Reform the Mandate and Composition of UNSC to Restore Credibility: Sujatha Singh

February 12, 2014

New Delhi: Describing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as “clearly one of the most troubling anachronisms of our times”, Foreign Secretary of India, Mrs Sujatha Singh today stressed that “as a body mandated with the primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security, it is critical that it (Security Council) should represent today’s geo-political realities and today’s world and not a world that existed at a particular point of time over half a century ago.”

Mrs Singh was delivering the inaugural address at the Seminar on ‘United Nations Security Council Reform: Perspectives and Prospects’ organised jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on February 12, 2014.

The seminar was a unique event as it was part of an initiative by governments of the G4 countries, namely Brazil, Germany, India and Japan for taking the debate of the expansion of the Security Council beyond the official portals to the civil society, media and academic community in their respective countries.

Representing the G4 countries were Ambassador Paulo Roberto Campos Tarrisse da Fontoura, Head, International Organisation Division, Brazil, Ms Ina Lepel, Deputy Director General for Global Issues, Federal Foreign Office, Germany, Mr Yutaka Arima, Director, United Nations Policy Division, Foreign Policy Affairs Bureau, Japan and Mr Navtej Sarna, Special Secretary ( International Organisation), Ministry of External Affairs, India. The delegates expressed the hope that this reform would take place by 2015, when the UN turns 70.

Reflecting on the “less than effective” functioning of the Council in some of the recent crises that have eroded its credibility, the Foreign Secretary further emphasized that the only way to impart legitimacy and balance to the Council and restore its credibility as the prime organ of the UN charged with the maintenance of international peace and security is to change its composition, thereby also making it more responsive.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Director General, IDSA, Dr Arvind Gupta said that each of the G4 countries had excellent credentials for being permanent members of the UN Security Council. Several speakers reiterated this point and also that the G4 stand united in this endeavour. Mr Navtej Sarna, Special Secretary (IO), also mentioned that the G4 is the only group which has remained steadfast in pushing for reforms while several other countries have been delaying the process due to their vested interests.

One of the speakers made a forceful case for G4 countries to be less risk averse and table a framework resolution on UNSC reform at the UN General Assembly. This would compel the nay-sayers and those on the fence to take positions from which a consensus may flow. Several speakers also emphasized the need to reach out to countries in Africa to garner their support for the process.

The seminar was attended by members of the strategic community, the diplomatic community, academics and the Indian and international media. Participants in the seminar appreciated the initiative taken by G4 governments to reach out the civil society and to build constituencies for reform that concern not just governments but millions of ordinary people.