EAM Jaishankar makes veiled attack on Pakistan, China for misuse of multilateral platforms

India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Wednesday underscored the challenges faced by New Delhi in terms of aggression, military assertiveness, and terrorism being perpetrated on its fronts as he launched a veiled attack on China and its staunch ally Pakistan. Addressing the UN Security Council's open debate on ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism’,  India's external affairs minister asserted that the global multilateral platforms were misused by some countries in order to "justify and protect" perpetrators of terrorism. He spoke at the UN event on counter-terrorism and reformed multilateralism held under India’s current Presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC). 

"On the challenge of terrorism, even as the world is coming together with a more collective response, multilateral platforms are being misused to justify and protect perpetrators," India's external Affairs Minister Jaishankar, noted. 

EAM calls out at 'political considerations,' biases at UN

Jaishankar took an indirect swipe at neighbouring China and Pakistan for blocking the US-backed UN's blacklisting of Pakistan-based terrorists such as the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist attack mastermind Sajid Mir, Commander of the terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) Abdul Rauf, Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) commander Abdul Makki, and US Treasury designated long-time senior LeT terrorist Shahid Mahmood among others. China had blocked the proposal brought by India and the United States to blacklist Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shahid Mahmood, and others. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had, at the time, iterated United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been unable to act in some cases when it comes to proscribing terrorists because of “political considerations” and biases. 

"Having borne the brunt of cross-border terrorism for decades, India firmly advocates a 'zero-tolerance' approach. In our view, there is no justification for any act of terrorism, regardless of motivation,", Jaishankar iterated on Dec 14 at the UNSC. 

Not directly mentioning the names of Pakistan, and China on Wednesday, Jaishankar hinted that some of these nations politicized the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime. He derided Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism, stating that "no rhetoric, however sanctimonious can ever cover up blood stains," referring to the terrorist attack plots, and the violence wreaked by the neighbouring nation on Indian soil. Jaishankar had previously reaffirmed India's firm resolve in holding the perpetrators of terrorism accountable, as he told UNSC, that “the key conspirators and planners of 26/11 terror attacks continue to remain protected and unpunished,” slamming Pakistan and demanding UN and international community's open response. 

United Nations responds to terrorism by sanctioning its perpetrators. "Those who politicize the UNSC 1267 Sanctions regime, sometimes to the extent of defending proclaimed terrorists, do so at their own peril. Believe me, they advance neither their own interests nor indeed their reputation," Jaishankar asserted on Wednesday, addressing the UNSC. "We have convened here today for an honest conversation about the effectiveness of multilateral institutions, more than 75 years after they were created. The question before us is how best they can be reformed, particularly as the need to reform is less deniable with each passing year,” he said. "On one hand, they have brought out the inequities and inadequacies of the way the world currently functions. On the other, they have also highlighted that a larger and deeper collaboration is necessary to find solutions."

"We not only need to increase stake - holdership but also enhance the effectiveness and credibility of multilateralism in the eyes of the international community and global public opinion. That is the purpose of NORMS," Jaishankar told the UNSC, pitching for the New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System or NORMS to reflect present-day inclusive geo-political realities. 

His remarks came just days after clashes erupted between the Chinese PLA and the Indian service members due to Beijing's unilateral military advancements in India's northeastern region. India's External Affairs Minister iterated that the knock-on effects of the conflict-like situation made a strong case that there cannot be "business as usual" in the multilateral domain.

"The knock on effects of conflict situations have also underscored the necessity for a more broad based global governance. Recent concerns over food, fertilizer and fuel security were not adequately articulated in the highest councils of decision making. Much of the world was therefore led to believe that their interests did not matter. We cannot let this happen again,” he said.

Jaishankar also called out the hypocrisy on climate action and climate justice, emphasizing that the "state of affairs is no better" in that domain either. "Instead of addressing the relevant issues in the appropriate forum, we have seen attempts at distraction and diversion," EAM noted.