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Journalism of Courage
Indias attempt to regain a seat at the United Nations Security Council among the 10 non-permanent members has hit multiple roadblocks. As reported in this newspaper on Sunday,candidatures for the UNSC non-permanent seats have been announced till 2038,and India finds itself against one contender or another for the two seats allotted to the Asia-Pacific group. Its last term at the UNSC ended on December 31,2012 a term secured after a gap of almost two decades. Its plans for the 2019 elections,targeting the 2020-21 term,have run into trouble as Vietnam the Asian contender for the one Asia-Pacific seat vacated each year has declined New Delhis request to stand down,and instead offered to support Indias permanent membership and to sign the G-4 draft on UNSC expansion. Over the following years,India would have to contend with Afghanistan,the UAE and Mongolia,while Pakistan,currently holding one of the Asia-Pacific slots,has already announced its candidature for the 2023 elections.
Indias UNSC predicament demonstrates Delhis lack of foresight and planning. While it cannot be gainsaid that a two-year term at the UNSC sometimes forces a state to take a stand on certain issues it might otherwise dodge,it is equally true that the Security Council confers a status that the UN General Assembly does not. It allows a state the diplomatic chance to project power,help others and gather IoUs. Why else would India be a part of the G-4 grouping and lobby for a permanent seat that,in any case,would only be an acknowledgement of the changed global geopolitics? To look credible as a major power,it is necessary to sit at the right forums and also participate in their decision-making.
