India’s foreign minister said on Saturday India will contribute $500,000 to United Nations efforts to combat global terrorism as emerging technologies used by terrorist groups pose new threats to governments worldwide.

S Jaishankar told a special meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee in New Delhi that the money will go towards the UN Counter-Terrorism Trust Fund and further strengthen the organisation’s fight against terrorism.

It is the first of its kind to be held outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York and focused on the challenges posed by terrorist groups in the face of new technologies.

Jaishankar said that new technologies such as encrypted messaging services and blockchain are increasingly being abused by terrorist groups and malicious actors, sparking an urgent need for the international community to act against these threats.

In his keynote speech, he said the internet and social media platforms had become powerful tools in the toolkit of terrorists and militant groups to spread propaganda, radicalisation and conspiracy theories aimed at destabilising societies.

Jaishankar also highlighted the growing threat posed by using unmanned aerial systems such as drones by terrorists and criminal groups, saying they pose a challenge to global security agencies.

In Africa, terrorist groups use drones to monitor the movements of security forces and even UN peacekeepers, making them vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverley has reiterated the dangers of unmanned aerial platforms, saying such systems are used to cause terror, death and destruction.

Drones are currently being used to target critical national infrastructure and civilian targets during Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine,” he said. That’s why we sanctioned three Iranian military commanders and an Iranian company involved in the supply of drones.

The special session, which kicked off Friday in India’s financial and entertainment capital Mumbai, saw the massive terrorist attack in 2008, when terrorists entered India from Pakistan, killing 140 Indian nationals and 26 citizens of 23 other countries.

Jashankar said India regrets that the UN Security Council has sometimes failed to act against terrorists due to political considerations, undermining India’s collective credibility and interests. He did not name China but referred to China’s decision to prevent the United Nations from sanctioning the leaders of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based extremist group designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations. Earlier this year, India and the United States sought sanctions. China has delayed adding the two terrorists to its sanctions list, citing technology, saying it needs more time to study their cases.