Blocking evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists without justification smacks of doublespeak: India

India has told the UN Security Council that blocking evidencebased proposals for blacklisting globally sanctioned terrorists without giving justifications is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak a thinlyveiled reference to China and Pakistan The working methods of the UNSC Sanctions Committees continue to dent the credibility of the UN Security Council Indias Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said here on TuesdaySpeaking in the Security Councils open debate on Working Methods Kamboj said genuine evidencebased listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to Councils commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorismShe stressed that the working methods of Sanctions Committees must emphasise transparency and objectivity in listing and delisting and should not be based on political considerations Kambojs remarks were a veiled reference to China and its allweather friend Pakistan Beijing has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and its allies to list Pakistanbased terroristsThe latest example came in June this year when China blocked a proposal by India and the US under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council to designate LashkareTaiba terrorist Sajid Mir wanted for his involvement in the 2611 Mumbai terrorist attacks as a global terrorist Kamboj highlighted that India an eightterm elected member of the UNSC has some key concerns about the need to improve the working methods of the Security CouncilWhat we need is a Security Council that better reflects the geographical and developmental diversity of the United Nations today A Security Council where voices of developing countries and unrepresented regions including Africa Latin America and the vast majority of Asia and Pacific find their due place at this horseshoe table she saidAlso read Delhi govt asks to Education department employees to be on standby during G20 eventIndia the worlds most populous nation underscored that an expansion of the Council in both categories of membership is absolutely essential This is the only way to bring the Councils composition and decisionmaking dynamics in line with contemporary geopolitical realities Kamboj saidShe added that the international community can no longer hide behind the smokescreen of the InterGovernmental Negotiations IGN in the General Assembly and continue to pay lip service by continuing to deliver statements in a process that has no time frame no text and no defined goal to achieveIf countries are truly interested in making the Council more accountable and more credible we call on them to come out openly and support a clear pathway to achieve this reform in a timebound manner through the only established process in the UN which is by engaging in negotiations based on text and not through speaking at each other or past each other as we have done for the last three decades she saidKamboj underlined that as the threats to international peace and security evolve so must this Council We ask those blocking progress on this vital issue to heed the calls for genuine reform and contribute to making this Council truly fit for purpose for the 21st century She noted that merely fixing the working methods of the Security Council will never be good enough to rectify its fundamental flaw its lack of representative characterTo continue to deny member states of the Global South a voice and role in Councils decisionmaking only lowers the Councils credibility she said Another area of concern highlighted by India was that the selection of chairs of subsidiary bodies and distribution of penholderships must be made through a process that is open transparent based on exhaustive consultations and with a more integrated perspectiveThe consensus of E10 on chairs of subsidiary bodies to be assumed by the E10 themselves must be honoured by the P5 For the P5 to decide even in the 21st century as to what roles should go eventually to the E10 reflects a continuation of the mindset of the post1945 era to the victors belong the spoils This is simply unacceptable she saidThe Security Council has five permanent members the United States China France Russia and the United Kingdom collectively known as the P5 The ten elected members of the Security Council are commonly referred to as the E10 She also pointed to the obsoleteness and irrelevance of some UNSC agenda items asserting that there are items on the agenda of the Security Council on which discussions have not taken place since the UNs creation There is a case for beginning a discussion into the review of items on the list of matters of which the Council is seized she said