UNSC REFORMS - INTERNATIONAL

News: BRICS final declaration backs UN Security Council reforms to make it ‘effective and efficient’

 

UNSC:

       UNSC is one of six principal organs of the United Nations Organisation (UNO).

       Its mandate is to maintain international peace and security.

       UNSC has 15 members, including five permanent viz. China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States.

       Each of the five permanent members has veto power.

       10 non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms each.

 

How non-permanent members got elected to UNSC?

       General Assembly elects each year five non-permanent members of the Security Council. (two year term per member)

       Non-permanent members of the Council should be elected according to the following pattern:

       Five from African and Asian States;

       One from Eastern European States;

       Two from Latin American States;

       Two from Western European and other States.

       The present non-permanent members were Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, Norway, United Arab Emirates.

Powers of UNSC:

       Its powers include

       establishment of peacekeeping operations

       imposing international sanctions

       authorization of collective military action through resolutions.

       It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.

 

Criticism of UNSC:

       It has been criticised for losing relevance, credibility and narrow leadership.

       Due to the differences among the P-5 and other countries, the UN is losing coherence and focusing on issues of priority to all member states.

       The council’s lack of multilateralism has also been criticised in the wake of the Syrian war crisis and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

       No veto rights leave the non-permanent members toothless as they cannot assert their will on any matter of international concern and can merely persuade or dissuade other member states.

       India has also constantly pointed to the lack of movement on reforms in the UNSC.

 

Need for UN Reforms:

1. Equitable World Order: There is a need for a more equitable world in order to uphold the principles of democracy at the global level.

2. Inclusivity: Developing countries like the African countries, need to be made stakeholders in the multilateral institutions and involved in the decision-making process.

3. Mitigation of New Threats: With rising protectionism, increased incidents of terrorism and the threat of climate change, the multilateral system must become more resilient and responsive.

4. Membership of UNSC: Since its inception, the UNSC has been enlarged only once.

Even after that, P-5 has remained fixed, which is problematic as the membership of the UN has grown almost four times since its formation.

5. Veto Power: It has been the exclusive domain of P-5 members, which has been questioned by a lot of members. Many countries have put question marks on the existence of veto, which is contrary to democratic principles.

6. Methods of Working: For example, before a document is adopted, each document must be translated into six languages, which mostly leads to discussions on the accuracy of these languages. This process has many times delayed the adoption of texts in the UN.

 

WAY FORWARD:

       There is a need to maintain a rules-based, multilateral system to face today's many ongoing crises.

       There is a need to generate more focused attention and serve as a call for action in situations where global responses have been insufficient, and poorly coordinated.

       India has continuously supported the Least Developing Countries (LDCs) of Africa and Small Island nations in their developmental efforts, which has led to the development of India’s image as a benevolent and friendly country. This could be used as leverage for India’s demand for a reformed UNSC.

       India has been the most elected member of the UNSC outside the P5. This position can be leveraged to show India’s eagerness and maturity to be recognised as a responsible global power.

       India needs to build upon its strengths through a diplomatic outreach to the major nations with whom it has friendly relations.