India has won the seat at a crucial time. It must use it to push, not just for permanent membership, but also for reforming the Council
It was quite a milestone for India to win the two year non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC). All the hard work put together by External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna and Ambassador Hardip Puri, India’s permanent representative to the UN and their teams has paid off. Although this undisputed victory with an overwhelming majority will boost the confidence of India diplomatically, the election holds even more promise than is apparent.
Apart from India, which won the election with 187 out of 192 votes, Germany, South Africa, Portugal and Colombia also secured the five replaceable seats for non-permanent membership, which will begin from January 2011. Although the UNSC’s non-permanent election process is quite democratic, five permanent members (US, UK, China, France and Russia) enjoy significant influence in the selection process.
But then, this win for India is certainly not a surprise as there was widespread consensus. Japan is already a non-permanent member and thus can’t participate in the voting; and thankfully, for reasons temporary, US openly supported India. This proved to be the most timely gesture of goodwill that Obama could have extended in the run up to his visit.
This is the seventh time that India became a member since the Council came into existence in 1946. Japan and Brazil have secured membership ten times, Argentina eight times, Canada, Italy and Pakistan have got it six times each. In line to this thinking, we must realise that a non-permanent membership helps little to strengthen a nation’s diplomatic influence over global affairs.
Still, to India’s defence, this time things may turn out to be a little different. Three out of the G4 nations – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan (who are striving to be permanent members) – will be present in the council in 2011 (Japan being the exception); this is the year when the issue of reforms or expansion of the Security Council will be discussed and debated. The non-permanent members can push forward the issue of permanent membership more boldly than ever before. And their candidature is also competent enough. To be a member of the UNSC, a country should have either donated significantly to the UN or should have participated in UN missions. Japan and Germany are the second and third largest donors to UN missions while Brazil and India are the largest contributors of troops in UN peacekeeping missions.
It was quite a milestone for India to win the two year non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council (UNSC). All the hard work put together by External Affairs Minister S. M. Krishna and Ambassador Hardip Puri, India’s permanent representative to the UN and their teams has paid off. Although this undisputed victory with an overwhelming majority will boost the confidence of India diplomatically, the election holds even more promise than is apparent.
Apart from India, which won the election with 187 out of 192 votes, Germany, South Africa, Portugal and Colombia also secured the five replaceable seats for non-permanent membership, which will begin from January 2011. Although the UNSC’s non-permanent election process is quite democratic, five permanent members (US, UK, China, France and Russia) enjoy significant influence in the selection process.
But then, this win for India is certainly not a surprise as there was widespread consensus. Japan is already a non-permanent member and thus can’t participate in the voting; and thankfully, for reasons temporary, US openly supported India. This proved to be the most timely gesture of goodwill that Obama could have extended in the run up to his visit.
This is the seventh time that India became a member since the Council came into existence in 1946. Japan and Brazil have secured membership ten times, Argentina eight times, Canada, Italy and Pakistan have got it six times each. In line to this thinking, we must realise that a non-permanent membership helps little to strengthen a nation’s diplomatic influence over global affairs.
Still, to India’s defence, this time things may turn out to be a little different. Three out of the G4 nations – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan (who are striving to be permanent members) – will be present in the council in 2011 (Japan being the exception); this is the year when the issue of reforms or expansion of the Security Council will be discussed and debated. The non-permanent members can push forward the issue of permanent membership more boldly than ever before. And their candidature is also competent enough. To be a member of the UNSC, a country should have either donated significantly to the UN or should have participated in UN missions. Japan and Germany are the second and third largest donors to UN missions while Brazil and India are the largest contributors of troops in UN peacekeeping missions.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).
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