India to prioritise maritime security at UNSC, says EAM S Jaishankar
Launching India's campaign for a UN Security Council seat for 2028-29, S Jaishankar said New Delhi will prioritise maritime security, seafarers' safety and the Global South
 "India to prioritise maritime security at UNSC, says EAM S Jaishankar")
Launching India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for 2028-29, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said one of India’s priorities will be ensuring maritime lifelines are not threatened and ensuring seafarers' safety.
India has been a non-permanent member of the UNSC on eight previous occasions with the last being in 2021-22. Elections for the 2028-29 UNSC term will take place in June next year, when India and Tajikistan will compete for the sole seat in the Asia-Pacific Group category. In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India is hopeful that all member countries will vote for it.
Addressing an event at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday, attended by UN ambassadors, diplomats and officials, Jaishankar said India’s priorities will include focusing on working for a world where the voice of the Global South is heard in equal measure.
He said India would strive to ensure that issues such as terror financing, safety of seafarers, safety and security of oceans so that maritime lifelines are not threatened get the “attention they deserve”. He said India’s efforts would be to build a world where climate action and climate justice, clean energy transitions and sustainable growth are both valued and pursued.
The External Affairs Minister said multilateralism must reflect contemporary realities and provide effective solutions, rather than remain a bystander, the promise of technology should be fully realised, while safeguarding against its misuse and misapplication and the scourge of terrorism must be countered by choking the resources that feed it.
Jaishankar said that in a world where supply chains connect our economies, the world is also increasingly focused on securing the maritime commons. Alluding to the conflict in West Asia and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, he said, “Recent events have only underlined the need to do so."
“The challenge begins with ensuring adherence to relevant international law, specifically UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea),” he said. “Our collective interest is in maintaining safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce,” he said, and urged countries with requisite capabilities to cooperate to combat piracy as well.
“The safety of seafarers is another major concern thrown up by developments in the Gulf,” he said. “Our forces are protecting sea lanes across the Indo-Pacific, specifically in the northern and southern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Malacca Straits and even in the Gulf of Guinea,” Jaishankar said. At least 13 Indians, mostly sailors, have been killed and three are missing in West Asia since the conflict began on February 28.
Jaishankar spoke of India’s contributions to ensure maritime security, including in anti-piracy, counter-narcotics and anti-trafficking operations. He said India is launching its UNSC candidature at a time when the world is facing a “profound paradox”.
“Never before has the world possessed such immense capabilities to advance human welfare at this scale. At the same time, we are witnessing levels of conflict, violence and instability that threaten even those who may be very far away,” he said.
“To address this complexity, the UN must take the lead and the Security Council must show the way. Elections to its membership, consequently, assume great importance,” Jaishankar said. He said India's approach to the UN is rooted in SHANTI (Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity).
India last sat at the UNSC horseshoe high table in 2021-22, its eighth time in the powerful 15-nation UN body after tenures in 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and 2011-2012.
Jaishankar also discussed global developments, including West Asia, Ukraine and Sudan, with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
At a ministerial meeting of the Palestine Donor Group held in Brussels on Monday, India said it backed Palestine's bid for UN membership and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to the festering conflict between the Palestinian people and Israel. Sripriya Ranganathan, secretary in the MEA, underlined India's ongoing development assistance, including capacity building programmes and humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine.
(With PTI inputs)