United Nations: In an implied criticism of Pakistan’s role in dealing with terrorism, India has called for transparency in the Security Council listing and delisting groups as terrorist organisations, adding that it should not be driven by narrow political interests.
“Presence in the Security Council must not be instrumentalised to legitimise terrorists by attempting to de-list them or to list other entities as terrorist organisations based solely on political considerations, without any objective criteria or supporting documentation”, Yojna Patel, the charge d’affaires of India’s UN Mission, said Wednesday (local time).
Speaking at the Council’s Open Debate on its Working Methods, she also drew attention to the ignominy of the headless subsidiary bodies of the Council that deal with terrorism, left without chairs because of tussles within the Council.
The process of listing and delisting of terrorists, as well as the appointment of chairs to panels, is shrouded in secrecy.
Pakistan and China tried unsuccessfully this year to declare the Baloch Liberation Army and the Majeed Brigade as ‘terrorist groups subject’ to UN sanctions.
The attempt was thwarted by the US, France and Britain.
Pakistan, an elected member of the Council, has tried to get some of the terrorists and terror organisations it shelters taken off the sanctions list.
For years, China blocked attempts to designate Jaish-e-Mohammad boss Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Sajid Mir as global terrorists.
“Security Council membership brings significant responsibilities”, Patel said. “This must not become a platform to pursue narrow political interests”.
She cited the tussle over the listing and de-listing of terrorist groups and leaders, and said, “There must be more transparency and objectivity on this front”.
Even after eight months, the Council has not been able to appoint chairs of the Council’s subsidiary bodies like those that sanction terrorists or deal with counterterrorism, mainly because Pakistan wants to head the sanctions committee.
Because the Council acts on these matters by consensus, it has not been able to break the stalemate.
“These bodies have not been able to deliver optimally in the recent past, primarily due to the delay in finalising the Chairs”, Patel said.
“India calls on the Security Council to urgently address this issue and finalise the Chairs on priority”, she said.
A “definitive and non-negotiable timeline” must be set for finalising the Chairs of subsidiary bodies, she added.
Japan also expressed “serious concern” about the delay in the appointment of chairs of subsidiary bodies.
Japan’s Deputy Permanent Representative Mikanagi Tomohiro said, “Japan strongly urges that agreement be reached without further delay, through balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive consultations”.
Patel spoke of the dichotomy between the Council’s decisions on peacekeeping operations and the ground realities faced by the countries that contribute troops and police.
The countries that provide troops and police to peacekeeping operations “go far beyond the UNSC membership”, she noted.
“Therefore, as direct stakeholders, they must be part of the UNSC decision-making architecture pertaining to all key questions of peacekeeping, such as mandates and resources”, she emphasised.
Patel attributed the Council’s failures to its anachronistic structure based on “the outcome of one conflict 80 years ago” when it was created by the victors of World War II.
She reiterated India’s demand for reforming the Council by expanding both the permanent and non-permanent memberships.
“This could be achieved only through text-based negotiations, with clearly defined milestones and timelines”, she said.
The reform process known as the Intergovernmental Negotiations has failed to make any headway because a small group of countries that includes Pakistan and is led by Italy has used procedural manoeuvres to short-circuit the adoption of a negotiating text.
