UNSC
REFORMS - INTERNATIONAL
News:
BRICS final declaration
backs UN Security Council reforms to make it ‘effective and efficient’
UNSC:
●
UNSC is one of six principal organs of the
United Nations Organisation (UNO).
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Its mandate is to maintain international peace and security.
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UNSC
has 15 members, including five permanent viz. China, France, Russia, United
Kingdom and United States.
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Each of the five permanent members has veto power.
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10
non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms each.
How
non-permanent members got elected to UNSC?
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General
Assembly elects each year five non-permanent members of the
Security Council. (two year term per member)
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Non-permanent members of the Council
should be elected according to the following pattern:
○
Five from African and Asian States;
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One from Eastern European States;
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Two from Latin American States;
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Two from Western European and other
States.
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The present non-permanent members were
Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United
Arab Emirates.
Powers
of UNSC:
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Its powers include
○
establishment of peacekeeping operations
○
imposing international sanctions
○
authorization
of collective military action through resolutions.
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It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member
states.
Criticism
of UNSC:
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It has been criticised for losing relevance, credibility and narrow
leadership.
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Due to the differences among the P-5 and other countries, the UN is losing
coherence and focusing on issues of priority to all member states.
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The council’s lack of multilateralism has also been criticised in the wake of the
Syrian war crisis and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
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No
veto rights leave the non-permanent members toothless
as they cannot assert their will on any matter of international concern and can
merely persuade or dissuade other member states.
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India has also constantly pointed to the lack of movement on reforms in the UNSC.
Need
for UN Reforms:
1.
Equitable World Order: There is a need for a more equitable
world in order to uphold the principles of democracy at the global level.
2.
Inclusivity: Developing countries like the African
countries, need to be made stakeholders in the multilateral institutions and
involved in the decision-making process.
3.
Mitigation of New Threats: With rising protectionism, increased
incidents of terrorism and the threat of climate change, the multilateral
system must become more resilient and responsive.
4.
Membership of UNSC: Since its inception, the UNSC has been
enlarged only once.
Even after that, P-5 has
remained fixed, which is problematic as the membership of the UN has grown
almost four times since its formation.
5.
Veto Power: It has been the exclusive domain of P-5
members, which has been questioned by a lot of members. Many countries have put
question marks on the existence of veto, which is contrary to democratic
principles.
6.
Methods of Working: For example, before a document is
adopted, each document must be translated into six languages, which mostly
leads to discussions on the accuracy of these languages. This process has many
times delayed the adoption of texts in the UN.
WAY
FORWARD:
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There is a need to maintain a rules-based, multilateral system to face
today's many ongoing crises.
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There is a need to generate more focused
attention and serve as a call for action in situations where global responses
have been insufficient, and poorly coordinated.
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India has continuously supported the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) of Africa
and Small Island nations in their developmental efforts, which has led to
the development of India’s image as a benevolent and friendly country. This
could be used as leverage for India’s demand for a reformed UNSC.
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India has been the most elected member of
the UNSC outside the P5. This position can be leveraged to show India’s
eagerness and maturity to be recognised as a responsible global power.
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India needs to build upon its strengths
through a diplomatic outreach to the
major nations with whom it has friendly relations.