New Delhi: India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, strongly defended the Financial Action Task Force on Monday, stating that attempts by certain nations to question the body’s credibility merely reflect their own fear of scrutiny. Speaking at a 2026 Counter-Terrorism Week side event in New York, Harish delivered a thinly veiled critique of Pakistan, urging countries that face adverse financial assessments to stop exporting instability and to prevent their territories from being exploited by terrorist networks. He emphasized that the correct response to international monitoring is genuine compliance with evidence-based standards rather than politicized activism within United Nations forums.
The high-level panel, co-organized by the permanent missions of India and France alongside various UN counter-terrorism bodies, focused heavily on the evolving threats of terrorist financing through emerging digital technologies. Harish highlighted that modern terrorist infrastructure has increasingly shifted toward online platforms, utilizing crowdfunding campaigns, digital tokens, and social media rewards to store and move assets globally. He noted that because malicious actors quickly adapt to lightly regulated digital tools, the international community must establish a proportional, risk-based regulatory framework that halts illicit flows without punishing legitimate financial inclusion and humanitarian efforts.
Detailing India’s domestic efforts, Harish shared that the country has successfully integrated virtual asset service providers into its national anti-money laundering framework and implemented strict verification protocols for centralized crypto exchanges. These steps build upon the foundational work of the Delhi Declaration, which was adopted during India’s chairmanship of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee in 2022 to counter the weaponization of new technologies. India’s growing influence in global financial governance was further underscored by the recent appointment of Union Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal as the Vice-President of the FATF for the upcoming annual term.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also addressed the broader conference, warning that global instability, economic hardship, and conflict zones provide fertile ground for groups like Al-Qaida and Da’esh to expand. Guterres echoed concerns over technological adaptation, noting that criminal networks are effectively using artificial intelligence, online platforms, and unmanned weapon systems like drones to plan attacks and move capital. He concluded by urging member states to strengthen transnational cooperation, emphasizing that while technology has supercharged the capabilities of extremist groups, it also provides global intelligence networks with sophisticated tools to intercept illicit financing and prevent radicalization.
