Expansion essential to make UN security council credible: India

[Lil Mathew]

UNITED NATIONS: Stressing on the need for reform of the UN security council, India has said expansion in its membership is essential to make the world body credible and ensure continued confidence of the international community in the institution.

"Genuine reform in the working methods of the security council requires a comprehensive reform in the membership of the council, with expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, and not only improvement in its working procedures," Member of Parliament Ashwani Kumar said at an open debate on the 'Working Methods of the Security Council' yesterday.



"This is essential both for the credibility and continued confidence of the international community in this institution," Kumar said.

He said it has been India's "considered view" that reform of the security council in tune with the contemporary realities is an "idea whose time has come".

The council's five permanent members must recognize both individually as well as collectively that the council has to be reformed to make it reflect contemporary realities of the international system.

"It is self-evident that the expansion of the security council reflecting the contemporary geopolitical realities would improve its representative character and grant greater legitimacy and credibility to its decisions," Kumar said.

Improvement in the security council's working methods would also enhance the council's effectiveness and efficiency.

"We strongly believe that real improvements in the working methods need change in both the process and approach, which require reform of the composition of the council," Kumar said.

He stressed that the most important change required in the council's working methods is to make them transparent and inclusive by increasing access to documentation and information and curbing the tendency to hold closed meetings that have no records.

"What is worse is the practice of taking decisions among the P-5 (permanent five) members to the exclusion of other council members," Kumar added.

Outlining suggestions made by India to improve the working methods of the council, Kumar said the UN body should amend its procedures so that items do not remain on its agenda permanently.

He further said that "penholders" should allow greater and systematic participation of elected members as "co-penholders".

Non-members should also be given systematic access to subsidiary bodies of the UNSC, including the right to participate.

Another crucial suggestion was that participation of Troop and Police Contributing Countries in decision making about peacekeeping operations should cover the establishment, conduct, review and termination of such operations.

The council should also concentrate its time and efforts on dealing with issues concerning its primary responsibility of international peace and security instead of encroaching upon the mandate of the general assembly and other UN organs, Kumar said.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiat...ouncil-five-permanent-members-working-methods

 

[Lil Mathew]

India, the world’s second most populous country and is one of the world’s largest contributors of U.N. peacekeeping personnel not a member of security council..... Why?????

 

[Zabaniyah]

India, the world’s second most populous country and is one of the world’s largest contributors of U.N. peacekeeping personnel not a member of security council..... Why?????

Mercenaries don't count.

 

[througheye]

India, the world’s second most populous country and is one of the world’s largest contributors of U.N. peacekeeping personnel not a member of security council..... Why?????

The permanent seat in UN security council is not given by someone else. You have to own it yourself by your power influence. US, Russia, UK, France and China became one of the elite club members because they fought in WW II and won it. They decided the international political order and system after WW II. These five countries have global economic and military power today. However, India is barely a regional power despite its large population. Indians should not keep crying for the membership. No one like to share privilege with others. Once India become strong enough, others will have no choice but accept it. However, the time is not today, and it will not be in at least 20 years.

 

[Raphael]

Expansion of the UNSC council should only take place when there is an international consensus on its necessity, and by respecting the opinions of the international community. Currently, the G4 candidates face significant opposition from the Coffee Club. The G4 countries face so much international opposition to their ascension usually because they have a selfish foreign policy, and do not take into account the legitimate interests of their neighbours. It is up to them to mend relations with their respective opponent states, otherwise we cannot be convinced that they have the leadership qualities required for a security council position.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_Club

 

[Jade]

Let us see for how many years 1.25 billion people will be kept out of UNSC.

India can do without UNSC, but can UNSC do without India?

 

[tranquilium]

India, the world’s second most populous country and is one of the world’s largest contributors of U.N. peacekeeping personnel not a member of security council..... Why?????

The permanent seat in UN security council is not given by someone else. You have to own it yourself by your power influence. US, Russia, UK, France and China became one of the elite club members because they fought in WW II and won it. They decided the international political order and system after WW II. These five countries have global economic and military power today. However, India is barely a regional power despite its large population. Indians should not keep crying for the membership. No one like to share privilege with others. Once India become strong enough, others will have no choice but accept it. However, the time is not today, and it will not be in at least 20 years.

througheye already covered the gist of it. I will expand a bit on his point. Pretty much everyone knows the purpose of UN is to ensure peace and stability of the world. However, the specific mechanism to achieve this purpose is often less discussed. Basically, UN is built around the UN permanent security council, because these nations account for the bulk of the military and more important military production capability on the planet. In other words, UN is providing a place for the most power military powers in the world to work out their difference peaces instead of slugging it out in the field.
Know this, the latest fighters and most advanced missiles are only produced by members of permanent security council, the most of the third generation MBT are produced by permanent security council, the most advanced naval vessels are produced by permanent security council, bulk of guns and bullets and pretty much most of the hardware required to fight a war is produced by members of the permanent security council.
Basically, a country is a member of UN permanent security council because it is a powerful country, not the other way around.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

I don't understand why our gov. wants to be member of the UNSC, because the majority of in Germany doesn't want to get more involved into messy problems that are far from our borders. We already have enough burden to carry just around the corner.

 

[Ayush]

yes,india deserves to become a permanent member.

 

[sincity]

If UN allow Indian to joint the big 5, then UN need to allow all nations on this planets to join the club. Lot of time UN can't find any acceptable solution between the big 5 veto country in the UN, India join won't change the status quot might as well keep India out and have 1 less member whining and dragging out the UN process in any conflict.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

yes,india deserves to become a permanent member.

Why?

 

[Hafizzz]

Let us see for how many years 1.25 billion people will be kept out of UNSC.

India can do without UNSC, but can UNSC do without India?

The world would not miss anything if India disappeared from this planet.

 

[Götterdämmerung]

The world would not miss anything if India disappeared from this planet.

I would miss Indian curry and basmati rice.

 

[Hafizzz]

I would miss Indian curry and basmati rice.

And we would probably miss all the whining and crying from Indian Trolls LOL

 

[Screambowl]

The permanent seat in UN security council is not given by someone else. You have to own it yourself by your power influence. US, Russia, UK, France and China became one of the elite club members because they fought in WW II and won it. They decided the international political order and system after WW II. These five countries have global economic and military power today. However, India is barely a regional power despite its large population. Indians should not keep crying for the membership. No one like to share privilege with others. Once India become strong enough, others will have no choice but accept it. However, the time is not today, and it will not be in at least 20 years.

For your Information, India was offered a seat in P5 before China, but due to bad leadership, we signed NAM (non aligned movement). So don't come up with your boring facts.