Sanctioning JuD high point of Indian diplomacy at UN in 2008

Dharam Shourie
United Nations, Dec 30 (PTI) Sanctioning of Pakistan-
based terrorist organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawa and its leaders,
who planned, financed and executed the Mumbai attacks, was
perhaps the high point of the Indian diplomacy at the United
Nations during the year.

Aggressive diplomacy and a well prepared case against the
JuD, parent organisation of Lashkar-e-Taiba, led to Security
Council's decision to call for worldwide freezing of its
assets and putting four LeT leaders on a list of terrorists
subject to sanctions, including ban on foreign travel.

The case prepared by India was so convincing that even
China, which bailed out Pakistan and prevented ban being
imposed on earlier occasions, decided to go along.

The ban took Pakistani diplomats by surprise and resulted
in criticism in the country's media that they had done pretty
little to explain Islamabad's position leading to its UN
Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling a press conference
to explain his position.

To calm Pakistani journalists, he even gave an assurance
that the decision could be reversed if they appealed, knowing
fully well that the process is difficult and getting ban
lifted almost impossible.

Apart from the sanctions, Pakistan was also smarting
under another success of the Indian diplomacy.

New Delhi was able to convince a large majority of member
states that time has come for negotiation on expansion of the
Security Council to move beyond working group -– a talking
shop which had done nothing in more than a decade except to
hear speeches -— to inter-governmental negotiations where
actual proposals put forward by member-nations could be
discussed and there could be give and take.

Pakistan, which opposes expansion of permanent membership
of the 15-member Council, wanted the working group to continue
its deliberations until a consensus is reached, an impossible
task where 192 members are involved.

The negotiations are scheduled to begin by middle of
February next year which could be difficult and protracted but
diplomats say at least it is the first move forward in more
than a decade and half.

The Indian diplomats have every reason to be happy over
the achievement during the year when Indian stamp was visible
in several areas.

It is difficult for anyone to predict how long the
negotiations on expansion of the Council, whose permanent
members now include the US, Britain, Russia, France and China
-– would last but New Delhi is poised to play a major role as
it is sure to be elected as a non-permanent member for a
two-year term beginning in 2010. The General Assembly elects
the non-permanent members in an election held in October.

Last time India was non-permanent member in 1991-92 which
had witnessed the first Gulf War after Saddam Hussein attacked
Kuwait. India had a substantial contribution in the first
sanction resolution adopted by the Council which placed
restriction on Baghdad's nuclear weapon dreams.

On a wider plane, the United Nations was facing multiple
crises and voluntary contributions for various peacekeeping
missions and other projects were declining because of economic
downturn at a time it is being asked to take on more and more
responsibility.

It was finding difficult to get troops, money, resources
including equipment for the ever-increasing peacekeeping
operations even though the Security Council was pressing it to
take on more tasks.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has often demanded that
while sanctioning a mission, the Council should also ensure
adequate resources but that has not happened.

Somalia is the latest example. During the recent meeting
of the Security Council, US Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice had advocated establishment of a peacekeeping operation
for Somalia which has no functioning government for last 17
years, providing a fertile ground for pirates to operate off
its coast.

"Where is the peace to keep?" asked Ban and called for a
multinational force which can more effectively deal with
lawlessness and converting it to the peacekeeping mission once
there is peace to keep.

But he was disappointed as more than 50 countries he
approached for leading the multinational mission either did
not reply or just sent lukewarm answers.

Naturally, he is worried to have another failed operation
at hand. Indeed, in Darfur, where a hybrid UN and African
Union mission is operating, the world body has not been able
to get enough troops and member states have not provided even
the basic equipment with the result that it is unable to make
an effective intervention.

The West Asia (Middle East) continues to be a highly
inflammable region with no visible peace between Palestinians
and Israelis in the year though diplomats said the two parties
have engaged in intensive talks below the world's radar.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel came nowhere near
peace and the fag end of the year, the situation turned
horribly worse with Tel Aviv launching a deadly offensive in
Gaza killing over 300, including civilians.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the world body
runs its biggest peacekeeping operation, the situation
continues to be difficult with its dream of creating an
effective local army still far away from being fulfilled. It
was expected that peacekeepers would be required only to
support the local army but that has not happened.

Adding to the problem were allegations of sexual abuse
and smuggling by the peacekeepers. Inquiries are still going
on but it has given bad name to the mission.

On the positive side, the United Nations oversaw
successful elections in Nepal, Sierra Leones and Bangladesh.

On the humanitarian front, it has been very active
during natural disasters including cyclone in Myanmar. But on
political front, it has little to show as the military junta
has refused to release pro-democracy leaders there.

The rising prices have made it difficult for the United
Nations to feed millions of hungry people and donations are
drying up. It is yet unclear how the problem would be
ultimately resolved.

Along with already existing issues, the world body would
face a major challenge during climate change negotiations. Ban
wants some agreement during the key Copenhagen meet late next
year but so far things are not so encouraging.

The United Nations' woes are not ending with the end of
the year. If anything, they would become more challenging
especially in a world ridden with economic crisis and market
meltdown which would result in decreasing funding at a time
when the world body needs more. PTI