Which country chaired the Counter Terrorism Committee of the Security Council, when the Delhi Declaration was adopted on "Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes" in 2022?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The correct answer is India. This question relates to India's tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2021–2022 term. The Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) is a subsidiary body of the UNSC, established after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to monitor the implementation of UNSC Resolution 1373 (2001). During 2022, India had the distinguished responsibility of chairing the CTC. Under India's chairmanship, the CTC held a crucial Special Meeting in New Delhi and Mumbai in October 2022. This meeting was highly significant because it focused specifically on "Countering the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes," recognizing that groups are increasingly exploiting tools like Drones, Artificial Intelligence, and encrypted communications. The outcome document of this pivotal meeting was the **Delhi Declaration**, which outlined a global consensus and a framework for action on this complex issue. By chairing the CTC at this time and hosting the Special Meeting that produced the Delhi Declaration, India demonstrated its commitment to combating terrorism, particularly cross-border and technology-enabled threats, during its term on the UNSC.

The incorrect option is 1:

The United States of America is one of the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council and, historically, has played a leading role in shaping global counter-terrorism policy. While the U.S. actively participates in the Counter-Terrorism Committee, it did not hold the chairmanship in 2022. The U.S. works through the CTC, but the chair rotates among the non-permanent members, or occasionally a permanent member, based on the UNSC's internal arrangements. The U.S. focus remains broad, encompassing policy formulation and enforcement measures, but the crucial role of chairing and organizing the 2022 Special Meeting fell to the non-permanent member assigned that responsibility, which was India.

The incorrect option is 2:

China is also a permanent member (P5) of the UN Security Council and thus exerts significant influence over its subsidiary bodies, including the CTC. While China takes a strong position on internal security matters that it characterizes as counter-terrorism, it did not chair the CTC in 2022. China's approach to global counter-terrorism often centers on issues of internal stability and border security. The P5 members often rotate their chairmanship roles on various committees, but China was not the designated leader for the CTC in 2022, which was the year the Delhi Declaration was drafted and adopted under a different member's leadership.

The incorrect option is 4:

The United Kingdom is another permanent member (P5) of the UN Security Council and, like the U.S., maintains a high level of engagement in international counter-terrorism initiatives. The U.K. possesses advanced capabilities and expertise in dealing with emerging technology threats, having been one of the primary victims of various forms of modern terrorism. However, for the calendar year 2022, the U.K. was not selected to chair the Counter-Terrorism Committee. The chairmanship is typically utilized to allow non-permanent members, such as India during its term, to set the agenda and drive crucial discussions on targeted issues like the use of new and emerging technologies, leading to declarations like the one adopted in Delhi.