India has voiced concern over the spread of terrorism particularly in regions of Africa and Asia, and asserted that those States which provide shelter to terrorists should be called out and held accountable for their deeds, in a veiled reference to Pakistan.

"The threat of terrorism is serious and real. Regrettably, despite best efforts aimed towards transnational cooperation, it continues to spread, particularly in the regions of Africa and Asia," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said.

In her remarks to the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism Ambassadorial-level Quarterly Briefing to Member States on Tuesday, Kamboj said the threat of terrorism can only be tackled through consistent and unified multilateral action, by the international community.

"Those States which lack capacities to tackle the threat of terrorism, should be assisted, while those which provide shelter to terrorists should be called out and held accountable for their deeds,” she said, making a thinly-veiled reference to Pakistan.

Noting the spread of terrorism as a "worrying" trend that needs urgent reversal, Kamboj underlined the need to keep divisive narratives at bay.

"We should accordingly refrain from the classification of terrorism. The usage of terms such as ‘right wing’ or ‘left wing’ or ‘far right’ or ‘far left’ are fraught with the misuse of them by vested interests," she said.

She stressed that it is important that the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy should continue to enjoy the support of all member states. Noting that the current Review Resolution adopted in 2021 is relevant and balanced, she said the upcoming Review should be a technical update of this Resolution, taking into account the activities and achievements of the United Nations and other important fora.

Further, she underscored the importance of protecting the secular nature of the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

"India strongly condemns all kinds of terrorist attacks irrespective of religion, belief, culture, race or ethnicity. In the same vein, we also condemn terrorist attacks motivated by Islamophobia, Christianophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Sikh, anti-Buddhist, anti-Hindu prejudices,” she said.