Context
- China has blocked a joint India-US attempt to place a Pakistan-based terrorist on the UN Security Council’s 1267 list for the third time in three months. It halted the proposal to add Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘commander’ Sajid Mir, who is wanted in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
- In August 2022, China blocked a proposal by India and the United States at the UN Security Council to designate Abdul Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist.
Relevance
GS Paper 3: Internal Security
Mains Question
Terrorism poses a serious threat to national security. What solutions do you have to this growing threat? What are the most common sources of terrorist financing? (150 Words)
In Focus: UN Security Council Sanctions
- The United Nations Security Council has the authority to take action to maintain or restore international peace and security under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
- Sanctions are one of the options available to the Council in this regard.
- Sanctions measures, as defined in Article 41 of the UN Charter, cover a wide range of non-military enforcement options.
- Economic and trade embargoes can be used, as well as more targeted measures against specific individuals, companies, or entities, such as fund freezing and travel bans.
- The UN Security Council currently has 14 active sanctions regimes that focus on supporting political processes in armed conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation, and counter-terrorism.
- A UN Security Council resolution is used to enact sanctions regimes.
Sanctions committee
- Each sanctions regime is overseen by a sanctions committee comprised of all 15 Security Council members.
- The UN Security Council has 15 members: 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.
- These sanctions committees oversee the implementation of sanctions and can vote unanimously to impose targeted sanctions on specific individuals, businesses, or entities.
- One of them is the UN Security Council Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee, also known as the 1267 sanctions committee.
- The United Nations Security Council Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee is also known as the 1267 sanctions committee.
- It is one of the most important and active UN subsidiary bodies involved in the fight against terrorism, particularly in relation to ISIL (Da’esh), Al Qaida, and other associated individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities.
- When an entity or individual is added to the list, it is designated as a “Global Terrorist.”
- The member states are required to: o freeze that individual’s or entity’s funds and financial assets, o impose a travel ban, and o restrict access to arms and related materials.
The committee’s procedure is as follows:
- Consensus decision o Decisions are made by consensus.
- This requirement effectively grants a veto to all 15 committee members (10 non-permanent + 5 permanent).
- A member can halt the decision.
- A committee member can “hold” the decision if they need more time and information to consider the issue at hand.
- According to the guidelines, a hold can last up to 6 months at a time, but it can be extended further under “extraordinary circumstances.”
- Aside from this ambiguous condition, there are no restrictions on invoking a hold multiple times.
- Gathering behind closed doors
- Committee meetings are held in closed sessions, with no publication of the agenda, proceedings, or voting records.
