UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
INTRODUCTION
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, which are-
1. the Secretariat,
2. the security council
3. the General Assembly,
4. the Economic and Social Council
5. the International Court of Justice, and
6. the Trusteeship Council
The UNSC is charged with the following functions-
• ensuring international peace and security,
• recommending the admission of latest UN members to the general Assembly, and
• approving any changes to the UN Charter (the foundational treaty of the United Nations).
Its objectives are-
1. establishing peacekeeping operations,
2. enacting international sanctions, and
3. authorizing action.
It is the only body of UN with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states. The first session was held on 17 January 1946, and after that there was a decade long paralysis due to cold war between US and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, still they perform several military interventions and peacekeeping missions in various countries. The Security Council consists of fifteen members, out of which five are permanent: the People’s Republic of China, the French Republic, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and therefore the US. The veto power is only available to Permanent members have on any substantive resolution, including on the admission of new permanent or temporary member states to the United Nations or nominees for the office of Secretary-General. The remaining 10 members are elected on a regional basis for a term of 2 years. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members in alphabetical order.The current elected members are as follows:
TERM (2020-2021)
NIGER, TUNISIA, VIETNAM, ESTONIA, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
TERM (2021-2022)
KENYA, INDIA, MEXICO, NORWAY, IRELAND
The role of “President of the security Council” includes setting the agenda, presiding over its meetings and overseeing any crisis. The president is permitted to issue both Presidential Statements and notes, which are used to make declarations of intent that the whole Security Council can then pursue. The presidency of the council is taken by each of the members successively for one month, according English alphabetical order of the member states’ names.
INDIA AND THE UNSC
For August 2021, India got the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a duration of 1 month. After August 2021, India will be getting the Council presidency in December 2022. This is not the first time for India as a non-permanent member of the UNSC. India has held the 2 year term as a non-permanent member within the years 1950–51, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1991–92, and 2011–12. As to the presidency itself, this is India’s eighth tenure as the Council President.
5S approach of India –
• Samman – Respect
• Samvad – Dialogue
• Sahyog – Cooperation
• Shanti – Peace
• Samriddhi – Prosperity
KEY POINTS OF INDIA’S PRESIDENCY 2021
1. The three major themes are- maritime security, peacekeeping and counter-terrorism.
2. It is the for the first time in India’s presidency that Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) will preside over a meeting of the UNSC
3. The various other important meetings including Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, and the Middle East will also be the agenda of UNSC.
4. The important resolutions on Somalia, Mali, & United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon will also be adopted by UNSC.
5. The UN body’s agenda for august will be decided by India and it will also coordinate important meetings on various issues.
Challenges for India at UNSC:
a. China Challenge:
i. India’s presidency in the UNSC is at a time when China is asserting itself at the global stage much more vigorously than ever. It heads a minimum of six UN organisations and has challenged the worldwide rules.
ii China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific as well as the India-China border has been clearly visible in all of 2020.
iii. The issue of Kashmir raised by the China frequently at the UNSC.
b. Post Covid World Order:
i. After the COVID, the world economy is in ruins and various countries are facing recession and health emergencies.
c. Balancing USA and Russia and Unstable West Asia:
i. The deteriorating situation between the US and Russia and increasing tensions between US and Iran, it will be a tough situation to handle for India.
ii. India needs to uphold rule based world order with due respect to human rights ensuring the national interest.
PERMANENT PRESIDENCY FOR INDIA AND CHALLENGES
India has been trying to create its way into the list of permanent members of the UNSC but has not been successful. Despite India being a country with an enormous population, a growing economy, and nuclear power, it’s not a permanent member of the UNSC. India is one of the G4 countries (India, Germany, Japan, Brazil), which provides it a foothold at becoming one among the permanent members of the UNSC. Given below is the list of claims raised by India to make sure its place together of UNSC’s permanent members:
1. India one of the fastest-growing economy within the world.
2. The recently acquired status of a Nuclear Weapons State.
3. India one of the second-largest in terms of population and therefore the largest liberal democracy within the world.
4. The country ranks high in purchasing power parity and may be a huge contributor to UN Peacekeeping Missions.
CHALLENGES
• Although it’s going to appear to be an easy process, it’s made difficult by the objections of certain permanent members of the safety Council. China, especially, has been blocking India’s push for a permanent seat at the Council. China believes that granting India a permanent seat at the UNSC will cause Indian interests being of paramount importance within the geopolitics of the subcontinent, a sentiment echoed by its ally, Pakistan.
• In addition to the present, India is additionally seen as a proliferating nuclear power. Analysts believe that this is often the only most factor that’s being a roadblock for India’s UNSC dreams.
• To grant it a permanent seat without posing for any steps to cap its nuclear capabilities is an exercise in futility. As lately 2019, France has become the newest to hitch other nations in pushing for India’s permanent UNSC seat, but with the permanent 5 members obstinate about India having to offer up its nuclear capabilities to hitch, India being a permanent member of the UNSC appear to be a foreign dream.
Sources:
Wikipedia
UN official site
Hindustan times