D-day for Azhar’s UNSC listing: all eyes on China

D-day for Azhar’s UNSC listing: all eyes on China

1. The United Nations Security Council’s 1267 committee will decide on designation of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar under the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee.
2. The proposal to designate Masood Azhar was moved by France, UK and the US. It is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist after China has repeatedly used its veto power to block the proposal.
3. China has been reluctant to call out Pakistan on its support to terrorism. The reluctance has been primarily due to economic considerations which include CPEC — the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which provides China with connectivity to west Asia.
4. The CPEC is a collection of infrastructure projects meant to deepen economic ties between China and Pakistan. It is also a part of China’s ambitious One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative.
5. The UNSC 1267 Committee was established as a result of resolution 1267 (1999).If an individual or an organisation is included in the list, it leads to(a)countries to freeze the targeted group’s or individual’s assets (b)ban designated individuals from travelling and (c)prevent the supply of weapons, technology and other aid.
6. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. It is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members. The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms.