India’s UNSC presidency

In news- Recently, India assumed the presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the month of August.

Key updates-

- As India assumed the presidency of the UNSC, it will organise key events in three major areas of maritime security, peacekeeping and counter-terrorism.
- India took over the presidency from France.
- India will decide the agenda of the UN’s highest decision making body whose resolutions and directives are binding on all member states.
- India will also coordinate important meetings on a range of issues during August.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian PM to preside over a meeting of the UNSC.

This is the first time Indian political leadership has invested in presiding over an event of UNSC.
The last time an Indian PM was engaged in this effort was the then PM PV Narasimha Rao in 1992 when he attended a UNSC meeting.
This will be the country’s first presidency during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council (which assumed in January 2021).

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.
It has permanent residence at the UN Headquarters in New York City.

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.