UNSC membership must not be used to 'legitimise' terrorists: India
India has criticized the UN Security Council for allowing political interests to influence the listing and de-listing of terrorists, calling for greater transparency and objectivity in sanctions processes. Additionally, India urged the Council to resolve the ongoing delays in appointing chairs for its subsidiary bodies, arguing that these administrative failures undermine the organization's effectiveness.
Why it matters
The critique highlights systemic governance issues within the UN Security Council, specifically regarding how geopolitical rivalries can paralyze counter-terrorism efforts and institutional functionality.
Membership of the UN Security Council must not be used as a tool to "legitimise" terrorists by seeking their removal from the sanctions regime or to blacklist entities solely on "political considerations", India has said, asserting that the powerful 15-nation body must not become a platform for pursuing narrow interests.
Addressing a Security Council open debate on working methods on Wednesday (August 19, 2026), Chargé d’Affaires at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Ambassador Yojna Patel flagged the need for greater transparency and objectivity in the listing and de-listing of terrorists and terror entities under the Council’s sanctions regimes.
“Security Council membership brings significant responsibilities. This must not become a platform to pursue narrow political interests,” she said.
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