India abstains from voting on UNSC resolution to put humanitarian aid beyond sanctions
United Nations. India abstained from voting in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a resolution that seeks to exempt humanitarian aid from all UN sanctions. India asserted that banned terrorist organizations have taken full advantage of such immunity and have been helped in raising finances and recruiting fighters.
India currently holds the presidency of the 15-member Security Council. The Council on Friday voted on a resolution moved by the US and Ireland to exempt humanitarian aid from the sanctions regime. Washington stressed that the resolution, if adopted, would ‘save countless lives’. India was the only country to abstain from voting, while the remaining 14 members of the Council voted in favor of the resolution. The resolution states that the supply of money, other financial assets, economic resources, and goods and services is necessary and permissible to ensure timely access to humanitarian assistance and does not violate sanctions imposed by the Council or its Sanctions Committee. Is.
UNSC Chair and India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said, “Our concerns stem from clear examples of terrorist organizations taking full advantage of such humanitarian exemptions and making a mockery of other sanctions committees, including the 1267 Sanctions Committee.” ‘ Kamboj also indirectly mentioned Pakistan and the terrorist organizations present on its soil.
“In our neighbourhood, there have been several cases of terrorist organizations repositioning themselves as humanitarian organizations and civil society groups to evade these sanctions,” he said. These also include organizations banned by the Council. Kamboj was referring to the Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), which describes itself as a charitable organisation, but is widely seen as a front organization linked to the Lashkar-e-Taiba. The Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), an organization run by the Jamaat and Lashkar, and the Al Rehmat Trust, backed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), are also based in Pakistan.
“These terrorist organizations take advantage of exemptions in the field of humanitarian aid to raise funds and recruit fighters,” said Kamboj. “India calls upon India to exercise due care while providing humanitarian assistance to organizations proscribed under 1267 (Sanctions Committee) which operate with the full support of the Government in areas universally accepted by the international community as terrorist sanctuaries,” he added. flourish with.
Kamboj reiterated that the human shield provided by this exemption should under no circumstances be misused by banned terrorist organizations to expand their activities in the region or beyond. He added, “More importantly, such impunity should not help terrorist organizations to ‘mainstream’ the politics of our region. Therefore, utmost care needs to be taken in the implementation of this proposal.
