Lok Sabha nod to Bill to ban financing of WMDs

By PTI

NEW DELHI: A invoice which seeks to ban funding of weapons of mass destruction and likewise empower the Centre to freeze, seize or connect monetary property and financial sources of individuals engaged in such actions was handed by Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

Responding to a dialogue on the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated the passage of the modification will strengthen India’s nationwide safety and its international place.

The House handed the invoice by a voice vote with members expressing unanimity that such a measure was the necessity of the hour.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, handed in 2005, solely banned manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

While shifting the invoice for passage and consideration, Jaishankar stated the invoice introduced maintaining in thoughts the nationwide curiosity and international curiosity, and to strengthen India’s credentials and picture.

“In recent times, regulations relating to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems by international organisations have expanded,” Jaishankar stated within the statements of objects and causes of the invoice.

He famous that the United Nations Security Council’s focused monetary sanctions and the suggestions of the Financial Action Task Force have mandated towards financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their supply programs.

“We are upgrading a law which is 17 years old, which like other legislations need updating…FATF needs very specific reference to financing…the bill is meant to be amendment to shortcoming, something which is missing in a current law, it is not meant to be a new law,” the minister defined.

He stated until now, the federal government was issuing notifications underneath the UNSC Act, 1947 which associated to monetary measures.

The notifications have been carried out by the Reserve Bank of India and different “involved government bodies”.

“They would advice the banks, they would do the monitoring following order which the MEA would regularly bring out. Our effort today is to give legislative backing so that this is not one-by-one ad hoc measure but there is a legal way of dealing with what is a continuous problem,” he stated.

He stated the FATF evaluated whether or not international locations are accountable when it comes to their monetary coverage.

“We have seen international locations who’ve completed issues, adopted insurance policies and actions which aren’t proper dropped at account. And there are very important penalties of that.

“I think most members are familiar with the countries involved — some of them are very close to us,” he stated apparently referring to Pakistan. Referring to considerations on whether or not companies by mistake will get caught on this scenario that they didn’t know, he stated the federal government has outreach with the business.

“There is a way of communicating this. There is a long list of individuals and entities who are already sanctioned,” he stated.

During the course of his reply, Jaishankar responded to queries raised by members on varied points, certainly one of whom referred to Krishna Menon, who was at one level of time a part of the India’s diplomatic workforce on the United Nations.

Jaishankar stated Menon is thought for the document of giving the world’s longest speech on the United Nations.

“Yes. I assure you, I can say the same in six minutes. So, my point is that today, we should be less concerned about giving ‘gyan’ to the world over foreign policy. We should play our role. We should make our contributions. We should look at our national interest,” he stated.

When an opposition member puzzled why the prime minister spoke with the respective presidents of Russia and Ukraine solely, the minister stated when the battle is between the 2 international locations, “who else will he speak to? So, he is speaking to the relevant parties. Maybe doing the relevant thing may look irrelevant to other people, I do not know.”

The Bill seeks to insert a brand new Section 12A within the current legislation which states that “no person shall finance any activity which is prohibited under this Act, or under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 or any other relevant Act for the time being in force, or by an order issued under any such Act, in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.”

It additionally goals to present the federal government the powers to “freeze, seize or attach funds or other financial assets or economic resources owned or controlled, wholly or jointly, directly or indirectly, by such person; or held by or on behalf of, or at the direction of, such person; or derived or generated from the funds or other assets owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by such person”.

The modification additional proposes to “prohibit any person from making funds, financial assets or economic resources or related services available for the benefit of persons related to any activity which is prohibited under this Act”.

During the dialogue, MPs throughout get together strains supported the invoice.

BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore stated the modification has been introduced by the federal government to safe the nation.

“The use of weapons of mass destruction is unpredictable. They also destroy ecosystem, they can be chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear. And all this can be developed very easily. That is why this amendment has been brought, to stop it from happening,” stated Rathore.