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SAARC SIMULATION EXERCISE (15-16 December 2008)

NEGOTIATION STRATEGY FORM


Personal Data

Name Waqar Ahmed Abbasi Negotiation Topic Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism


Designation Foreign Minister
Country India

1. Objectives:
1) The establishment of ‘SAARC Counter-Terrorism Center’ for combating terrorism, which will undertake among other things,
 To develop a mechanism for the implementation of all international and regional conventions relating to combat terrorism in a legal and institutional framework.
 To facilitate the exchange of information and expertise among states in the field of combating terrorism.
 To create coordination among the national counter-terrorism centers with a database to enable fast updating of information.
 To serve as an interface with the international security system.
2) The establishment of ‘South Asian Regional Task Force’ or ‘Common SAARC Police’ to exercise vigilance against movements of suspected persons, firearms and explosives
and to stem effectively the infiltration of terrorists and the flow of terrorist-related material by setting up ‘Border Patrolling System’.
3) To reach out a ‘Code of Conduct’ for the governmental and private print and electronic media to bind them of responsible coverage of events which involve terrorist acts.
4) To address the issue of creating national consensus on countering terrorism through a policy of engagement with all shades of civil society.
5) To change in the long run, the politico-social-economic milieu of South Asian states in which terrorists breed.
6) To designate 2009 as the ‘SAARC Year of Countering Terrorism’.

2. Key Arguments:

 Review and strengthen regional mechanisms to combat terrorism and commit to move SAARC from the declaratory to the implementation phase.
 There is a need for clarity of perception and sincerity of intent.
 Institutional arrangements are required to create effects on the ground.
 Mass media, civil societies and education systems can play a crucial role in any strategy to counter terrorist propaganda and claims to legitimacy.
 Good governance,
groups functional democracy and the rule of law are the three measures, which if properly applied in South Asia can help marginalize violent and terrorist
in the region.

 There is a need to explore, on a mutual basis, the additional areas of cooperation.

3. Counter Arguments:
 Kashmir is the core issue and resolving outstanding disputes like that among South Asian states is a prerequisite for infusing new life into SAARC.
 India has adopted a static rejectionist stance on non-proliferation issues, related to nuclear weapons, missiles, arms control and arms reduction measures.
 India’s increasing population will generate demographic pressures leading to Indian migration to neighbouring countries that will lead to terrorist activities.
 How will the transparency of information be guaranteed.

+++ To be submitted to HSF by 10 December 2008 via Team Leader ( typed, fontsize: 10p, 1 page only) +++
SAARC SIMULATION EXERCISE (15-16 December 2008)

4. Possible Alliances:
Terrorism is a threat common to all South Asian states. Therefore, the need is to have alliance with all the respective members of SAARC. It will have to be a common security,
equal security and shared security for clusters of nations, not security of one regardless of the interests of others.

+++ To be submitted to HSF by 10 December 2008 via Team Leader ( typed, fontsize: 10p, 1 page only) +++

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