New York – India lambasted the nations that use their “Veto power” at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to block listings of terror groups based on concrete evidence. At a UNSC session held on Sunday, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj noted that the practice is “uncalled for” and urged the member nations to not hide behind the “smokescreen of the intergovernmental negotiations”. She went on to explain that the use of the veto on such occasions goes against the council's commitment to tackling the challenge of terrorism.

"Let us turn to the subsidiary bodies inhabiting a subterranean world with their own custom-made working methods and obscure practices which do not find any legal basis in the charter or any of the council's resolutions. For instance, while we do get to know of the decisions of these committees on listing, the decisions on rejecting listing requests are not made public," Kamboj said at the Sunday session. "This is a disguised veto, but an even more impervious one that indeed merits a discussion amongst the wider membership. For genuine evidence-based listing proposals for globally sanctioned terrorists to be blocked without giving any due justification is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak when it comes to the council's commitment to tackling the challenge of terrorism," she added, alluding to China's use of such vetos in the past.

Last year, China put a technical hold on the proposal after India and the United States submitted a proposal to the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee to designate Sajid Mir as a global terrorist. Mir was wanted in India for his alleged involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 166 people and injured over 300 others.

Kamboj demands transparency 

During her address to the gathering, the Indian official reasoned that the selection of chairs of subsidiary bodies and decision-making power must be given through a transparent and open process. "The selection of chairs of subsidiary bodies and distribution of pen holderships must be made through a process which is open, which is transparent, which is based on exhaustive consultations and with a more integrated perspective. The consensus of the e ten on chairs of subsidiary bodies, to be assumed by the E-10 themselves, must be absolutely honoured by the P-5," she said. "As one of the largest troop-contributing countries, my delegation would like to reiterate that the concerns of the troop and police-contributing countries should be taken into consideration for better implementation of peacekeeping mandates. There is a need to review the agenda of the council and remove obsolete and irrelevant items from the agenda of the Security Council," the Indian diplomat furthered. 

During the Sunday session, India also reiterated its calls for bringing reforms to the UNSC. Asking for more representation among the permanent members of the council, Kamboj insisted that the council should be fit for the 21st century. "As the threats to international peace and security evolve, Mr. President, so must this council. We ask those blocking progress on this vital issue to heed calls for genuine reform and contribute to making this council truly fit for purpose for the 21st century. Thank you," she averred."As we discuss the working methods, we also witness an equitable representation-sized hole in the Security Council between P-5 and E-10. What we, therefore, need is a Security Council that better reflects contemporary realities, and the geographical and developmental diversity of the multipolar world of today, including the voices of developing countries and unrepresented regions like Africa, Latin America, and the vast majority of Asia and the Pacific. For this, an expansion of the council in both categories of membership is absolutely essential," she added.