News Highlight
China placed a “hold” on a joint India-US proposal to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba commander Shahid Mehmood under the UNSC 1267 list of terrorists affiliated with Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Key Takeaway
- The hold marked the fourth time China had attempted to block a listing move by India and the U.S. in the past four months.
What does “placing a hold” mean?
- The 1267 committee:
- The 1267 committee, set up in 1999, allows any UN member state to propose adding the name of a terrorist or terror group to a consolidated list maintained by the Committee with affiliations to Al Qaeda and ISIS.
- The UNSC 1267 committee comprises all permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
- It is one of the most critical and active UN subsidiary bodies working on efforts to combat terrorism, particularly Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
- It discusses UN efforts to limit the movement of terrorists, especially those related to travel bans, freezing assets and arms embargoes for terrorism.
- How is the listing done?
- Submission of Proposal
- Any member state can submit a proposal for listing an individual, group, or entity.
- The proposal must include acts or activities indicating the proposed individual/group/entity had participated in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities linked to the said organisations.
- Actual decision
- Decisions on listing and de-listing are adopted by consensus.
- The proposal is sent to all the members, and if no member objects within five working days, the proposal is adopted.
- An “objection” means rejection of the proposal.
- Putting and resolving ‘Technical Holds
- Any member of the Committee may also put a “technical hold” on the proposal and ask for more information from the proposing member state.
- During this time, other members may also place their holds.
- The matter remains on the “pending” list of the Committee.
- Pending issues must be resolved in six months, but the member state that has placed the hold may ask for an additional three months.
- At the end of this period, the matter is considered approved if an objection is not placed.
- Submission of Proposal
- Inda’s proposal:
- India has successfully proposed the listing of several terror entities in the past two decades, including Pakistan-based JaisheMohammed (JeM) and LashkareTaiba.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
- About
- The Security Council was established by the UN Charter in 1945.
- The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with maintaining international peace and security.
- The six principal organs of the UN:
- The General Assembly
- The Security Council
- The Economic and Social Council
- The Trusteeship Council
- The Secretariat
- International Court of Justice
- Powers:
- Its powers include establishing peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorisation of military action through Security Council resolutions.
- It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
- Composition:
- The Security Council consists of fifteen members.
- The five permanent members (P5):
- Russia
- The United Kingdom
- France
- China
- The United States
- The Security Council also has ten non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms.
- The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
- Veto power:
- The permanent members (P5) can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
- UNSC elections:
- Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.
- The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis as follows
- Five for African and Asian States.
- One for the Eastern European States.
- Two for the Latin American and Caribbean States;
- Two for Western European and other States
Content Source: The Hindu