India slams China: move against JeM deputy chief

China blocked a joint India-U.S. bid to list Jaish E Mohammed (JeM) deputy chief as a UN Security Council designated terrorist.

The deputy chief of JeM is accused of masterminding several terror attacks from the Parliament attack in 2001, as well as several attacks on security forces personnel in 2014-2019.
This is the second time China has blocked an India-U.S. listing proposal at the UNSC.

The Security Council can take action to maintain or restore international peace and security under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.
Sanctions measures, under Article 41, encompass a broad range of enforcement options that do not involve using armed force.
Security Council sanctions have taken several forms in the pursuit of various goals.

The measures ranged from comprehensive economic and trade sanctions to more targeted measures such as arms embargoes, travel bans, and financial or commodity restrictions.

Currently, the UNSC has 14 active sanctions regimes that focus on supporting political processes in armed conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation and counter-terrorism.
Sanctions regimes are enacted via a UN Security Council resolution.

Each sanctions regime is administered by a sanctions committee that consists of all 15 members of the Security Council.
The 15 members include – 5 permanent members and 10 non-permanent members of the UNSC.
These sanctions committees ensure the implementation of the sanctions and can decide by consensus to adopt targeted sanctions against specific individuals, enterprises, or entities.

The decisions are adopted by consensus:
This requirement effectively gives a veto to all 15 members of the committee (10 non-permanent + 5 permanent).
A member can place a hold on the decision:

A committee member can place a “hold” on the decision should they require more time and information to consider the matter at hand.
As per the guidelines, a hold can last for as long as six months at a time, but can be extended further under “extraordinary circumstances”.
Apart from this vague condition, there is no restriction on repeatedly invoking a hold.
Meeting behind closed doors
Committee meetings take place in closed sessions, with no publication of the agenda, proceedings and voting records of the committee.

The UN Security Council is the premier global body for maintaining international peace and security.
Established by the UN Charter in 1945, the UN Security Council, or UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
It is headquartered in New York.
UNSC is the only UN body with authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

The UNSC consists of 15 members.
The Security Council has five permanent members—China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States—collectively known as the P5. Any one of them can veto a resolution.
The council’s ten elected members, which serve two-year, nonconsecutive terms, are not afforded veto power.
These members are elected by a two-thirds vote of the UN General Assembly

The council’s presidency is a capacity that rotates among its 15 members.
The presidency changes hands every month between its members in the English alphabetical order of the member states’ names.

Jaish-e-Mohammed is a Jihadist militant group widely considered a terrorist group.
Since its inception in 2000, the group has carried out several attacks.

Pic Courtesy: freepic

Content Source: The Hindu