorism has never been more urgent. This must also be a priority for BRICS nations,” he said.
The declaration on terror, separate from the main Summit declaration, may seek quicker implementation of the Financial Action Task Force, which involves stopping individuals from sending money to groups like Islamic State and tackling the black market for oil that is the key to its funding.
It would also talk about plans to prevent terrorists from exploiting technology, communications and resources to incite terrorism acts, including through the internet.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said he will soon submit to the General Assembly a comprehensive plan to deal with violent extremism and terrorism.
On the sidelines, Obama met world leaders including Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said the G20 Summit is traditionally a forum to discuss economic issues facing the globe “but the skies have been darkened by horrific attacks that took place in Paris just a day-and-half ago.”
Black money menace
Seeking global cooperation to fight the black-money menace, the Prime Minister asked G20 nations to freeze and repatriate unaccounted money hoarded abroad.
He also sought immediate implementation of the IMF quota reforms to give emerging markets such as India a greater say and called for steps to strengthen the rule-based global trading system while ensuring that new trading blocs do not divide the global trade regime.
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