India and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Reforms
India and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Reforms
India and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Reforms
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INTRODUCTION
As the world grapples with a pandemic and multilateralism is under stress,
India’s presence on the international stage got a boost with it winning a India’s other priorities
non-permanent seat to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the
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2021-22 biennium. This would be India’s eighth term on the UN Security
Promote multilateral solutions
Council. India’s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security
for COVID-19 crisis,
Council would be achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a
Reformed Multilateral System. Enhance global action against
terrorism,
As UNSC reaches 75th year of its genesis in 2020, its reformation is cons- Transparency in mandates for
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idered inevitable for survival of multilateralism. India along with other UN peacekeeping missions etc.
countries has been fighting for reforms in the UNSC. However in order to
understand the exact nature of these reform campaigns, we must look for
answers to certain questions such as: What exactly is UNSC and what are
its functions and powers and why is it so important? Why there seems to
be anurgent need to reform it? Why India desires to attain a permanent
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seat in it? What are the suggested reforms in current discourse and what
is India’s stand on them? What has been India’s strategy to achieve its goals
and what are the challenges it faces? In this edition, we will attempt to answer these questions.
What is United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and what are its
functions and powers?
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The United Nations Charter established UNSC as one of the six main organs of the United Nations. It gives
primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet
whenever peace in any part of the world is threatened.
The presidency of the Council rotates on monthly basis by each of the 15 members, following the English alpha-
betical order of the Member States names. It is headquartered at the UN headquarters in New York City.
The non-permanent members are elected by a two-thirds vote of the UN General Assembly. The main criterion
for eligibility is contribution “to the maintenance of international peace and security,” often defined by financial
or troop contributions to peace keeping operations or leadership on matters of regional security likely to appear
before the council.
While other organs of the United Nations make recommend- UN Security Council members
ations to member states, only the Security Council has the power
to make decisions that member states are obligated to implement 5 Permanent Members (having Veto Powers)
under the Charter.
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France
terms of settlement. Russian
Western Europe
USA
Formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate UK Eastern Europe
armaments. Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members
for a two year term by a two-thirds majority.
5 from African and Asian States 2 from Latin America States
Determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of
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1 from Eastern Europe States 2 from Western Europe and other States
Number of UN Member States geopolitical situation of 1945: The Council’s present composition
Permanent Members
193 is no longer representative of a world that has seen 142 new countries
Security Council Seats
UN Member States join the United Nations since 1945. In particular, Africa, Asia, Latin
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America, and the Caribbean do not have permanent representation
51 on the Council.
5 11 5 15 5 15 Encroaches on state sovereignty: The UNSC is the international co-
1945 1965 2020 As of May
mmunity's principal organ for peacekeeping and conflict management.
Unlike the decisions made by the General Assembly, its decisions (known as resolutions) are binding on all
member states. That means it has wide-ranging powers and can, if necessary, take actions – e.g. the imposition
of sanctions – that encroach on state sovereignty.
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“The Question of Equitable Representation on and Increase in the Membership of the Security Council.”
In the absence of Security Council reform, there is a danger that decision making processes could shift to
other forums thereby discouraging multilateralism in the long term.
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India’s association with the UNSC
India is a founding member of the UN, signing the UN Charter, along with 50 other countries in 1945.
India has served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for 7 terms, viz. in 1950 – 1951, 1967 – 1968,
1972 – 1973, 1977 – 1978, 1984 – 1985, 1991 – 1992, and 2011 – 2012. Except for the first time, when
India held the seat earmarked for the Commonwealth group, every other time it has held the seat on behalf
of the Asian group. N
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Tenure Key Events
UNSC focussed mainly on the outbreak of the Korean War. India emphasised the need
for the UN to bring about a peaceful, that is, non-military, resolution to the conflict.
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This period saw heightened tensions in west Asia, notably a military conflict between
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Israel and its Arab neighbours. In keeping with its Third World identity at the time, India
criticised Israeli aggression, stressing the need to protect the sovereignty and rights of
the Arab countries.
Second Term
Advent of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty (NPT) in 1968, which India strongly opp-
(1967-1968)
osed on grounds of fairness and the sovereign equality of states.
&
In 1974, India conducted the first public nuclear test by a non-P5 state. The international
Third Term response centred on US-led efforts within the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
(1972-1973)
to tighten proliferation controls, resulting in the formation of the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG).
India co-sponsored
resolution on the withdrawal of Israeli resolutions strongly condemning the
Fourth Term forces from Lebanese territory. minority white regime in Zimbabwe.
(1977-1978)
& India joined in the unanimous condemnation of apartheid in South Africa and in the
Fifth Term imposition of an arms embargo on the South African government.
(1984-1985)
It was a time of geostrategic change spurred by the end of the cold war and an emerg-
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ence of new unity among the P-5 (Permanent members of UNSC).
India, internally driven by coalition politics and an economic crisis, struggled to keep a
consistent policy on global matters.
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For instance, Delhi’s response to the Iraq-Kuwait dispute in particular appeared
Sixth Term haphazard, first condemning the US invasion, then supporting it and allowing
(1991-1992) US air planes to refuel on Indian Territory and finally withdrawing use of this
facility under domestic political pressure.
In the UNSC, India abstained on two crucial votes relating to Iraq in this period.
India joined the UNSC in 2011 after a gap of 19 years. During this absence, India’s relatio-
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nship with the body had changed dramatically. The world in 2011 was further down the
post- cold war path to multipolarity with the rise of new powers such as China and India,
and with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries humbled due to their
misadventures in Afghanistan.
Seventh Term Analysts and experts believe that five goals have dominated the Indian agenda.
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(2011-2012) making the UNSC more enhancing India’s standing as reforming the UNSC’s
effective and legitimate a responsible world power working methods
expanding the UNSC’s protecting the primacy of state sovereignty
permanent membership from UN-sanctioned military interventions
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Freedom of Goa from Portugal: In 1961, when India used military force to wrest Goa from Portugal,
a draft resolution sponsored by the western powers against India was vetoed by the Soviet Union.
India Pakistan war (1965): The UN – under pressure from the Soviet Union – intervened diplomatically
in the India-Pakistan war of 1965, calling for a ceasefire and helping to bring the conflict to a close.
1971 intervention in the East Pakistan (eventually Bangladesh) conflict: Delhi narrowly avoided
diplomatic isolation through energetic diplomacy and a Soviet veto on three UNSC resolutions
calling for a ceasefire in the immediate aftermath of India’s entry into the conflict.
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WHAT DRIVES THE INDIAN INTERESTS IN PURSUING THE
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PERMANENT SEAT IN THE COUNCIL?
The origins of the Indian interests in the Security Council can be traced back to the founding of the UN itself
when Mahatma Gandhi felt that India, then including Pakistan and Bangladesh, should become a veto-wielding
member of the Security Council. India’s current calculus on permanent membership of Security Council flows
broadly from a mix of three streams described below.
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India in UN System:
India has been an active participant in all initiatives undertaken by the UN and the various UN organs
including the various discussions on the Agenda for Peace and the Agenda for Development, the Sustainable
Development Goals, and various UN summits, including most importantly on climate change.
India has been instrumental in establishing the G77 of developing states at the UN, other than supporting
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the establishment of various bodies like the UNICEF on a permanent basis, the UNDP, the UNEP etc.
In the arena of peacekeeping, India has remained among the largest cumulative contributor
of UN peacekeeping troops with more than 200,000 Indian troops having served in 49 of the
71 UN peace keeping operations (UN PKO) up till 2019. India has almost twice the
number of peace-keepers deployed in the ground as do the P5
combined.
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growing major economies in the world, and currently stands among the top 5 global economies (Asia’s third
largest).
India’s status as a Nuclear Weapons State (NWS) (acquired in 1998) also makes India a natural claimant as a
permanent member, similar to the existing permanent members who are all Nuclear Weapon States. Despite
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non recognition by the NPT, India now stands recognized as a de facto NWS due to the nuclear deal signed
by India and the United States in 2005 and the NSG waiver in 2008.
India has also developed a credible image as a responsible nuclear power based on its no first use
policy.
Categories of membership:
India has called for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent memberships and not only in non-
permanent category. Increase in non-permanent category only would not address the issue of accountability
and lack of checks and balances in the council.
Supporting groups include the two largest groups- Africa with 54 members and L-69 with 42 members
- and CARICOM (The Caribbean Community and Common Market), and G4 (India, Brazil, Japan,
Germany).
India has highlighted the need of Africa to be represented in both categories. This directly challen-
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ges the proposed “so called” intermediate models wherein a longer term and immediate re-election are
seen as compensations for a permanent membership.
Question of veto:
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India has called for the abolition of veto and till it exists, it needs to be provided to all members of the perma-
nent category of the Security Council.
India is not in favour of quantitative reform (of extending it immediately to new permanent members) but of
quality - of introducing restrictions.
Regional representation:
India has argued for an equitable geographical
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representation and urgent need for mitigating
the non-representation and under-representation
of some regions in both permanent and non-
permanent categories.
The demand for regional representation has been made
on multiple grounds including historical injustice, entire
regions not equitably represented or even unrepresented
in a key category, and hope of moving beyond the nation
state as the primary actor in international affairs.
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India has adopted a multi-layered strategy. It consists of two components: Maximising support in the UN General
Assembly and Minimising resistance in the UN Security Council. It is reflected in various steps taken as
described below-
India hopes that its continued leadership of various Global South forums such as G 77 and NAM would garner
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much needed numbers in the UNGA. This is reflected in India’s strong defence of the principle of sovereignty
and the constant criticism of the “Responsibility to Protect” principle.
India has also formed the G4 along with Brazil, Germany, Japan, as “coalition of the willing”, and a “collabor-
ative strategy” to negotiate reforms of the Council.
Joint Press Statement issued by the Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries in September’2019 reite-
rated their strong commitment to an early and comprehensive reform of the Security Council, as
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envisaged by Heads of State and Government in the 2005 World Summit.
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The status quo bias amongst the existing P5: despite the General Assembly consensus, remains the overriding
obstacle to adding permanent seats. Whilst all permanent members accept the reform in principle, they have
often fought popular reform proposals.
For instance, UN General Assembly Text Based Negotiations (TBN)
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convened a plenary meeting at its
70th session (in 2015) to act on UN General Assembly in its 70th session (2015-16) adopted
the draft decision on the "Question the TBN format for effecting UNSC reforms.
of equitable representation on and Decision contains a negotiating text which has positions of
increase in the membership of UN member states on Security Council reforms and how
the Security Council and related the 15 - nation body should be expanded in its permanent
matters". During the meeting,
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letters containing the positions of Up till then, UNSC reforms were orally discussed as Inter
key countries were circulated. The governmental Negotiations (IGN) via groupings like G4,
letters highlighted that Russia, US L69 and Coffee Club etc.
& China had refused to contribute
TBN ensures that positions of all groups are duly and
to the negotiating text.
comprehensively recorded. This has made nature of
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India as part of G4 seems to have limited negotiations “irreversible” and more transparent.
its options to negotiate a seat solely for
TBN will also form the basis for future Inter- Governmental
itself: It is estimated that greater powers and
negotiations on the UNSC reforms.
regional politics would circumscribe the G4
attempts to win permanent seats for all as a In 2019, The General Assembly unanimously adopted an
group. oral decision deciding to immediately continue informal
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Lack of staff: Within the UNSC, India had one of the smallest mission among all of the
major powers in 2011 with 24 officials (compared to the 130 officials of US).
Finances: According to the assessment made for the years 2019-21, India is only the 21
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largest contributor to the UN regular budget behind Germany, Japan, Brazil and Italy.
An over-reliance on entitlement (intrinsic value) to permanent membership as opposed to strategy of
multilateral diplomacy has led to lack of in-depth engagement on key international debates and trends.
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CONCLUSION
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As a founder Member, India views the UN as a forum that could play a crucial role to guarantee and maintain
international peace and security. Its quest for strengthening peace and security has not been an easy one with
new and emerging challenges, some of which have been outlined above. India has worked with other partners
to strengthen the UN system to combat new global challenges such as terrorism, piracy, disarmament, human
rights, peace building and peace keeping. In this task, permanent membership of the Security Council flows as
a natural concomitant of India’s great power status and its legitimate rights and obligations to ensure international
peace and security in an extended regional neighbourhood as well as in the Indian Ocean.
HISTORIC
ASSOCIATION
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India is a founding member of the UN
India has served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC
for 7 terms, now elected for the 8th term (2021-2022)
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INDIA AND UNSC
Indian interests in the permanent seat in the Council India’s Strategy for UNSC Permanent Seat
India in UN System India’s Intrinsic Value India’s Great Power Maximising support in the UN General Assembly
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Proposed Reforms
What is UNSC
Categories of membership- expansion in both permanent and non-permanent memberships
One of the 6 main organs of UN Question of veto
Only the Security Council has the power to make decisions Regional representation
Size of an enlarged council and working methods of the Council
5 permanent and 10 Non-permanent members
Relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly