India’s Presidency of the United Nations Security Council(UNSC)

In news– India has assumed the presidency of UNSC along with G20 recently.

Roles and powers of the UNSC President nation-

Some of the significant roles of the UNSC broadly include maintaining international peace in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations,and to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken.
According to the UNSC handbook, the Council President exercises a vast range of powers such as holding meetings of the Security Council, approving provisional agendas, signing records of the meetings, besides other crucial decisions.
On the first working day of the presidency, the Council president holds an informal breakfast to discuss the draft programme, which is attended by the permanent representatives of all Council members.
The programme of work(PoW) which in simpler terms, is a calendar of priorities which the President nation would work towards during its tenure is adopted soon after the breakfast.
Each of its 15 member states assume its presidency for a duration of one month, following the English alphabetical order.

The United Nations Security Council(UNSC)-

It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security and approving any changes to the UN Charter.
Its powers include establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action.

All members of the United Nations agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Council.

- The UNSC is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions on member states.

It held its first session on 17 January 1946 at Church House, Westminster, London.

The Security Council consists of fifteen members, of which five are permanent: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The remaining ten non-permanent members are elected on a regional basis to serve a term of two years.
The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.

How are the non-permanent members elected?

Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.
In accordance with the General Assembly resolution 1991 (XVIII) of 17 December 1963, the 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis as follows: five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States.

India has served in the UNSC as a Non-permanent member seven times previously-

In 1950-51: India, as President of UNSC, presided over the adoption of resolutions calling for cessation of hostilities during the Korean War and for assistance to the Republic of Korea.
In 1967-68: India co-sponsored Resolution 238 extending the mandate of the UN mission in Cyprus.
In 1972-73: India pushed strongly for admission of Bangladesh into the UN. The resolution was not adopted because of a veto by a permanent member.
In 1977-78: India was a strong voice for Africa in the UNSC and spoke against apartheid. Then External Affairs Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke in UNSC for Namibia’s independence in 1978.
In 1984-85: India was a leading voice in UNSC for resolution of conflicts in the Middle East, especially Palestine and Lebanon.
In 1991-92: PM P V Narasimha Rao participated in the first ever summit-level meeting of the UNSC and spoke on its role in maintenance of peace and security.
In 2011-2012: India was a strong vice for developing world, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism and Africa.