At the UNSC, India criticises China, saying that “politics should not preclude sanctions of terrorists.”

New York: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Thursday that some nations have made it easier for some of the most feared terrorists in the world to go unpunished. He was subtly criticising China for delaying the blacklisting of a JeM terrorist.

Politics should never ever serve as a shield to avoid accountability, the minister said during a UNSC briefing on Ukraine’s “Fight against Impunity.”

“Nor indeed to facilitate impunity. Regrettably, we have seen this of late in this very chamber, when it comes to sanctioning some of the world’s most dreaded terrorists.”

“If egregious attacks committed in broad daylight are left unpunished, this Council must reflect on the signals we are sending on impunity. There must be consistency if we are to ensure credibility,” he added.

China had earlier this month blocked an attempt by the US and India to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir, one of India’s most wanted criminals and the mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai assault, as a global terrorist threat.

The blacklisting of terrorists located in Pakistan under the UN Security Council’s sanctions committee has been repeatedly postponed by Beijing. China has thrice recently prevented an India-US plan from moving forward. Prior to this, Beijing granted “protection” in the sanctions committee to Abdul Rehman Makki, a leader of the LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Masood Azhar, the founder of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM).

Jaishankar noted that the Ukraine conflict’s trajectory is a source of deep concern for the whole international community and that its effects have been felt globally in the form of increasing prices and shortages of food grains, fertiliser, and gasoline.

The minister argued that it is urgent to put a stop to the violence in Ukraine and resume talks. “The most potent emblem of diplomacy is this Council. It must continue to fulfil its mission “added said.

Jaishankar also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments that this cannot be a time of conflict during his conversation with Vladimir Putin at the SCO summit.

India, a non-permanent council member, was present at the meeting on Thursday along with other council members. Foreign ministers attended the meeting to represent the council. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba attended the meeting because his nation is the target of discussion.

“The trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the entire international community. The outlook appears truly disturbing. In a globalized world, its impact is being felt even in distant regions. We have all experienced its consequences in terms of higher costs and actual shortages of food grains, fertilizers and fuel. The global south, especially, is feeling the pain acutely. We must not initiate measures that further complicate the global economy,” Jaishankar said.

“That is why India is strongly reiterating the need for an immediate cessation of all hostilities and a return to dialogue and diplomacy. Clearly, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized, this cannot be an era of war,” he added.

Jaishankar referred specifically to the issue at hand, stressing that there is never a good reason to violate human rights or international law, even when there is conflict.

“Where any such acts occur, it is imperative that they are investigated in an objective and independent manner. This was the position that we took with regard to the killings in Bucha. This is the position even today. The Council will also recall that we had then supported calls for an independent investigation into that incident,” he said.

Jaishankar said the fight against impunity is critical to the larger pursuit of securing peace and justice. “The Security Council must send an unambiguous and unequivocal message on this count.”

“This Council is the most powerful symbol of diplomacy. It must continue to live up to its purpose,” he said.

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