In a letter to the UN chief, PM Modi has called for the adoption of a comprehensive convention against international terrorism this year.
Citing threats posed by non-state actors, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to the UN to send an unambiguous message of 'zero tolerance against terrorism', in a letter to UN chief, Ban Ki-moon.
"We must use this historic year to jointly send an unambiguous message of zero tolerance against terrorism... An important step in this direction would be adopting the Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism at the United Nations this year."
While highlighting the emergence of non-state actors, PM Modi made a veiled reference to Pakistan in the letter.
He said, "The United Nations must be made more effective for dealing with the new security challenges. The United Nations was born out of the ashes of the Second World War when conflict was an inter-state phenomenon... However, we are now living in an era when non-state military actors are a major factor."
In the letter, PM Modi said terrorism and violent, intolerant extremism as a primary threat to nations and societies at large.
"Indeed, with expanded geographical spread, vast resources and new instruments to spread its ideology and draw recruits, the menace of terrorism and extremism has acquired a new dimension that requires a comprehensive global strategy," he said.
The letter was written to mark the 70th anniversary of the world body. Dated July 4, it was made available by India's Permanent Mission to the UN yesterday.
PM Modi also underscored the need for UN to have a more inclusive approach, saying "we need to seize this moment to rethink how the multilateral system can be made more inclusive, more effective and, ultimately, better fit for the purpose it was conceived."
The Prime Minister arrives at the world body's headquarters in about a week to address the high-level Sustainable Development Summit on September 25.