UNSC-1267

1. Context 

2. UNSC 1267

• The 1267 committee that was set up in 1999 (updated in 2011 and 2015) allows any UN member state to propose adding the name of a terrorist or terror group to a consolidated list maintained by the Committee that has affiliations to AI Qaeda and ISIS.
• India has successfully proposed the listing of several terror entities including Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-eTaiba in the past two decades. 

3. Placing a hold 

• As a permanent member of the UNSC, China can do this any number of times as its term does not run out and it carries a veto vote.
• The Committee is bound to resolve all such pending issues within six months but can allow extensions, meaning that technically at the end of the six months, the "holding" country has to decide whether to accept the listing or place a permanent objection to it.
• However, in practice, many listing proposals have had prolonged waits.

4. China's Objection 

• Since 2001, China has placed holds on several listing proposals relating mainly to Pakistan-based groups and their leaders, given the close bilateral ties between the two countries.
• Most notable was China's objections to the listing of JeM founder Masood Azhar.
• Azhar was released from prison by India in 1999 and handed over to terrorists in return for hostages on board Indian Airlines flight IC-814, which should have left little doubt about Azhar's status as a terrorist.
•  While the JeM was listed at the UNSC in 2001 and Azhar was mentioned as the group's founder, he was not designated for several years.

• China objects to the listing proposals being brought by a group of countries, especially the joint proposals by India and the U.S. rather than by India alone, but has never given any comprehensive reason for the holds.
• At the UNSC meeting in August, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Khamboj called for an end to the practice of placing holds and blocks on listing requests "Without giving any justification".
• It is most regrettable that genuine and evidence-based listing proposals for some of the most notorious terrorists in the world are being placed on hold.
• Double standards and continuing politicisation have rendered the credibility of the sanctions regime at an all-time low.

5. India's options 

• Since the Mumbai attacks in 2008, India has tried several ways to build international consensus on cross-border terrorism and the UNSC terror listings have been one such route.
• China has blocked many of the listings, there are hundreds of names of terrorists and entities in Pakistan that pose a threat to India.
• As a UN member state, Pakistan has an obligation under the sanctions to block access for all designated entities to funds, arms and travel outside its jurisdiction.

6. Financial Action Task Force

• This is something India has also pursued with the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, where Pakistan was placed on a "grey list" due to its inability to curb terror financing and money laundering from 2012-2015 and 2018-2022.
• While Pakistan is likely to be taken off that list this week, it has had to carry out several actions against terror entities on its soil and will continue to be under scrutiny.

7. Conclusion 

For Prelims & Mains