Recently, Pakistan was elected as the Chair of the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee, Vice Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), and a Co-Chair in two informal working groups of the UNSC.
Reasons For Pakistan’s Appointment to UNSC Committees
- Procedurally Inevitable: As per Article 28 of the UN Charter, the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee and 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee are subsidiary organs comprising all 15 UNSC members.
- By virtue of its two-year UNSC membership, any elected non-permanent member invariably takes the helm of at least one of the Council’s several subsidiary bodies, at some point in their tenure.
- Pakistan being voted as a UNSC non-permanent member from the Asia-Africa grouping in June 2024 already set it up for eventual committee chairmanships.
- P5: Permanent members (China, France, Russia, UK, US) avoid chairing such bodies to prevent conflicts of interest. e.g., the US enforces major sanctions but has never chaired the 1988 Committee.
- Systemic Overload: The existing system burdens non-permanent members.
- A 2018 UNSC briefing called for a new system for fairer chairmanship distribution.
About the Committees
- 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee
- It imposes an assets freeze, a travel ban and an arms embargo on individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with the Taliban in constituting a threat to the peace, stability and security of Afghanistan.
- It was established as a separate committee from the 1267 Al Qaeda Committee in 2011.
- It holds neither the Chairmanship nor the Vice Chairmanship of the 1267 Committee, where at least 50 sanctioned individuals are linked to Pakistan.
- 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC)
- In the aftermath of the 11 September attacks against the United States in 2001, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1373 (2001), which for the first time established a dedicated Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) of the Council.
- Does not designate terrorists, nor investigate terror attacks, or impose sanctions.
- Monitors and facilitates the implementation of counter-terrorism obligations by all UN member states.
- Pakistan’s past non-compliance with UNSCR 1373 (e.g. harboring terrorists) doesn’t bar it from being a Vice Chair to this committee.
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Impact Of Pakistan Positions
- Symbolic Leadership: Pakistan’s Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship roles at the UNSC’s subsidiary bodies do not represent a direct diplomatic threat to Indian interests at the UN.
- Chairs can set agendas and moderate discussions, but cannot unilaterally impose decisions.
- These are procedural posts and Pakistan cannot list/delist terrorists unilaterally.
- Actions like listing/delisting individuals in sanctions lists require consensus among all 15 UNSC members.
- On the 1988 Committee: The Committee’s function is limited, especially now that the Taliban de facto rule Afghanistan.
- India itself engages Taliban leaders diplomatically, reflecting changed regional dynamics.
- On the CTC: It is a technical body, focused on capacity building, not punitive action.
- The Counter-Terrorism Executive Directorate (CTED) handles evaluations and support.
India’s Tenure In these Committees
- India was elected as a Non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 8th time for the term 2021-22.
- During this tenure as a non-permanent member), India served as the Chair of three committees:
- 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee,
- 1970 Libya Sanctions committee, and
- 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).
Key Highlights of India’s Tenure
- First UNSC meeting in India: As Chair of the UN Security Council’s Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC) in 2022, India hosted a historic two-day Special Meeting in Mumbai and Delhi in October 2022—the first-ever UNSC meeting in India.
- The Committee unanimously adopted the “Delhi Declaration” on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes.
- Mention Of Hindi: On 10 June 2022, India co-sponsored a UNGA Resolution on Multilingualism, which for the first time mentioned Hindi, encouraging the UN to disseminate key communications in both official and non-official languages, including Hindi.
- Terrorist Listing: India played a critical role in listing Abdul Rehman Makki, a Pakistani terrorist, under the UNSC 1267 sanctions regime.
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Real Concerns Arising From Pakistan’s Position In Committees
- Consensus Paralysis: UNSC committees require unanimous decisions, allowing China to shield Pakistan-based terrorists by blocking designations.
- No Enforcement Teeth: These bodies are technical, not punitive and they can’t investigate or penalize state sponsors of terror like Pakistan.
- Scope for Narrative Manipulation: Pakistan’s upcoming rotational Presidency of the United Nations Security Council in July 2025 poses a more serious concern than its subsidiary committee roles.
- While the UNSC Presidency does not give Pakistan any special substantive powers, there are procedural advantages which Pakistan can use to its benefit.
- For example, the Presidency can bolster Pakistan’s ability to convene closed door/informal consultations of the Council, given the UNSC President’s sole authority to convene meetings in the Council’s Provisional Rules of Procedure.
- In 2013, Pakistan attempted to use its rotational Presidency of the UNSC to redirect the UN’s focus towards Kashmir.
Way Forward
A 2016 UNSC Presidential Note emphasized a more balanced, transparent, efficient, and inclusive selection process for Committee Chairs.
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