India’s veiled attack on China over use of veto for Pakistan

NEW DELHI – India has criticised the use of “hidden veto” in the subsidiaryorgans of the UN Security Council such as the Sanctions Committees,apparently hitting out at China for repeatedly blocking its bid to listPakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China hasrepeatedly blocked India’s move at the UN to designate Azhar a globalterrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the top organ.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin,addressing an informal meeting of the Plenary on the Intergovernmentalnegotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase inthe membership of the Security Council, said he welcomes the chairs’suggestion to explore how the veto impacts work and effectiveness of anenlarged Council.ADVERTISEMENT

In a sharp retort, Akbaruddin said the use of hidden vetoes in places“where it was never meant to be exercised”, is instead impacting the workand effectiveness of the Council.

“In this context, we would like to highlight a little explored practice ofthe ‘hidden’ veto exercised in the subsidiary organs of the Council. Let metry and explain what this hidden veto is,” Akbaruddin said here yesterday.

He added that there are more than a dozen subsidiary organs of the Council,each pronouncing numerous decisions annually. Citing the example of theSanctions Committees, Akbaruddin said each of them, the veto is exercisedwith “none of us even being informed about it.”ADVERTISEMENT

He pointed out that those permanent Council members who cast the ‘hidden’veto are not required to provide a public explanation for their actions.

“Such a veto is neither recorded nor made public. In fact, even theproposal, which is denied by the use of the ‘hidden’ veto, is never madepublic, as it is considered ‘blocked’.”

Though Akbaruddin did not mention the name of any country, it is well knownthat China in the past has used its veto power when it came to designatingterrorists or extremist groups having links with the Pakistaniestablishment.