External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday took a veiled dig at China over its putting on hold blacklisting of a JeM terrorist and said some countries have facilitated impunity “when it comes to sanctioning some of the world’s most dreaded terrorists.”
Speaking at the UNSC briefing on Ukraine ‘Fight against impunity’, the minister said politics should never ever provide cover to evade accountability. “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 put on hold a proposal moved at the United Nations by the US and co-supported by India to designate Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir, one of India’s most wanted terrorists and the main handler of 2008 Mumbai attack, as a global terrorist.
Beijing has repeatedly puts on hold on listings to blacklist Pakistan-based terrorists under the sanctions committee of the UN Security Council. It is the third time in recent months that China has blocked an India-US proposal. Earlier, Abdul Rehman Makki, a leader of the LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and Abdul Rauf Azhar, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) founder Masood Azhar, were given “protection” by Beijing in the sanctions committee.
Noting that the trajectory of the Ukraine conflict is a matter of profound concern for the entire international community, Jaishankar said the world has experienced its consequences in terms of higher costs and shortages of foodgrains and fertilizers and fuel.
The minister said that the need of the hour is to end the conflict in Ukraine and return to the negotiating table. “This Council is the most powerful symbol of diplomacy. It must continue to live up to its purpose,” he said.
Jaishankar also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks during his meeting with Vladimir Putin during the SCO summit that this cannot be an era of war.
India, a non-permanent member of the council along with other members attended the Thursday meeting. The council was being represented by foreign ministers at the meeting. This was the first direct encounter between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukraine’s Dmytro Kuleba, attended the meeting as his country is subject 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.
Referring to the specific topic before the Council, Jaishankar emphasized that even in conflict situations, there can be no justification for violation of human rights or of international law.
“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. (ANI)
