India's efforts for UNSC reform get fillip in 2009
Betwa Sharma/PTI / United Nations Dec 23, 2009, 11:43 IST
India's efforts to seek reform of the UN Security Council got a boost in 2009, with the world body adopting an inter-governmental negotiating framework on the issue, while progress was also made on a global treaty against terrorism long sought by the country.
As the year draws to a close, the Indian mission here believes that "incremental" progress was made on top items on its agenda and says that it will be working hard in 2010 for a non-permanent berth in the UNSC in the October elections.
"The major issue for us is the question of Security Council reform ... To reflect the 21st century and India's rightful place," Manjeet Singh Puri, India's deputy envoy to the UN, told PTI.
This year marked the beginning of the inter-governmental negotiations on Security Council reform that made good progress during the previous General Assembly session, he noted.
"This is an important year... Very positive step in that direction," he said, pointing out that further negotiations would be based on "progress made" and not start from scratch.
"This is a big ticket," he said after the previous set of discussions called 'Open Ended Working Group (OEWG)' process made little progress and spanned more than 15 years.
However, after countless meetings basic issues such as the number of new members and their access of veto power remain unresolved.
Some analysts here feel that India can afford to wait since the coming years will only strengthen its claim for a permanent seat in the Council with the growth of its political capital, military might and economic resources. But, Puri said the process needs to be hastened.
Progress was also made this year on India's insistence on the need for a legal battle against terrorism. Since 1996 when New Delhi provided an early draft of a potential resolution on a global treaty on terrorism, two gaps have plagued talks -- defining terrorism and the position of liberation movements and armed forces.
"It is good this year we have been able to take things significantly forward... Barring this politically ticklish issue, rest of the structure has been agreed to," said Puri.
"This is a convention, which is basically about international cooperation for law enforcement and currently, there is very little cooperation on this front," he said.
On international peacekeeping operations, diplomats point out that India is no longer seen as a mere troop contributing country (TCC) but as a "partner" in peacekeeping.
"Today a lot of peacekeeping is about fighting insurgencies, nation building and India's conceptualisation, capacities and logistical know-how have taken it far beyond just being a TCC to a partner," Puri said.
On the human rights front, analysts here pointed out that historically India has been more liberal with respect to human rights at home and conservative internationally. This year, however, India aligned its international position more on the lines of its liberal domestic approach.
India made its voice heard on certain human rights and humanitarian law issues - showing strong support for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) and co-sponsored a Security Council resolution on violence against women.
Puri said India's focus for the next year will be to get elected for a non-permanent position in the Security Council in the October elections.
The United Nation's main focus for the year was the issue of climate change and the year ended with a UN conference on climate failing to arrive at a consensus on how to deal with global warming.
In almost every speech delivered in different parts of the world, UN chief Ban-Ki moon urged the international community to "seal the deal" at the Copenhagen summit.
Even as popular support for a new treaty waned, climate negotiations ended in bleak compromises and the world remained divided on the basic elements for a successful agreement--- the UN kept up the "seal the deal" rhetoric.
It was Ban's idea to bring leaders like US President Barack Obama and China's Hu Jintao for a high-level climate change summit in September at the UN headquarters ahead of the Copenhagen summit.
India's presence was critical at the September summit with Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh declaring that New Delhi wanted to be a "deal maker" and not a "deal breaker".
Even as Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen joined the rally to tackle climate change, it was 13-year-old Lucknow girl Yugratna Srivastava, who attracted eyeballs as she urged 100 world leaders at the General Assembly, including Obama and Jintao, to act.
At the General Assembly meet, India renewed its claim to a permanent seat at the Security Council, and also warded off pressure to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and join the CTBT regime, while the US and Russia agreed to enter into a new pact that would cut a third of their nuclear arsenals.
In 2009, the UN also lost several of its staffers carrying out humanitarian and relief work in Pakistan and Afghanistan, leading to redeployment of UN workers.
Later, the UN chief said that the redeployment should not be misconstrued as a withdrawal. "Let me be crystal clear we are not evacuating, we will not, cannot and must not be deterred... Our work will continue," he said.
Content Guide
