India Dismisses Pakistan’s UNSC Role, Labels It ‘Ceremonial’ Without Real Impact
Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh clarified that the allocation of chair and vice-chair posts in UNSC’s subsidiary bodies is a routine, yearly procedure.
On Thursday, India played down Pakistan’s recent appointments to important subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), describing the positions as “mainly ceremonial” with no actual power over decision-making.
In a written response to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh stated that the assignment of chair and vice-chair positions within UNSC’s subsidiary panels is a regular, annual process and is typically done through mutual agreement among member countries.
“Pakistan’s involvement is mostly ceremonial and limited to assisting the Chair with procedural and logistical arrangements to help the Committee run efficiently,” Singh noted.
The Minister further pointed out that, according to established practice, all chair roles and most vice-chair posts are allotted to non-permanent members. For the year 2025, about 24 such positions were distributed.
Pakistan, which holds a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for the 2025–26 period, was designated as the Chair of the UNSC 1988 Sanctions Committee (concerning the Taliban), and Vice-Chair of the UNSC 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee, alongside Russia and France.
Singh elaborated that Pakistan’s function as Chair of the Sanctions Committee mainly involves convening and facilitating meetings and coordinating with members to implement the Committee’s responsibilities under Resolution 1988 (2011).
He emphasised that all decisions within these committees are adopted through consensus, meaning no individual country can independently steer the agenda or determine outcomes.
The minister further explained that these roles are meant to aid in the execution of mandates laid out in relevant UNSC resolutions. Since all decisions in these committees require collective agreement, no single nation has autonomous control over proceedings or conclusions.
“Posts within the UNSC subsidiary bodies are essentially established to aid the enforcement of mandates specified in related UNSC resolutions. As consensus is required for decisions, no member state alone can determine the agenda or outputs,” he added.
Pakistan was chosen as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in early June, shortly after India’s ‘Operation Sindoor’. Along with its appointments in the sanctions and counter-terrorism bodies, Pakistan has also been made co-chair of two informal working groups within the UNSC.
