UN Urges Taliban To End 'Unfathomable Restrictions' On Women

GENEVA, Dec 28: The Taliban must immediately revoke their policies targeting women and girls in Afghanistan, the UN rights chief insisted Tuesday, condemning their "terrible" consequences.

"No country can develop -- indeed survive -- socially and economically with half its population excluded," Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said in a statement.

"These unfathomable restrictions placed on women and girls will not only increase the suffering of all Afghans but, I fear, pose a risk beyond Afghanistan's borders."

He said the policies risked destabilising Afghan society.

"I urge the de facto authorities to ensure the respect and protection of the rights of all women and girls -- to be seen, to be heard and to participate in and contribute to all aspects of the social, political and economic life of the country," said Turk.

On Saturday, Afghanistan's hardline Islamist rulers banned women from working in non-governmental organisations. The Taliban have already suspended university education for women and secondary schooling for girls.

"This latest decree by the de facto authorities will have terrible consequences for women and for all Afghan people," Turk said.

"Banning women from working in NGOs will deprive them and their families of their incomes, and of their right to contribute positively to the development of their country and to the well-being of their fellow citizens."

The move is the latest blow against women's rights in Afghanistan since the Taliban reclaimed power last year.

"The ban will significantly impair, if not destroy" these NGOs' capacity to deliver essential services, Turk said, calling it all the more distressing with Afghanistan in the hold of winter, when humanitarian needs are at their highest.

Several foreign aid groups announced on Sunday they were suspending their operations in Afghanistan.

Women have also been pushed out of many government jobs, prevented from travelling without a male relative and ordered to cover up outside of the home, ideally with a burqa, and not allowed into parks.

The international community has made respecting women's rights a sticking point in negotiations with the Taliban government for its recognition and the restoration of aid.

"Women and girls cannot be denied their inherent rights," said Turk.

"Attempts by the de facto authorities to relegate them to silence and invisibility will not succeed."

Expansion of Security Council now on the table: UN Chief Antonio Guterres

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 19: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the possibility of enlarging the Security Council is now "seriously on the table" but expressed pessimism that the right of veto would be put into question. Guterres made the remarks while speaking to reporters during his annual end-of-year conference on Monday.

He was responding to a question on UN Security Council reform to make the powerful world body fitter for the purpose to deal with crises such as the Ukraine war.

"The central questions are related to the composition of the Security Council and to the right of veto. Now this is a matter for member states, the Secretariat has no influence in these negotiations,” Guterres said.

“I think that during our General Assembly session in September, for the first time, I heard from the United States and from Russia clearly the indication that they were in favour of an enlargement of the number of permanent members of the Security Council,” he said.

He added that there was a proposal from France and the UK some time ago for some restrictions in the use of the right of veto.

“But I remain pessimistic about the possibility of the right of veto to be seriously put into question,” he said.

The UN chief added that reform of the Security Council needs two-thirds of the votes of the General Assembly plus the five positive votes of the permanent members of the Security Council - China, France, Russia, UK, and the US.

“So, I think that there is now space for a much more serious discussion in relation to the Security Council reform. I think that the possibility of enlarging the Security Council is now seriously on the table. I'm still not optimistic about the right of veto,” he said.

Last week, Guterres tweeted that "a majority of @UN member countries now acknowledge that the Security Council should be reformed to reflect today's geopolitical realities. I hope regional groups & countries can work together to achieve greater consensus on the way forward and the modalities of reform."

Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar presided over a signature event in the Security Council on reformed multilateralism, asserting that while the debate on reforms has meandered aimlessly, the real world in the meantime has changed dramatically and that reform is the need of the day.

A concept note circulated by India ahead of the UNSC meeting said that UN reform has been left open-ended without a set timeline and the Security Council far from reflects true diversity.

"The world is not the same as it was 77 years ago. The 193 States Members of the United Nations are more than triple the 55 Member States that it had in 1945. However, the composition of the Security Council, responsible for global peace and security, was last fixed in 1965 and is far from reflecting the true diversity of the wider membership of the United Nations,” the concept note had said.

India on December 1 assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council, the second time after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two-year tenure as elected UNSC member.

India, whose 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, has been at the forefront of efforts calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, which has remained deeply divisive in dealing with current challenges.

India has asserted that the Council, in its current form, does not reflect today's geo-political realities and its credibility is at risk if nations such as developing powers like India do not have a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table.

During the press conference, Guterres said, “We have done many reforms in the areas of responsibility of the Secretariat and the UN agencies. And I think that the effectiveness of the response in relation to the humanitarian consequences of the war demonstrates that those reforms were positive”.

He said that UN country teams are working today in a much better and more effective way than just a few years ago.

"There are reforms of the UN that are taking place. But of course, the crucial aspect being discussed is in relation to the reform of the Security Council. And I will say, the revitalisation of the General Assembly and the strengthening of ECOSOC.

“Now, we have witnessed some important progress in the revitalization of the General Assembly. Let's not forget that now any veto in the Security Council leads to discussion in the General Assembly and to the explanation of the reasons of the veto. This is a very important change in relation between the two bodies,” he said.

'Epicentre Of Terrorism' Active: Jaishankar's Veiled Dig At China, Pak

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15: India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Thursday told the UN Security Council that the "contemporary epicentre of terrorism" remains very much active as he lamented that evidence-backed proposals to blacklist terrorists are put on hold without adequate reason, in a veiled attack on China and its close ally, Pakistan.

S Jaishankar, who presided over the 'UNSC Briefing: Global Counterterrorism Approach: Challenges and Way Forward', described terrorism as an existential threat to international peace and security and said it knows no borders, nationality, or race.

"The threat of terrorism has actually become even more serious. We have seen the expansion of Al-Qaida, Da'esh, Boko Haram and Al Shabab and their affiliates," he said in his address to the 15-nation Council.

S Jaishankar, speaking in his national capacity, said that "at the other end of the spectrum are 'lone wolf' attacks inspired by online radicalisation and biases. But somewhere in all of this, we cannot forget that old habits and established networks are still alive, especially in South Asia. The contemporary epicentre of terrorism remains very much active, whatever gloss may be applied to minimise unpleasant realities."

He was apparently referring to Pakistan, which is accused by its neighbours of harbouring terrorists and providing safe havens to several terrorist groups like al-Qaida, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Taliban.

Highlighting specific challenges with which the counter-terrorism architecture is currently grappling, S Jaishankar stressed the need of addressing double standards in countering terrorism, leading to concerns of politicisation.

"Uniform criteria are not applied to sanctioning and prosecuting terrorists. It would seem sometimes that the ownership of terrorism is more important than its actual perpetration or its consequences," he said.

S Jaishankar said that the working methods of relevant mechanisms is also a subject of legitimate concern and debate.

"At one level, we have seen protections that come close to justification. Then, there are evidence-backed proposals that are put on hold without assigning adequate reason. Conversely, there has even been recourse to anonymity so as to avoid taking ownership of untenable cases," he said.

His remarks were a strong reference to repeated holds and blocks on proposals by India to blacklist terrorists based on Pakistani soil, in the UN Security Council's sanctions committee by veto-wielding permanent member China.

In the past five months, China, a permanent, veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, has put holds on as many listing proposals made by India and the US to designate Pakistan-based terrorists under the Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee regime.

"We cannot let another '9/11 of New York' or '26/11 of Mumbai' happen again," S Jaishankar said, asserting that combating terrorism is a battle in which there is no respite.

"The world cannot afford attention deficit or tactical compromises. It is most of all for the Security Council to lead the global response in this regard." Highlighting four specific challenges with which the counter-terrorism architecture is currently grappling, S Jaishankar pointed to the issue of terror financing and State culpability, whether by commission or omission.

"The world may no longer be willing to buy the justifications and cover ups as in the past. Through bitter experience, we know that terror is terror, whatever the explanation. The question now arises as to the responsibilities of the state from whose soil such actions are planned, supported and perpetrated," he said.

He underlined the challenge of ensuring the integrity and accountability of the counter-terror multilateral mechanisms and their working methods. "They are on occasion opaque, sometimes driven by agendas and at times, pushed without evidence."

He began his address by telling the Council that India faced the horrors of cross border terrorism long before the world took serious note of it. "Over the decades, we lost thousands of innocent civilian lives. But we fought terrorism resolutely, bravely and with a zero-tolerance approach."

He cited Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has declared: "we consider that even a single attack is one too many and even a single life lost is one too many. So, we will not rest till terrorism is uprooted." Jaishankar said that countering threats from the misuse of new and emerging technologies by terrorists is "likely to be the next frontier of our battle."

He noted that one of the challenges is "how do we deal with differential standards, both inside and outside this Council. For too long, some have persisted with the belief that terrorism is just another instrument or stratagem. Those invested in terrorism have used such cynicism to carry on. It is not just plain wrong but could be downright dangerous, even for the very people whose toleration extends this far."

"No individual state should endeavor to seek political gain from terrorism and none of us collectively should ever put up with such calculations. When it comes to tackling terrorism, we must overcome political differences and manifest a zero-tolerance approach," he added.

Ahead of the meeting, S Jaishankar asked the representatives of the member states to observe silence for a minute in the memory of victims of terrorism.

Under India's Presidency, UN Security Council Adopts Statement To Curb Terror Acts

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15: The UN Security Council, under India's presidency, adopted a Presidential Statement on Thursday underscoring the obligation of nations to curb terror activities of blacklisted individuals and groups regardless of their "nationality" and the need to deny safe havens and prosecute perpetrators of terrorism.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Thursday presided over a UN Security Council briefing on 'Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts: Global counter-terrorism approach -principles and the way forward', the second signature event held under India's presidency of the Council for the month of December.

At the meeting, the 15-nation Council adopted the Presidential Statement that significantly welcomed the adoption of the "Delhi Declaration on Countering the Use of New and Emerging Technologies for Terrorist Purposes" by the Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC), and called on CTC to consider developing, with the support of CTED, within a reasonable period, a set of non-binding guiding principles, as provided in the declaration.

The declaration was adopted during the meeting of the CTC held in New Delhi and Mumbai on October 28-29 this year under the chairmanship of India.

The Presidential Statement said that Security Council reminds all States that they have an "obligation to curb the terrorist activities of all individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities included on the ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions list created pursuant to resolutions 1267" regardless of the nationality or residence of such individuals, groups, undertakings, or entities.

The Council urged member states to participate actively in maintaining and updating the ISIL and Al-Qaeda Sanctions List by contributing additional information, submitting delisting requests when appropriate, and by identifying and nominating for listing additional individuals, groups, undertakings, and entities.

China, an all-weather ally of Islamabad, has repeatedly placed holds and blocks on bids by India and the US to list Pakistan-based terrorists like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar.

The Council reiterated the obligation of member states to prevent the movement of terrorists or terrorist groups by, inter alia, effective border controls, and, urged member states to exchange information expeditiously, improve cooperation among competent authorities to prevent the movement of terrorists and terrorist groups to and from their territories, the supply of weapons for terrorists and financing that would support terrorists and terrorist groups.

The statement underlined that safe havens provided to terrorists continue to be a significant concern and urged member states to cooperate fully in the fight against terrorism in order to find, "deny safe haven to, and bring to justice, extradite or prosecute, in accordance with applicable international law, any person who supports, facilitates, participates or attempts to participate in the financing, planning, preparation or commission of terrorist acts or provides safe havens."

Through the Presidential statement, the Council condemned in the strongest terms terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and all terrorist acts, including those on the basis of xenophobia, racism and other forms of intolerance, or in the name of religion or belief, and further reaffirmed that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilisation, or group.

The Council also strongly condemned attacks by terrorist groups or individuals on civilians, critical infrastructure and soft targets, including transnational and cross-border attacks, and demanded the immediate cessation of such attacks, and called on all member states to summon the requisite political will to denounce all acts of terrorism.

The Security Council expressed its deep concerns as terrorist groups continue to make efforts to destabilise governments.

The Council noted with concern that terrorist groups craft "distorted narratives" that are based on the misinterpretation and misrepresentation of religion to justify violence, and that terrorist groups further seek to use names or religion or religious symbols, in order to manipulate followers and for propaganda or recruitment purposes.

The Council recognised the "importance of conducting outreach to entities with expertise and experience in crafting counter-narratives and promoting tolerance and coexistence, including religious actors, to counter terrorist propaganda and narratives."

The Council strongly condemned the flow of weapons, military equipment, unmanned aerial systems and their components, and IED components to and between Da'esh, Al-Qaeda, their affiliates and associated individuals or groups and encouraged member states to prevent and disrupt procurement networks for such weapons.

India Declares Candidature For UN Security Council Membership For 2028-29 Term

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 15: India has declared its candidature for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in New York on Thursday.

India on December 1 assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council, the second time after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two year tenure as elected UNSC member.

"I am glad to inform you that we have declared our candidature for our next tenure at the Security Council for 2028-29," S Jaishankar said.

India, whose 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, has been at the forefront of efforts calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, which has remained deeply divisive in dealing with current challenges.

India has asserted that the Council, in its current form, does not reflect today's geo-political realities and its credibility is at risk if nations such developing powers like India do not have a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table.

Jaishankar's Veiled Attack On China And Pakistan at UNSC

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 14: Multilateral platforms are being misused to justify and protect perpetrators of terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday during an open debate at the UN Security Council, in a veiled attack on China and its close ally Pakistan.

Presiding over the UN Security Council open debate on 'Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism', Jaishankar also said the knock on effects of conflict situations have made a strong case that it cannot be "business as usual" in the multilateral domain.

"On the challenge of terrorism, even as the world is coming together with a more collective response, multilateral platforms are being misused to justify and protect perpetrators," he said.

His remarks appeared to be a reference to repeated holds and blocks on proposals to blacklist terrorists, particularly those based on Pakistani soil like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, in the UN Security Council's sanctions committee by veto-wielding permanent members such as China.

Addressing the powerful 15-nation Council, Jaishankar said that reform is the need of the day. "And I am confident that the Global South especially shares India's determination to persevere," he said.

"All of us are aware that the 'Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council' has been on the UNGA agenda for well over the last three decades. While the debate on reforms has meandered aimlessly, the real world meantime has changed dramatically," he said.

Jaishankar said, "We have convened here today for an honest conversation about the effectiveness of multilateral institutions created more than 75 years ago. The question before us is how best they can be reformed, particularly as the need to reform is less deniable with each passing year."

The open debate, a signature event held under India's Presidency of the Security Council for the month, was addressed by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and President of the 77th session of the General Assembly Csaba Korosi.

Jaishankar said the call for change has been accelerated by growing stresses on the international system that the world has experienced in recent years.

"On the one hand, they have brought out the inequities and inadequacies of the way the world currently functions. On the other, they have also highlighted that a larger and deeper collaboration is necessary to find solutions," he said.

Jaishankar said that the knock on effects of conflict situations have also underscored the necessity for more broad based global governance.

"Recent concerns over food, fertilizer and fuel security were not adequately articulated in the highest councils of decision making. Much of the world was therefore led to believe that their interests did not matter. We cannot let that happen again," he said, an apparent reference to the Ukraine conflict and its impact on food and fuel security across the world.

"When it comes to climate action and climate justice, the state of affairs is no better. Instead of addressing the relevant issues in the appropriate forum, we have seen attempts at distraction and diversion," he said.

During the COVID pandemic, he said, many vulnerable nations of the Global South got their first vaccines from beyond their traditional sources. "Indeed, the diversification of the global production was itself a recognition of how much the old order had changed," he said.

Underscoring that each one of these examples makes a strong case why it should not be business as usual in the multilateral domain, Jaishankar said, "we not only need to increase stake-holdership but also enhance the effectiveness and credibility of multilateralism in the eyes of the international community and in the eyes of global public opinion. That is the purpose of NORMS" - New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System or NORMS.

Jaishankar emphasised that member states from Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Small Island Developing States should have "credible and continuing representation" in the Security Council.

"Decisions about their future can no longer be taken without their participation. Equally important is to make working methods and processes of the global institutions, including this Council, more accountable, objective and transparent. Failing to do so would only lend this Council to charges of politicization," he said.

He underlined that while the debate on reforms has meandered aimlessly, the real world meantime has changed dramatically. "We see that in terms of the economic prosperity, technology capabilities, political influence and developmental progress." While noting that at every milestone in multilateral diplomacy, the sentiment for reform has been expressed at the highest levels, Mr Jaishankar questioned why the international community is then failing to deliver on such a strong desire for change.

"The answer lie in the nature of the IGN process itself," he said, referring to the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on UN Security Council reform.

"One, it is the only one in the UN that is conducted without any time frame. Two, it is also singular in being negotiated without any text. And three, there is no record keeping that allows progress to be recognized and carried forward.

"Not just that. There are actually suggestions that negotiations start only when consensus has been achieved. Surely, we cannot have a more extreme case of putting the cart before the horse," he said.

Jaishankar voiced concern that three decades since the formation of the Open Ended Working Group on UNSC Reforms, "we have nothing to show for precisely these reasons. This is creating an intense sense of frustration among the wider membership. Attempts to propose piece-meal changes will not be accepted by them as an alternative." He said the UNSC debate and its outcome will not only help determine what kind of "United Nations we wish to see, but also what kind of global order that best reflects contemporary realities."

India Assumes Presidency Of UN Security Council For December

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 1: India on Thursday assumed the rotating Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council for the month of December, during which it will host signature events on countering terrorism and reformed multilateralism.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj will sit in the President's seat at the horse-shoe table. Days before India's Presidency, she met Secretary General Antonio Guterres as well as President of the General Assembly Csaba Korosi and discussed priorities during its presidency of the powerful body.

"Today, delighted to call on Secretary General @antonioguterres. Discussed the priorities and programme of work ahead of India's December Presidency in the @UN Security Council," Ms Kamboj tweeted on Tuesday.

On Monday, Ms Kamboj met Mr Korosi, who tweeted, "Always a great pleasure to meet with India's PR @ruchirakamboj. Today's discussions focused on India's presidency of the Security Council, which begins on Thursday. I look forward to the month ahead."

India assumes the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council from December 1, the second time after August 2021 that India will preside over the Council during its two-year tenure as elected UNSC member.

India's 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, with Kamboj, India's first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York sitting in the President's seat at the powerful horseshoe table for the month.

Countering terrorism and reformed multilateralism will be among the key priorities for India during its UNSC presidency that will culminate in the completion of its two-year tenure as non-permanent member of the 15-nation powerful body.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to New York to preside over "signature events" in the Security Council on renewed orientation for reformed multilateralism on December 14 and on countering terrorism on December 15.

As is customary, on the first day of its Presidency there will be the Permanent Representatives' Breakfast, Political Coordinators' Meeting and Consultations on the monthly Programme of work. Kamboj will then brief reporters in the UN Headquarters on India's priorities for the month and the programme of work for the Council.