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Context:

Pakistan becomes Chair of Taliban Sanctions Committee and Vice Chair of UNSC Counter-Terrorism Committee.  

News in Detail

Pakistan's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2025-26 term, and its subsequent appointment to key subsidiary bodies, has raised concern over Indian diplomacy.

Pakistan will now Chair the 1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee (TSC) and serve as Vice-Chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).

1988 Taliban Sanctions Committee (TSC) => Oversees the implementation of sanctions against individuals and entities associated with the Taliban. Its primary tasks include managing the sanctions list (adding or removing names), granting exemptions, and monitoring compliance by member states.  

1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC): Created through the binding UNSC Resolution 1373. Its focus is on building state capacity to fight terrorism, providing technical assistance, and promoting best practices. It does not have the power to impose sanctions or investigate specific terrorist acts.  

How did Pakistan get appointed?

Rotational Practice => It is a standard practice for elected non-permanent members to chair at least one subsidiary body during their two-year tenure. This is statistically inevitable as the five permanent members (P5: China, France, Russia, UK, US) traditionally do not chair sanctions committees to avoid conflicts of interest, given their power in sanctions enforcement.

Council Decision => While the process is somewhat automatic for elected members, the final selection of Chairs is done by the Council in a manner that aims to be "balanced, transparent, efficient and inclusive." Pakistan securing these roles indicates it has the confidence of the current Council members to fulfill these responsibilities. For example, India also chaired these same committees during its 2021-22 term.

Concern

The Presidency of the UNSC rotates monthly among its 15 members. When Pakistan holds the presidency, it gains significant procedural advantages. The President can convene meetings (including closed-door informal consultations), guide the Council's agenda, and shape the narrative of debates.

Pakistan has a history of using its UNSC presidency to its advantage. In 2013, it attempted to redirect the Council's focus towards the Kashmir issue. It has also used the platform to host debates on counter-terrorism to deflect from its own poor track record.

Membership in the Council allows Pakistan to voice its agenda on a premier global stage, potentially influencing the discourse on regional security and counter-terrorism in ways that are unfavorable to India.

Way Forward

Pakistan's leadership roles in the 1988 and 1373 committees do not represent a direct or major diplomatic threat to India's core security interests. The procedural and consensus-based nature of these bodies acts as a significant constraint.

The situation reflect the structural weaknesses of the UN's counter-terrorism architecture, which allows a state with a questionable record on terror to hold such positions.

The real challenge for Indian diplomacy lies in countering Pakistan's broader influence as a UNSC member. India must remain strategically vigilant and prepared to proactively counter any attempts by Pakistan to use its rotational presidency to internationalize bilateral issues like Kashmir or to dilute the global focus on its role as a sponsor of cross-border terrorism.

The focus for India should be on leveraging its own diplomatic capital to ensure that the Council's attention remains on the real threats to international peace and security.

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Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS