NEW YORK – India on Wednesday criticised the UN Security Council’sveto-wielding members for anonymously obstructing the designation ofterrorists without giving any reason, a veiled attack on China forrepeatedly blocking its bid to list Pakistan-based Masood Azhar as a globalterrorist.

Participating in an open debate of the Security Council on its workingmethods, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said,“Most of the time, one does not even know which countries have exercisedtheir veto.”

He said the veto power being exercised by members of the Security Councilwho have been anonymously blocking the designation of several terroristswithout giving any explanation.

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.

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

Akbaruddin said there were 14 sanctions committees, which cumulativelylisted 678 individuals and 385 entities subject to such measures. Yet, eachof those decisions had been made “beyond the gaze” of public knowledge,with no explanation of the inputs that had informed them, he said.

“For example, in practical terms, decisions of these sanctions committeescan be placed on hold or blocked by any of the 15 Member States of theseCommittees,” he said. “The challenges related to the working methods of thesanctions committees were not merely related to transparency andaccountability and in that context a case existed for the Council toaddress the anomalies in the committees’ working methods,” he said.

The anomalies not only affected the efficiency and credibility of the workof the Council, but also impacted the larger membership that was requiredto implement its decisions, he said. “It is in this spirit that my countryalong with so many others have called for the reform of the SecurityCouncil,” Akbaruddin said.

His view was shared by Bolivia’s representative, who said the success ofsanctions hinged on cooperation by all Member States. Yet the details ofthose regimes were not easily accessible or transparent, including forStates being sanctioned. – PTI