India is gearing up to join the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member. As the only endorsed candidate for the Asia-Pacific seat in the non-permanent member category, an Indian victory is imminent in the upcoming elections on June 17, where the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will vote to welcome five non-permanent members into the Council. If successful, India’s term will begin in January 2021, marking the 8th time that India will hold this seat in the premier global body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. Previously, it was a non-permanent member in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and most recently, in 2011-12.
Last week, the Indian foreign ministry released a report outlining the main objectives that would govern India’s behavior at the council over its two-year term. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar expressed India’s desire to play the balancing role in the international system, stating that the country would adopt a comprehensive approach to global peace and security, guided by dialogue, mutual respect, and international law.
“Ten years since we were last elected to the Security Council, we are facing four very different challenges to international peace and security – the normal process of international governance has been at an increasing strain as frictions have increased, traditional and non-traditional security challenges continue to grow unchecked – terrorism is the most egregious of such examples,” Mr. Jaishankar said. “Global institutions remain unreformed and under representative, they are therefore less able to deliver, the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave economic repercussions will test the world like never before,” he added. Jaishankar emphasized the “positive global role” that India could play at this extraordinary time, touting the country as a “rule-abiding democracy” and “a voice of reason” that advocates dialogue, consultation, and fairness in its approach to global issues.
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Though its general approach to the UNSC is not new, there is no denying that the 2021-22 term will be critical for India to advance its longstanding foreign policy objectives. It has sought the permanent membership in the Security Council for a long time now, not only to ensure the protection of national interests when the council takes up contentious issues close to home (read: Kashmir), but also to gain status as a major power able to weigh-in on important global decisions. As a nation of 1.3 billion people and the world’s fifth-largest economy, India has stressed that it just cannot be ignored. It has also been at the forefront of pushing for an expansion of the 15-nation exclusive club, asserting the need to move away from archaic global governance structures and reform multilateralism to reflect the realities and challenges of the 21st century.
Speaking at the priorities report launch, Jaishankar further emphasized this goal, highlighting that India’s overall objective during this tenure in the Council would be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S (New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System), which would include looking at “new opportunities for progress, an effective response to international terrorism, reforming the multilateral system, comprehensive approach to international peace and security, and promoting technology with a human touch as a driver of solutions”.
Over the last year, India’s image has taken a significant beating on the international stage following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and the enactment of the controversial Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). A US federal commission report released in April also noted that religious freedom in India under the current government has taken a “drastic turn downward” designating it among “countries of particular concern”.
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Of course, this does not bode well for a country trying to cement its role in the international system as a responsible, democratic, and inclusive world power. However, amid the COVID-19 crisis, as tensions escalate between the United States and China, two veto-wielding permanent members of the Council, the dispute is leaving the UN’s main crisis management organ–and associated bodies like the WHO–paralyzed and incapable of effectively responding to the greatest crisis currently facing the world. This could be an ideal time for India to step in and advocate for significant reforms in the Security Council and the broader UN, and step up calls for more pro-active global cooperation to address massive global challenges. This would not only help boost India’s image as a stabilizer or as a promoter of samvaad (dialogue), but could also pave the way for India securing the permanent membership it has been vying for.
This will obviously not be an easy task. The UN is an organization that is remarkably resistant to change, and the veto ensures that the Council remains vulnerable to the political whims of five historically more powerful and prosperous nations. This year, the UN General Assembly is scheduled to host a high-level event on September 21 titled ‘The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism’ to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the UN. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has further delayed the already “tough” Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UN Security Council reforms, which so far have only been informal. Last week, UNGA President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that since the IGN’s commencement almost a decade ago, differences among member states relating to the veto and other powers of membership have continued to inhibit any significant progress, and that the meetings have been postponed until further notice.
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Luckily, India’s term on the UN Security Council is not the only opportunity that the country will get to ignite conversations around international institutional reform in the post-COVID-19 era. India is expected to host the BRICS summit in 2021, and the G20 summit in 2022, and will be holding a seat at the Security Council at the time of both these events. Being the host at such summits will provide India a chance to set an agenda that could help it rally the support of major world powers for reforms in multilateral governance in the critical areas of international peace and security.
Image Source: Twitter (@DrSJaishankar)