UPSC Express

About United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

• The United Nations Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
• It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote.
  • There are five permanent members: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
• Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
• The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression.
• It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement.
• In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

UNSC1267 committee

• The Committee makes its decision by consensus. Even if even a single member opposes a decision, there is no consensus
• If a terrorist or terrorist organisation is included in this list, it helps in restricting their movement, financial penalties and assets freeze among other
• An assets freeze under the sanctions committee requires that all states freeze without delay the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals and entitie.
• Thus, UNSC designation will subject Azhar to an assets freeze, travel ban and an arms embargo.

India’s attempts to list Azhar at the UNSC:

• The UN had banned the Jaish-e Mohammad in 2001. But India’s efforts to ban Masood Azhar after the Mumbai terror attack were not successful as China has repeatedly blocked the move.
• Three attempts to designate Azhar as global terrorist, in 2009, 2016 and 2017, have been blocked by China at Pakistan’s behest.
• Backing India’s efforts, a new proposal to designate Azhar a global terrorist was moved in the UN Security Council with the backing of permanent members France, US and UK (which came in response to the Pulwama attack).
• China again stalled India’s bid to list Masood Azhar as a global terrorist by putting a technical hold for six months.
• However, China has recently lifted technical hold after Beijing found no objection to the listing proposal.
• By not objecting to Azhar’s listing at Pakistan’s behest, China had finally shifted from its position after 10 years of consistent stalling to designate him as a global terrorist at the UN Security Council Resolution 1267 sanctions committee.

How India got China on board?

• India had hectic negotiations with China since it put a technical hold in March, 2019.
• India’s Foreign Secretary’s diplomatic visits to Washington, Beijing and Moscow were indicators of stepped-up diplomacy.
• In addition, US proposal to start a fresh move to list Azhar by moving a resolution (along with UK and France), at the UNSC for discussions leading to a public vote, also put immense pressure on China.
• However India-China issues remain like NSG membership, UNSC membership, border dispute, trade deficit, but China took the call to remove one contentious issue (Azhar) off the bilateral table.