The focus of India as a non-permanent of the UNSC will be on reforms and this was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the UNGA in September this year

Amidst the continued stand-off between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), come January 1, 2021, India will be at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a period of 2 years as a non-permanent member.

What Will Be India’s Focus?

The focus of India as a non-permanent of the UNSC will be on reforms and this was highlighted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech at the UNGA in September this year.

Some of the priority areas that India will be focusing on during its two-year term will be on a comprehensive approach to peace and security, new opportunities for progress, effective response to terrorism globally, reforming multilateral systems, and technology with a human touch.

India’s Victory Was Certain. Why?

There are 15 members in the UNSC, out of which 5 are permanent (they are from North America and the Eurasian Continent) and 10 non-permanent who get the seat for a period of 2 years.

This is the second time India won as a non-permanent member to the UNSC from the Asia-Pacific category for 2021-22 terms. The victory has assumed major significance, as the UN body is celebrating its 75th anniversary and the world is gradually recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every year the UNGA gets to elect five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a term of two years. On June 17, 2020, the 193 members UNGA had elections for President of the 75th session of the Assembly, five non-permanent members of the Security Council and members of the Economic and Social Council.

Because it was the only candidate for the only seat from the Asia-Pacific category.

The distribution of the 10 non-permanent seats are based on the regional basis –one for the Eastern European States; two for Western European; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and five for African and Asian States.

A two-thirds majority of ballots of Member States that are present and voting within the Assembly is required for the country to be elected to the UNSC.

India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council — 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and most recently in 2011-2012. And it has been seeking reforms to the UNSC in various forums and has stated clearly that the present Security Council is not representing the geo-politics of the present times.

What Does India’s Permanent Representative To The UN TS Tirumurti Say?

Last month India’s Permanent Representative to the UN TS Tirumurti had spoken about the Security Council Reforms and had called for wider representation in the UNSC.

In his address at the 75th session of the UNGA about the Security Council Reforms, Ambassador TS Tirumurti had said that several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had called for urgent reforms within the Security Council.

And sought representation for all those who deserve to be in the UNSC including Latin America and Africa and others.