UN sanctions should not be used as punitive measures: India

India has said UN sanctions should be implemented only as a measure of last resort and not as punitive measures, as it underscored that they serve as an important tool in the maintenance of peace and security.
"Maintenance of international peace and security is of paramount importance. The Security Council has the primary responsibility to maintain the peace and security in the discharge of its duties on behalf of all UN members states," Consultant in India's Ministry of External Affairs Neeru Chadha said here yesterday.
Speaking at a session of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organisation, Chadha said sanctions could serve as an important tool in the maintenance of peace and security.

"They should not be used as punitive measures. They serve their purpose only if they are used, when necessary as a measure of the last resort, having tried all other options, and are applied so long as are necessary, in accordance with the provisions of the Charter," she said.
She noted that the Security Council is now increasingly issuing targeted sanctions against individuals and entities.
According to the Secretary General's report, due to the shift from comprehensive and general sanctions to targeted sanctions, the incidence of unintended harm to the third states or their citizens has significantly reduced, which is an "important development."

She, however, said that lack of requests from States for United Nations assistance in that regard did not mean the topic should be deleted from the Committee's agenda.
She also expressed support for the joint Russian Federation-Belarus proposal for an International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the use of force without Security Council authorisation under ChapterVII, and looked forward to a revised concept paper by Ghana on the strengthening of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organisations.
Chapter VII of the UN Charter, dealing with 'Action With Respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression', allows member states to use all possible means, including economic sanctions and military action, to enforce a UN resolution.