Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 12: The New Delhi Declaration 2026, adopted at the 18th BRICS Summit in the national capital, strongly condemned the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, 2025, in which 26 people were killed and several others injured.
The BRICS leaders reiterated their commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terror financing and the provision of safe havens, while calling for zero tolerance towards terrorism.
“We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed,” the joint declaration said.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured. We reaffirm our commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens,” it added.
The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam was carried out against tourists and resulted in 26 deaths, making it one of the deadliest attacks targeting civilians in the region in recent years.
The BRICS leaders reiterated that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation or ethnic group. They said those involved in terrorist activities and their support networks must be held accountable and brought to justice in accordance with relevant national and international law.
The declaration called for zero tolerance towards terrorism and rejected what it described as double standards in countering terrorism.
The leaders also emphasised that states bear the primary responsibility for combating terrorism and said global efforts to prevent and counter terrorist threats must comply fully with obligations under international law.
Such efforts, they said, must be consistent with the UN Charter, particularly its purposes and principles, as well as relevant international conventions and protocols, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, wherever applicable.
The declaration welcomed the activities of the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) and its five subgroups, which operate under the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan and the CTWG Position Paper.
The leaders said they looked forward to further deepening cooperation among BRICS countries in counter-terrorism efforts.
They also called for the early finalisation and adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism within the UN framework and stressed the need for concerted action against all UN-designated terrorists and terrorist entities.
The leaders further emphasised the importance of countering extremism and radicalisation, particularly among younger generations, and called for enhanced cooperation among BRICS countries and their competent authorities, including through the sharing of best practices.
Expressing serious concern over the financing of terrorism, the leaders said such activities, including the illicit use of virtual assets and violations of domestic regulatory frameworks, could adversely affect economic stability, sustainable development and the integrity of the international financial system.
They also raised concern over the growing proliferation of organised scam networks, including cross-border fraud operations and so-called scam compounds, which exploit digital technologies, payment systems and vulnerable individuals.