India has said membership of the UN Security Council must not be used to “legitimise” terrorists by seeking their removal from sanctions lists or to designate entities as terrorist organisations based solely on political considerations.
Addressing an open debate on the Council’s working methods on Wednesday, Chargé d’Affaires at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Ambassador Yojna Patel called for greater transparency and objectivity in the listing and delisting of terrorists and terror entities under UN sanctions regimes.
“Security Council membership brings significant responsibilities. This must not become a platform to pursue narrow political interests,” she said.
“Listing and de-listing are a case in point. There must be more transparency and objectivity on this front. Presence in the Security Council must not be instrumentalised to legitimise terrorists by attempting to de-list them or to list other entities as terrorist organisations based solely on political considerations, without any objective criteria or supporting documentation,” Patel said.
India has repeatedly criticised the opaque functioning of the Security Council’s sanctions committees, particularly the 1267 Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee.
New Delhi has argued that while listing decisions are made public, details of rejected proposals or those placed on technical hold remain inaccessible, describing the practice in the past as a “disguised veto”.
India has also faced such hurdles in efforts to designate Pakistan-based terrorists, with China, a permanent member of the Council, blocking or placing holds on some proposals.
Patel also raised concern over delays in appointing chairs of the Council’s subsidiary bodies, including the 1267 Al-Qaida and Taliban sanctions committees. Eight months into 2026, the chairs and vice-chairs of several subsidiary bodies are yet to be finalised.
“Subsidiary bodies serve important functions and enable better implementation of Security Council mandates. However, these bodies have not been able to deliver optimally in the recent past, primarily due to the delay in finalising the Chairs,” Patel said.
She called for the issue to be addressed on priority and for a “definitive and non-negotiable” timeline to be set for finalising the appointments.Denmark, which holds the Council presidency this month, has also described the delay as “unprecedented”, saying it undermines the Council’s effectiveness, credibility and institutional integrity.
India further sought greater transparency for elected non-permanent members in key Council processes, including the selection of the UN Secretary-General.
“For instance, elected members, and by implication, the General Assembly, must have a greater say in crucial aspects such as election of the UN Secretary-General,” Patel said.
Calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, Patel said its structure and working methods must reflect the changing global order."Our joint endeavour must be on appropriately equipping the UNSC to address contemporary and future challenges. The world of 1945 has changed beyond recognition.
"UN membership has grown four-fold since then. The outcome of one conflict 80 years ago cannot determine the composition, dynamics, approaches and working methods for perpetuity. This needs to change and must happen at the earliest,” she said.