India, Cambodia, and several other nations used the floor of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27 September 2026 to demand stronger international cooperation against online scam centres, cross-border terrorism, human trafficking, and criminal networks that exploit digital technology and global financial channels to evade individual governments. The calls collectively signal an expanding definition of international security — one where the threat is no longer confined to conventional warfare.

India and EAM Jaishankar's Warning on Terror and AI Misuse

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told the General Assembly that terrorism remained a persistent and clear threat to international peace and stability. He described state-sponsored cross-border terrorism as 'a direct affront to the global order' and insisted there could be no weakening of 'zero tolerance' towards terrorism in any form.

Jaishankar also flagged the misuse of artificial intelligence, warning that AI abuse was sharpening bias and eroding mutual respect among nations. His remarks placed the dangers of emerging technology alongside longstanding concerns about extremist networks and state support for terrorism, framing both as part of the same evolving security landscape.

Cambodia's Frontline Battle Against Online Fraud Networks

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said his country had made the fight against online fraud 'one of our highest national priorities.' He acknowledged that while Cambodia was strengthening its laws, institutions, and operations against scam centres, the criminal networks operating them were spread across multiple countries and could not be dismantled by domestic action alone.

'No country can succeed alone,' Sokhonn said, calling for coordinated national, regional, and global action to disrupt and eliminate scam operations. Cambodia recently hosted an international conference on online scams with support from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Interpol, and other organisations.

Sokhonn also noted that artificial intelligence and digital innovation, while capable of accelerating development, could equally fuel insecurity, inequality, and transnational crime when misused.

Other Countries Raise Regional and Transnational Threats

Colombia called on the international community to agree on a common legal definition of terrorism, arguing that the absence of a universally accepted definition had complicated global efforts to prosecute offenders, disrupt funding networks, and distinguish terrorism from other forms of violence. It also sought greater intelligence-sharing, judicial cooperation, and action against terrorist financing.

The Dominican Republic warned that criminal organisations in neighbouring Haiti controlled territory, trafficked weapons and people, and recruited children. President Luis Abinader said those networks threatened regional peace and security, and called for the full deployment of an internationally authorised force — one that had reportedly received only a fraction of its required personnel.

Seychelles raised the particular vulnerabilities of small island states. President Mathew Herminie said transnational organised crime, drug trafficking, and illegal fishing were damaging his country's economy and security. He called for stronger intelligence-sharing, wider maritime surveillance, and practical law-enforcement assistance, arguing that small nations policing vast ocean territories could not be held to the same standard as wealthier states without receiving the necessary equipment and resources.

The Philippines drew attention to the trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers. Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro said migrants were entitled to human rights protections regardless of their immigration status, and called for greater safeguards along dangerous migration routes.

The Defining Challenge: Crimes That Cross Borders

Across the speeches, a common thread emerged: modern security threats — online fraud, terrorism financing, trafficking, and illegal resource extraction — operate through loosely connected criminal organisations that exploit the gaps between national jurisdictions. Speakers argued that technology and cross-border financial systems have given criminal networks an asymmetric advantage over governments acting alone.

Notably, this is among the most coordinated multilateral pushes on transnational digital crime at the UNGA in recent years, reflecting growing alarm over the scale and sophistication of operations such as the Southeast Asian online scam compounds that have trapped thousands of victims, including Indian nationals, in forced labour situations.

Whether member states can translate the rhetoric of cooperation into binding legal frameworks and operational intelligence-sharing agreements remains the central test ahead.