Held Up by the Chinese-On UNSC Sanctions Committee Proposal

Context

Recently, China for the fourth time placed a “hold” on two joint India-US proposals, to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) top leaders at the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) 1267 list of terrorists affiliated to Al Qaeda and ISIS.

Probable Question

Explain the Placing a hold concept under the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) 1267 list and also explains why China is putting a hold.

About the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) 1267 List

• The 1267 committee was set up in 1999 (updated in 2011 and 2015).
• It allows any UN member state to propose adding the name of a terrorist or terror group to a consolidated list.
• The list has been maintained by the 1267 Committee, which has affiliations to Al Qaeda and ISIS.
• India has successfully proposed the listing of several terror entities in the past two decades, including Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba.
• A no-objection procedure is followed after a listing is proposed, where a member of the committee can places a hold on the listing or object outright to it.

What “placing a hold” Means?

• In case a member country places a hold on the listing, then the listing cannot be adopted.
• The 1267 Committee is bound to resolve all such pending issues within six months but can allow extensions.
• The “holding” country, after six months has to decide whether to accept the listing or place a permanent objection to it.
• China is a permanent member of the UNSC and can place a hold any number of times as its term doesn’t run out, and it carries a veto vote.

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Reasons China has given for Holding the Listings

• China and Pakistan have close bilateral ties between the two countries, thus China has placed holds on a number of listing proposals relating mainly to Pakistan-based groups and their leaders. 
• Example: 
  • China’s objections to the listing of JeM founder Masood Azhar. 
  • Even after the Parliament attack and the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, China kept placing a hold on the UNSC terror listing proposals for him: in 2009, 2010, and 2016-18, claiming it had “inadequate information” on Masood Azhar’s terror activities. 
• Chinese Ambassador said that they needed “some time to study these specific cases.
• China has never given any comprehensive reason for the holds. 
• At the UNSC meeting, 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”.

Alternatives taken by India

• India has tried a number of different ways to build international consensus on cross-border terrorism and the UNSC terror listings have been one such route. 
• India has also pursued with the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force, where Pakistan was placed on a “grey list” for its inability to curb terror financing and money laundering from 2012-2015 and 2018-2022. 
• India and the U.S. have built their own separate lists of “most wanted” terrorists that document the cases against them.
• China has placed holds on a number of listing proposals relating mainly to Pakistan-based groups and their leaders, given the close bilateral ties between the two countries.

News Source: The Hindu

https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-held-up-by-the-chinese/article66032861.ece

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