THE CONTEXT: India has been elected unopposed to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning in January 2021. India was the only candidate for the Asia-Pacific seat and secured 184 of the 192 votes. It will be India’s eighth innings in UNSC. India’s election to the Council was the easy part. Its tenure, however, will be more challenging.
ABOUT THE ELECTIONS OF NON-PERMANENT MEMBERS OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL
- Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members for a two-year term.
- To be elected to the Council, candidate countries need a two-thirds majority of ballots of 192 Member States in the Assembly.
- India was an unopposed candidate in the Asia-Pacific group.
- Ireland, Mexico and Norway were elected along with India.
UNCERTAIN AND CHALLENGING TIMES
- India will be back in the UNSC at a critical time in the history when the world will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and later the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.
- It will be a time marked by profound change, great power competition and possible realignment.
- It is hoped that by then COVID-19 will have subsided, a U.S. President will have been elected, and the contours of a new post-COVID world order may have emerged.
- But it will be also a time to push, generate valuable discussion and prove India’s ‘vishwa-guru’ credentials
HOW INDIA HAS CONTRIBUTED TO UNSC IN HER PAST TENURES?
- India has a record of contributing to some of the seminal resolutions of the UNSC. It has always been to be a part of the democratic majority in the UNSC, contributing to the adoption of broadly acceptable resolutions and decisions.
- India generally joins the resolutions which are adopted either unanimously or without a vote. It mostly votes in favour of the resolutions. In abstentions too, India always had support of other members.
- The Indian behaviour shows systematic effort to display a constructive, rule of law abiding and a democratic majority building state in a global, multilateral setting like the Security Council.
- Voting in the UNSC and the UNGA Indian policy has maintained a high degree of consistency over the years, often despite major transitions on the international stage.
- Indian position has served as a common thread for various collective interests of developing nations. There has been consistent and active engagement by India at the UN, particularly as a leader amongst developing nations.
WHAT INDIA PLANS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE UNSC?
India is committed to multilateralism, rule of law, and a fair & equitable international system. India takes the temporary membership seriously as it can play an important role in shaping the future debate by promoting responsible & inclusive solutions to international peace & security.
India in the UNSC would focus on five key areas. These include, new opportunities for progress, fighting international terrorism, reforming the UN system, comprehensive approach to international peace and security, and promoting technology with a human touch.
CCIT
- Anti-terrorism fight should take strong steps against states providing havens to terrorists. It should identify, hold accountable and take strong measures against them.
- India proposed a draft document on the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) at the UN in 1986 but it has not been implemented as there is no unanimity on the definitionof terrorism (freedom fighters)among the member states.
- Post 9/11, India’s position on a global response to terrorism has been acknowledged by the international community. But the proposal for the CCIT has been stuck.
- India will call upon the international community to expeditiously adopt the CCIT without any further delay.
NORM AS THE NEW APPROACH
In this endeavor, India would be guided by the 5S approach– SAMMAN – Respect, SAMVAD – Dialogue, SAHYOG – Cooperation, SHANTI – Peace, SAMRIDDHI – Prosperity. India’s overall objective during the two-year tenure will be a “NEW ORIENTATION for a REFORMED MULTILATERAL SYSTEM,” NORMS.
a) New opportunities for Progress
As a rule-abiding democracy and a positive contributor to the security of the global commons, India will work constructively with partners to bring innovative and inclusive solutions to foster development. India will work for greater involvement of women and youth to shape a new paradigm in the post-COVID19 context.
b) Effective response to global terrorism
Terrorism is an enduring and critical threat to international peace and security. Terrorist groups have linkages across borders, regions and continents in recruitment, financing and operations. Counter-terrorism will be one of the highest priorities for India at the UNSC. India will be pushing for more transparency in the process of listing and delisting of entities. It will pursue concrete and result-oriented action by the Council aimed at:
- addressing the abuse of ICT by terrorists
- disrupting their nexus with sponsors and transnational organised criminal entities
- stemming the flow of terror finance
- strengthening normative and operative frameworks for greater coordination with other multilateral forums
c) Reforming Multilateral Systems
There are widespread concerns at the inadequacy of the existing multilateral institutions to deliver results or meet new challenges. Therefore, there is a need to promote greater cooperation in multilateral institutions. Reformed multilateralism is a must for the post-COVID19 era. A first and vital step in this direction is the reform of the Security Council. It must reflect contemporary realities to be more effective
d) Comprehensive approach to international peace and security
Today’s peace and security challenges require a comprehensive and integrated approach, harmonizing national choices and international priorities. Also, streamlining UN Peacekeeping is an overdue task. There is need to ensure greater clarity, direction and professionalism in UN Peacekeeping operations. Since most peacekeepers are contributed by non-Council members a better partnership between the Security Council and the Troop Contributing Countries is needed. As the largest Troop Contributing Countries, India will seek to engage deeply in finalising of mandates for UN peacekeeping missions. India’s vision in this regard is guided by dialogue and cooperation, mutual respect and commitment to International law.
e) Technology with a Human Touch
Rapidly evolving technology has broader consequences for humankind and it must be intelligently harnessed by the international community. The world needs a shared vision of the direction of technological progress to ensure technology remains a force for good. Innovative uses of technology offer promising opportunities to address humanitarian challenges. India will encourage partnerships to harness the benefits of technological innovation to reduce human suffering, enhance ease of living and build resilient communities.
Some of the biggest issues confronting the UNSC will be the issues of governing the global commons and the high seas. With its global values, and positive contribution, to the security of the global commons, India will work constructively with partners. It will stay true to its founding tradition of nonalignment and not take sides with any big power. India’s presence in the UN Security Council will help bring to the world its ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – the world is one.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF INDIA’S UNSC TENURE FOR ITS SECURITY?
PAKISTAN
Pakistan considers UNSC interventions in J&K as a win for its attempt to make the issue an internationally recognized dispute. Since the abrogation Article 370, Pakistan along with China has tried to raise the matter 3 times in the Security Council. As India sits at the high table, raising Kashmir or a discussion on it at the UNSC may become much more difficult for Pakistan.
New Delhi’s concern with Pakistan is also seen in its articulation in the subject of international and cross-border terrorism. Although the context is normally hidden in general terms, the reference is to Pakistan. India could use its influence the UNSC sanctions regime to ban Pakistan-based militant groups and individual and put in place an effective regime to contain terror financing. Moreover, Pakistan’s nuclear program can also come under greater scrutiny.
But raising issues in the UNSC has little to do with non-permanent membership. Political ties with the P-5 are much more important. Pakistan is not among the non-permanent group now, China will stop all anti-Pakistan move sought to be introduced by India or the US or the UK.
CHINA
Relations between Beijing and New Delhi are likely to be dictated by several contentious issues like the territorial dispute, mutual distrust, trade imbalances etc. India’s election to the Security Council coincided with the most serious clash with China along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh in decades. The clash highlights the military tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, and is likely to accentuate their differences in other arenas in general, and the Security Council in particular.
India’s presence in the UN Security Council will make it a little easier to counter moves by China to target New Delhi on internal issues like abrogation of Article 370 and blocking the designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist for nearly a decade. The most relevant issue to India’s tenure on the Council is Beijing’s sustained efforts to hinder New Delhi’s quest for a greater role in global governance institutions like UNSC and NSG.
China’s illegal actions in Ladakh and incursions into Indian territory on multiple points along the LAC, its aggressive posture in the South China Sea and disregard for international rule of law, the aggression around the Senkaku islands, its tensions with Taiwan, its actions concerning Hong Kong and Xinjiang will all come under spotlight. India can leverage these developments to push for its own deserving and qualified candidates to head UN organizations, and should endeavor to get elected to more Committees, as well as positions within the UN system.
CHINA’S RESISTANCE TO REFORMS
- China, which has veto power, has been obstructing India’s efforts to become permanent member, pointing out lack of consensus even though the other four – US, UK, France and Russia – have backed New Delhi’s membership.
- It has rejected a timeframe for the prolonged Intergovernmental Negotiations in the General Assembly on Council reforms, while also insisting on the consensus principle.
- It has advocated for a “package solution” which includes expansion only in non-permanent memberships.
- After the border standoff, China’s covert and overt opposition to India playing a greater role in global governance is likely to increase.
INCREASING CHINESE FOOTPRINT IN THE UN SYSTEM
China’s footprint is getting wider and deeper in the UN despite its paltry financial contributions. China heads 4 of the UN’s 15 specialised agencies while other P5 members lead one specialized agency each even when they contribute three times the amount of money into the UN budget. The China story is the same across other UN agencies — minimal money for maximum influence.
There are hundreds of Chinese bureaucrats in the UN system that can be used to dispense favours or deny them. China continues to capture both high- and mid-level positions where officials set the norms for the rest of the world. Chinese bureaucrats are not always neutral. They build a China-friendly narrative and promote Chinese companies to further tighten their grip.
Other nations, especially the US, can take strategic steps to contain Chinese influence in the UN. Last year, the US, India, Japan and others fought and succeeded in removing biased Chinese language from various documents.
India is generally seen indifferent to global organizations in general. It has not tried with the same intensity as the Chinese to populate the organization with its diplomats. However recent confrontations with China may make India more attentive to the UN in the future. Countries, including India, must nominate qualified candidates to bring a semblance of balance to the UN system.
STRATEGIC AUTONOMY
Some experts have argued that India will invariably move closer to the West, led by Washington, and will inevitably become part of a like-minded collection of democracies to counter Chinese intentions and capabilities. While calls for India to move closer to the West have increased, there has been little direct evidence of the West’s support to India, either in terms of policy or materials.
New Delhi is, doubtless, keener for closer ties with US-led Western democracies. While some of India’s priorities will, clearly, place it against China, New Delhi is unlikely to unquestioningly support the US and its allies. In some instances it might find itself in line with China and Russia, rather than the West. Because of this, some caution against formal alliances as strategic autonomy has served India’s interest best.
Thus, unless India receives unequivocal support, especially from the US, for a greater role in global governance, including permanent membership of the Council, it is likely to maintain strategic and decisional autonomy, which ensures overwhelming support from the majority of the UN membership for its ascendency.
INDIA’S QUEST FOR PERMANENT SEAT
As a founding member of the United Nations, India’s contribution to implementing the goals of the United Nations Charter and to the evolution of UN specialised agencies and programmes has been substantial. India’s election to the U.N. Security Council as a non-permanent member is a significant diplomatic victory for the country, which has long been pushing for reforms at global institutions.
UNSC NON-PERMANENT SEAT IS SYMBOLIC
- Being a part of the 10-member non-permanent group is mainly symbolic. The temporary members have little say in important matters.
- Since 1986 (the Iran-Iraq war), the P-5 would meet separately on vital international issues and then inform the non-permanent members about their decisions. Holding meetings with just the five major powers have now become the norm on important issues.
- Non-permanent member nations are allowed to question or ask for clarifications. But they cannot make an impact on the decision already made by the P5. Without UNSC reforms no member except the P5 can make an impact.
UNSC REFORMS: THE NEED
When the UN came into being in 1945, its charter was signed by 50 nations. Today, it has 193 member states. UNSC continues to reflect the power equation
that existed after the end of World War-II. The global scenario has completely changed in the last seven decades with the emergence of new regional powers like India and Brazil. India has long been of the view that the structure of the UN Security Council doesn’t reflect the realities of the 21st century and it is ill-equipped to handle current challenges.
UNSC reform has been considered necessary for decades. Lack of reforms has produced a highly unequal and inefficient Security Council. The current structuring of the UNSC converges most of the power to the P5, while non-permanent members of the council have been relegated to a role of rubber stamping.
The stability in the United Nations and empowerment of the world body are essential for the welfare of the world. An unreformed and under-representative multilateral system can’t effectively deal with new or persistent challenges — Covid-19 and terrorism. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said that the Security Council must either reform or risk being rendered increasingly irrelevant by some of the new emerging countries.
The UN has kept itself aloof from reforms and restructuring which is the need of the hour. India’s approach to the UNSC reforms is based on Reformed Multilateralism and it advocates text based negotiations in a fixed time frame. It has also got increasing support from member countries for its push for reforms. The UN’s 75th anniversary should become a historic occasion by making the body more inclusive. Any failure to expedite reform of the UNSC may have serious implications for international peace and security.
UNSC REFORMS: INDIA’S CLAIM FOR PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP
India’s election as a non-permanent member has reignited its quest for permanent membership of the Council. The Indian calculus on permanent membership of Security Council flow broadly from a mix of three streams viz., India’s historic association with the UN system itself since its independence, India’s intrinsic value and place in contemporary international politics and its ambitions as a traditional great power in Asia and beyond.
a) India in the UN system
India, since its independence and even before that, has been an active participant in all initiatives undertaken by the UN and the various UN organs. India was also instrumental in establishing the G77 of developing states at the UN. Former Secretary General Kofi Annan regarded India as one of the most significant votaries of shaping the UN agenda on behalf of the developing world.
During her elections for UNSC seat by a democratic ballot with two-thirds majority, India has undergone intense democratic scrutiny which none of the P5 members have undergone since 1945. India also makes a strong case by highlighting its regular, significant contributions to the UN. India has remained the largest cumulative contributor of UN peacekeeping troops. Despite low per capita income, India ranks 21st in terms of financial contributions to the UN.
Indian strategic interest in the Council seat has also been shaped by its history of interacting with the Security Council. An Indian presence at the Security Council will ensure the nation’s interests are not sacrificed in the great power politics (like 1948 Kashmir resolution). It will stall any possible intervention by China, a permanent member at the behest of Pakistan.
b) India’s intrinsic value
By any objective criteria, such as population, territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilizational legacy, cultural diversity, political system and contributions to the activities of the UN — especially to UN peacekeeping operations — India is qualified for permanent membership. India’s newly acquired status as a Nuclear Weapons State (NWS) in May 1998 also makes it a natural claimant as a permanent member similar to the existing permanent members who are all NWS.
India carries the necessary abilities, actual and potential, which entitles it to a permanent seat at the Council. It has repeatedly affirmed its willingness and capacity to shoulder the responsibilities of permanent membership. Most countries value New Delhi’s perspective because they believe India as a developing country brings a nuanced position and offers solutions they can accept.
c) India’s great power ambitions
India wishes to shift its international position from a rule taker (a constrained role) to a rule maker (a system shaping role). The Indian attempts at joining various regimes like the MTCR and the NSG indicate that India is no more satisfied with being either the target or a mere follower of various international norms and rules, and now wants to shape and align them to suit Indian ideas and interests.
India’s economic growth, cultural robustness and rise as a strong regional military power also make a strong pitch for India’s inclusion in the Security Council. The permanent seat in the UNSC would provide India the much needed leverage to expand its global geo-political and geo-economic clout. It would serve as an equaliser to China as India has always seen itself as a democratic alternative to the authoritarian China.
IGN
- An Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process of the UN has been working on various aspects of the reform since 2009.
- UNGA adopted a consensus resolution in 2015 to move from IGN to Text-Based Negotiations (TBN) but little progress has been made.
- The discussions are considered informal and no attempt has been made to capture the discussions in a single consolidated text for negotiations.
- The recent decision regarding the extension of the IGN into the next session of the General Assembly has disappointed India. India has demanded that the extension decision must capture clearly the recent tangible progress.
- The areas in which clear progress was made during the year was the increasing support among member states for the Common African Position as well as for the urgent need for transparency and application of the General Assembly’s rules of procedure to the IGN.
- There is a need to ensure that the IGN process is not held hostage, procedurally and substantially, by those who do not wish to bring about reform in the Security Council. India has been demanding tangible action to achieve the long-delayed reforms.
UNSC REFORMS: INDIA’S EFFORTS
Government has accorded the highest priority to getting permanent membership for India in an expanded UNSC that reflects contemporary global realities. In his address to the UNGA, Prime Minister assertively pitched for UN reforms, asking how long India would have to wait before it was included in the decision making structures of the global body.
India has used its non-permanent status as a stepping stone to prepare a bid for the permanent candidacy. India is actively engaged in the ongoing inter-governmental negotiations on reform of the UNSC and has been working alongside other like-minded countries and groupings.
Through its membership of the G-4 bloc (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) as well as with cross regional grouping of developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America, has been consistently working to build support among the UN member states for expansion of the UNSC, in both permanent and non-permanent categories. UNSC reforms are discussed in all relevant bilateral and multilateral meetings.
UNSC REFORMS: THE PROGRESS SO FAR
The G4 group has long been pushing for reforms at the highest level. Ranged against the G4 are Italy, Pakistan, Mexico, and Egypt, previously called the “coffee club’’ but now the term used is “uniting for consensus.’’ There is a separate African group, which wants two rotating seats for the continent. India, Germany, and Japan has the backing of the US, Russia, France, and UK. China naturally wants India out and would like to bring in Pakistan.
The G-4 proposal has pressed the case for G4 countries as Permanent Members of the UNSC, even though it may be without a veto for some years. A larger proposal to expand the UN Security Council with two other members from Africa in addition to the G-4 failed due to lack of consensus in the African group. Currently the African union has agreed upon the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte declaration (at least 2 permanent and 2-5 non-permanent seats for Africa). This common African position is supported by the G4. All these proposals face challenging proposals.
As a consequence of the long debate on the expansion of the UNSC, many countries which have never served on the Council have begun to claim their turn. The debate has thrown up many ideas but none of the proposals has the possibility of securing two-thirds majority of the General Assembly and the votes of the P5 members.
The G4 grouping has expressed their concern over lack of any meaningful forward movement on long-pending reform of the UNSC and demanded urgency on the issue. IBSA has also expressed frustration over the slow pace of progress on reforms and said the time had come to move towards a result-oriented process.
There is widespread support, including by four of the five permanent members – the US, the UK, France and Russia – for a permanent seat for India at the Council. In February President Donald Trump said he was committed to working with India to strengthen and reform the UN. Russian Foreign Minister has declared support for India and Brazil to be permanent members of the UNSC. There is however, a section in the UN led by that supports expansion only in the non-permanent category.
UNSC REFORMS: THE OBSTACLES
China, a P5 member with veto power, has been stonewalling India’s efforts to become a permanent member, pointing to lack of consensus even though the other four P5 members have supported New Delhi’s membership.
Expansion of permanent membership of the UNSC could be considered only amendments in the UN Charter which requires approval by two-third of the membership of the UN. As long as Pakistan has China’s support, India is unlikely to become a permanent member of the council.
While the P5 members can be blamed for being adamant about protecting their privileged positions, a majority of the UN members are against the privileges of the permanent members, particularly the veto. India’s performance in the Council may earn it respect, but it will not lead to its elevation to permanent membership as the opposition to any expansion is not India-specific.
There is even the probability that the desired UN reforms and expansion may never come to fulfillment. The UN-driven multilateralism was a system set up by the victor nations who worked in concert to guarantee its success. The arrangement survived even the period of the Cold War as the original understanding underpinning the organization was adhered to. Today the global scenario has drastically changed, with the rapid rise of a revisionist China with scant regard for international rule of law even as the US undermines rather than supports multilateral initiatives. This has happened in tandem with a resurgence of populist nationalism across the world, including in India.
Other Concerns
- The ‘America First’ doctrine will endure in some form even if a new administration comes to power in Washington. This makes U.S. foreign policy more transactional, which in turn will generate less traction to the reform process within the UN
- The election of Turkish diplomat-politician Volkan Bozkır as the President of the General Assembly can set back India’s efforts against India’s global and national interests.
WAY FORWARD
The Security Council is one of the most important multilateral decision-making bodies where the contours of global geopolitics are often drawn. The COVID-19 pandemic has already shaken up the global order and sharpened the rivalry between the U.S. and China. It has also opened up fresh debates on strengthening multilateralism and multilateral institutions. In this context, the challenges before India are many.
India will have a higher profile at the UN for the next two years as the non-permanent members have a collective veto over every resolution in the Council. India will get involved in many issues in which it may not have any direct interest. On all issues before the UNSC, India must give exceptional weightage as to how they will have an impact on the Indian subcontinent.
India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity. However, India will have to work diligently within the confines of realities of the global situation. Since India does not have a veto, it shall have to proceed cautiously. India should avoid the temptation of taking sides at a time when the Security Council is getting more and more polarised.
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