In News:

• For the third time in three months, China blocked a joint India-U.S. attempt to put a Pakistan-based terrorist on the UN Security Council’s 1267 list.
• It placed a hold on the proposal to add Lashkar-e-Taiba ‘commander’ Sajid Mir, who is wanted for the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks.
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China’s past record on blocking the proposal at UN

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• In August 2022, China had blocked a proposal by India and the US at the UNSC to designate Abdul Rauf Azhar as a global terrorist.

What’s in today’s article:

• Sanctions of the UN Security Council – About, sanctions regime, sanctions committee
• UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee – About, functions, procedure followed

In Focus: Sanctions of the UN Security Council

• Under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the UN Security Council can take action to maintain or restore international peace and security.
• The application of sanctions is one of the possibilities the Council has in this respect.
• Sanctions measures, under Article 41 of the UN Charter, encompass a broad range of enforcement options that do not involve the use of armed force.
• The measures can range from economic and trade embargoes to more targeted measures against specific individuals, companies or entities, such as the freezing of funds and travel bans.

Sanctions regimes

• Currently, the UNSC has 14 active sanctions regimes which focus on supporting political processes in armed conflicts, nuclear non-proliferation and counter-terrorism.
• Sanctions regimes are enacted via a UN Security Council resolution.

Sanctions committee

• Each sanctions regime is administered by a sanctions committee that consists of all 15 members of the Security Council.
  • 15 members include – 5 permanent member and 10 non-permanent members of UNSC.
• These sanctions committees ensure the implementation of the sanctions and can decide by consensus to adopt targeted sanctions against specific individuals, enterprises or entities.
  • UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee or 1267 sanctions committee is one of them.

UNSC Al-Qaeda and ISIL Sanctions Committee

• The ISIL (Da’esh) and Al Qaida sanctions committee is also known as the 1267 sanctions committee.
• It is one of the most important and active UN subsidiary bodies working to combat terrorism, particularly in relation to ISIL (Da’esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.

Functions

• Once an entity or an individual is included in the list it gets designated as the “Global Terrorist”.
• The member states are required to:
  • freeze funds and financial assets of that individual/entity,
  • enforce a travel ban, and
  • cut off access to arms and related materials.

Procedure followed by the committee

• Decision by consensus
  • The decisions are adopted by consensus.
  • This requirement effectively gives a veto to all 15 members of the committee (10 non-permanent + 5 permanent).
• Member can place a hold on the decision
  • A committee member can place a “hold” on the decision should they require more time and information to consider the matter at hand.
  • As per the guidelines, a hold can last for as long as 6 months at a time, but can be extended further under “extraordinary circumstances”.
  • Apart from this vague condition, there is no restriction on repeatedly invoking a hold.
• Meeting behind the close doors
  • Committee meetings take place in closed sessions, with no publication of the agenda, proceedings and voting records of the committee.