New Delhi: India today assumed the Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of December. It is the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the UN Security Council that India has assumed the Presidency of the Council.

India had earlier assumed the Presidency of the UNSC in August 2021. During India's December Presidency of the UN Security Council, two high-level signature events will take place on December 14-15, according to the press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. The meetings will be held on 'Reformed Multilateralism and Counter-Terrorism and will be chaired by External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

The high-level open debate on the theme - "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism" is scheduled to be held on December 14. The open debate will encourage the UN members to take the conversation forward on reforms in the current multilateral architecture with the UN at its centre to make it "more representative and fit for purpose."

On December 15, a high-level briefing on the theme - "Threats to International Peace and Security Caused by Terrorist Acts: Global Approach to Counter Terrorism - Challenges and Way Forward" will seek to build a consensus on the principles of a global counter-terror architecture. The high-level briefing aims to enhance the Delhi Declaration adopted during the special meeting of the counter-terrorism committee held in October in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs in the press release said that in addition to two signature events under India's Presidency, the Council is expected to hold discussions on some critical files in the Council, including Syria and Yemen, UN investigative team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh/ISIL, United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo.

In addition, the UNSC Council is expected to include the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, Middle East, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and United Nations Disengagement Observer Force. Furthermore, a briefing and consultation on Afghanistan will be held on November 20.

In November, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj said that New Delhi took steps to address food security in Yemen by prioritizing wheat exports. She urged Yemen to choose the path towards peace by shedding the military approach and by extending and expanding the troops into a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire.

Speaking at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Yemen, Kamboj said, "India has also taken steps to address food security in Yemen by prioritizing wheat exports to the country. Despite our national regulations on wheat exports, we have continued to export wheat to Yemen to mitigate the adverse impacts of supply changes in the global commodity markets. We remain committed to doing so in future as well."

"Yemen is at a crossroads, one path leads to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the other leads to the resumption of active hostilities, which will only exacerbate the suffering of the Yemeni people. The choice is clear for the parties to the conflict to make," Ruchira Kamboj said.

Earlier in October, India at a UNSC meeting on Syria said that New Delhi attaches high importance to the non-discriminatory implementation of the chemical weapons convention and supports its full, effective, and non-discriminatory implementation. Ambassador R Ravindra, Deputy Permanent Representative at United Nations Security Council meeting on Syria, said that India has taken note of the lack of progress on discussions on Syria in the UNSC.

"We note the consistent lack of progress on this track of discussions on Syria in the council India attaches high importance to the Chemical Weapons Convention and stands for its full, effective, and non-discriminatory implementation," R Ravindra said.

"We have repeatedly cautioned against the possibility of terrorist entities and individuals gaining terrorist access to chemical weapons including in the region, therefore any use of chemical weapons needs to be dealt with the utmost attention," he added.