Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative to the UN Palitha Kohona said Sri Lanka had fallen victim to dangerous forms of maritime terrorism and following the recent defeat of the LTTE, it had been discovered that their networks were being transferred to arms smuggling and drug trafficking on the international arena.
Speaking at the UN Dr. Kohona said that there is a need for intelligence-sharing and joint operations among States. He stressed the importance of achieving global consensus on a comprehensive normative framework for international cooperation on terrorism.
“Terrorist groups with their transnational linkages and multifaceted criminal networks generated a vast and complex mix of criminal activities, ranging from fund-raising using overseas bases, terrorist financing, money laundering, arms procurement and other organized criminal activities, all of which were interrelated. The transportation of large consignments of sophisticated equipment and lethal cargo to provide logistical support to terrorist groups continued to pose a threat to maritime security. Weapons transported by sea were reaching more than one group,” he said.
Dr. Kohona noted that while international cooperation, including legal and other measures, was required to address the increase in global crime, it was just as important to engage in poverty reduction and development programmes. Human smuggling and trafficking were also linked to terrorism, so was poverty and lack of social advancement. The Convention against Transnational Organized Crime should continue to be the legal “cornerstone” in global efforts against trafficking, he said.
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