Revision as of 10:44, 6 October 2020

Security Council

2020: India in UNSC for eighth time

Indrani Bagchi, June 19, 2020: The Times of India

India is back in the UN Security Council for the eighth time when global politics is witnessing several inflection points — growing US disinterest in multilateralism, Chinese determination to dominate global multilateral institutions and especially when India-China ties are at a historic low in the backdrop of Ladakh clashes.

PM Narendra Modi tweeted his gratitude on India’s election to the UNSC-unopposed by 184 votes. “Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India’s membership of the @UN Security Council. India will work with all member-countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity.”

Vikas Swaroop, secretary (west), MEA, said, “We will act as a voice of reason and moderation and a firm believer in respect for law and peaceful settlement of disputes.” He said India would want to “reform” the multilateral system based on samman, samvad, sahyog, shanti and samriddhi (respect, dialogue, cooperation, peace and develpment).

The call for “reformed multilateralism” by both Modi and external affairs minister S Jaishankar will not involve the UNSC itself. For the next couple of years though, India will be “in the room” to push back against Chinese mischief targeting New Delhi. “China cannot use this forum against India,” said a source. That will be a big gain.

In addition, China’s actions in Ladakh have now completely eroded its position as a supposed “impartial” interlocutor on Kashmir. India can use that to neutralise China’s needling on Pakistan’s behalf.

However, it is a difficult ask for India to contemplate any big steps in the UNSC. For one thing, India’s positions on peace and security issues hewed closely to the Chinese and Russian line rather than the West. Like China, India doesn’t want an “activist” UNSC, and like China and Russia, India stresses the sovereignty principle in international crises. That is unlikely to change.

But the position will give India some useful leverage to push some key objectives, especially of playing a role in global governance which heading a UN body entails. China heads three, and lost the Unesco and WIPO elections. India can use the next couple of years to pick up deserving candidates (not only politically connected ones) to manouvre them to be electable. India does not head any UN body.

Issues raised at

2020: Germany, US block China’s anti-India move

Indrani Bagchi, July 2, 2020: The Times of India

China is livid after the US stepped to delay a draft press statement condemning the terror attack at the Karachi Stock Exchange at the UN Security Council.

The US was the second country after Germany to delay the statement, both silent expressions of solidarity with New Delhi, after Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and later PM Imran Khan blamed India for the attack. The press statement, drafted by China, in addition to expressing condolence and solidarity with the Pakistani government, said, “The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terror to justice and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSC resolutions, to cooperate actively with the government of Pakistan and all other relevant authorities in this regard.”

China introduced the statement on Tuesday, and under a UNSC procedure, put it under “silence” until 4pm New York time. The statement is a routine condemnation of a terror attack that is issued often by the UNSC. Under the silence procedure, if there is no objection until the deadline, it is deemed to be passed.

But Germany stepped in at 4pm to put a delay in issuing the statement. Diplomats said Pakistan’s foreign minister Qureshi’s statement blaming India for the attack was deemed unacceptable. The Chinese UN delegation protested vehemently, saying the clock had actually moved past 4pm when Germany intervened. The deadline was extended until 10am, July 1.

But as the new hour approached, the US also intervened at the last moment to stymie the issuance, calling for yet another delay.

Diplomats said the statement may finally get issued, but pushing back against China and Pakistan in the UNSC is being seen as a larger signal of global displeasure.