India to chair three UNSC counter-terrorism committees

Washington: In line with informed speculation, India's permanent representative at the United Nations, Hardeep Singh Puri, has been elected chairman of three Security Council committees related to counter-terrorism. India has assumed its position as an elected member of this august body at the start of this year along with five other nations.

The United Nations Security Council is a 15-member body with five permanent and 10 non-permanent members. Of the 10 non-permanent members five are elected every alternate year on a rotational basis. India has been elected to this all important international body with a most impressive 187 votes out of a possible 190 General Assembly votes –the most received by any of the freshly elected nations.

A formal announcement of India's appointment as the chair of these committees is expected to be made today, agencies said.

The appointment comes after a 'silent procedure' during which India's nomination as chair of the three committees received unanimous endorsement.

As chair of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, Puri will have a term of two years. He replaces Ertugrul Apakan, the permanent representative of Turkey.

The Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee works to bolster the ability of United Nations member states to prevent acts of terror within their borders and across regions.