Underlining that “victims and perpetrators of terrorism” were being equated “in the name of global strategy”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday targeted Pakistan and China, saying “a sitting Security Council member” was openly protecting the very organisation which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking at an event in Delhi to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Jaishankar also questioned “the sincerity of those involved” in shielding the “self-proclaimed terrorists” from the sanctioning process.
The references were to Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and China which has been blocking Indian efforts to put on the global sanctions list Pakistani proxies of the terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed.
The Resistance Front, a shadow outfit of Lashkar-e-Taiba, had claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack in April. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told his country’s National Assembly about forcing the removal of references to the TRF in the UNSC press statement condemning the Pahalgam attack. In July, the US State Department designated TRF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT).
Questioning the decision-making process in the UN, Jaishankar called for its reform. “We must also recognise that all is not well with the United Nations. Its decision-making neither reflects its membership nor addresses global priorities. Its debates have become increasingly polarised and its working visibly gridlocked. Any meaningful reform is obstructed using the reform process itself. Now, financial constraints have emerged as an additional concern. How to sustain the UN even while seeking its re-invention is clearly a major challenge before all of us.”
“Few examples are more telling about the challenges facing the UN than its response to terrorism. When a sitting Security Council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for the barbaric terror attack such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism? Similarly, if victims and perpetrators of terrorism are equated in the name of global strategy, how much more cynical can the world get. When self-proclaimed terrorists are shielded from the sanctioning process, what does it say for the sincerity of those involved?” he said.
“If the maintenance of international peace and security has become lip service, the predicament of development and socio-economic progress is even more serious. The slowing down of the SDG Agenda 2030 is a significant metric to measure the distress of the Global South. There are many more, whether it is trade measures, supply chain dependence or political domination.”
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The stand on listing
“Yet, on such a notable anniversary, we cannot abandon hope. However difficult, the commitment to multilateralism must remain strong. However flawed, the United Nations must be supported in this time of crisis. Our faith in international cooperation must be reiterated and indeed renewed. It is in that spirit that we all meet to mark this occasion and seek to build a better world,” he said.
Calling the UN’s 80th anniversary a “significant milestone for any institution”, Jaishankar said, “On UN Day, I would like to reiterate India’s commitment to the ideals of peace and security, as well as development and progress. India has always been and will continue to be a strong votary of the United Nations, and indeed, of multilateralism.”
“Our commitment to global peace and security is reflected, amongst others, in our staunch support for peacekeeping…We visualise this as a fundamental obligation of a conscientious member. The energies and resources that we have devoted and the sacrifices that our personnel have made certainly ensure that the world is a better place,” he said.
Just last week, India hosted a Chiefs of Army Staff Conclave in New Delhi, which witnessed participation from thirty troop contributing countries, he said.
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On the occasion, he unveiled the commemorative postage stamp celebrating UN@80. The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, organised an open competition on MyGov portal, to design the commemorative postage stamp celebrating UN@80.
He said the stamp that was selected depicts the need for peace in this era of conflict. “Even today, we are regrettably witnessing multiple major conflicts that not only take a great toll on human lives, but impact the well-being of the entire international community. The Global South, in particular, has felt this pain even as the more developed insulated themselves from consequences,” he said, referring to the food, fuel and fertiliser shortage due to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
