0 Comment(s) *
* The moderation of comments is automated and not cleared manually by indianexpress.com.
Union external affairs minister S Jaishankar in Rajya Sabha. (Photo: Twitter/Sansad TV) Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday introduced a Bill in Lok Sabha that seeks to prohibit the financing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and gives the government the powers to freeze and seize assets of people involved in such activity.
Jaishankar introduced the Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Amendment Bill, 2022 following Question Hour. The existing Act (Weapons of Mass Destruction and their Delivery Systems (Prohibition of Unlawful Activities) Act, 2005) does not cover the financial aspect of WMD delivery systems and inclusion of new provisions was essential to meet India’s international obligations, the government has said.
The Bill seeks to make an insertion in the existing Act after Section 12: “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 also seeks to give the 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”.
It 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.”
The existing law covers unlawful activities relating to biological, chemical and nuclear weapons and their delivery systems and provides for integrated legal measures to exercise control over the export of materials, equipment and technologies in relation to weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and for prevention of their transfer to non-state actors or terrorists.
According to the Bill’s statement of objects and reasons, in recent times, regulations relating to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems by international organisations have expanded. Further, the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) targeted financial sanctions and the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have mandated against financing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.
“In view of the above, there is a need to amend the said Act to provide against the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems so as to fulfil our international obligations,” the statement has said.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
