Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 08/2009

Countering Terrorism in South Asia: Strengthening Multilateral Engagement

Eric Rosand, Naureen Chowdhury Fink, Jason Ipe

May 2009

Fourth Freedom Forum

Abstract

Horrific acts of terrorism, such as the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai, underscore the regional nature of the terrorist threat in South Asia and point to the need for greater cooperation within the region to address it. This report explores ways to strengthen such cooperation, with a particular focus on the role that regional bodies and the United Nations can play in that regard. It urges the United Nations to build on the international community's solidarity in the wake of recent attacks in the region to forge stronger engagement between the United Nations and South Asia on counterterrorism and within the region itself.