‘UNSC must not be used to legitimise terrorists by de-listing them’: India

NEW YORK: India has strongly called for transparency and objectivity in the United Nations Security Council’s process of listing and delisting terrorist organisations, cautioning against using the platform for narrow political agendas in a veiled criticism of Pakistan’s role in dealing with terrorism.

Addressing the UNSC Open Debate on Working Methods on Wednesday (local time), India’s Charge d’Affaires at the UN Mission, Yojna Patel, stated, “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.”

Patel also highlighted the ongoing stalemate over the leadership of key subsidiary organs focused on counterterrorism, which remain without leadership due to internal political friction within the Council.

Islamabad and Beijing have attempted to register outfits like the Baloch Liberation Army and the Majeed Brigade as ‘terrorist groups’ under UN sanction regimes, though Washington, Paris, and London successfully blocked the move. Concurrently, Pakistan has tried to secure the delisting of terrorists it shelters, while China previously stalled the global terrorist designation of figures such as Jaish-e-Mohammad founder Masood Azhar and Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Sajid Mir.

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“Security Council membership brings significant responsibilities,” Patel said. “This must not become a platform to pursue narrow political interests.” Addressing the persistent opacity in designating terror entities, she emphasised, “There must be more transparency and objectivity on this front”.

The Indian envoy pointed to the operational impact on subsidiary panels, which have faced an eight-month deadlock in appointing leadership due to consensus disagreements driven by Pakistan’s bid to lead key sanctions committees. “These bodies have not been able to deliver optimally in the recent past, primarily due to the delay in finalising the Chairs,” Patel noted.

Demanding swift action from the global body, she added, “India calls on the Security Council to urgently address this issue and finalise the Chairs on priority,” while advocating for a “definitive and non-negotiable timeline” to resolve the leadership appointments.

Echoing similar concerns, Japan’s Deputy Permanent Representative Mikanagi Tomohiro expressed “serious concern” regarding the leadership delays, urging that an “agreement be reached without further delay, through balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive consultations.”

Highlighting critical issues in UN peacekeeping operations, Patel underscored the disconnect between Council mandates and the operational challenges faced by major troop- and police-contributing nations. Given that troop-contributing nations “go far beyond the UNSC membership,” she affirmed that “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.”

Attributing the Council’s structural shortcomings to its outdated composition, Patel remarked that the body remains reflective of ‘the outcome of one conflict 80 years ago’.

Reaffirming New Delhi’s firm stance on comprehensive Security Council reform despite procedural delays in Intergovernmental Negotiations by groups including Pakistan and Italy, Patel reiterated the demand for expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories, stressing that “this could be achieved only through text-based negotiations, with clearly defined milestones and timelines.” (ANI)