India criticises further delay over UNSC reforms, says process could go on for another 75 years

As the UN General Assembly decided to roll over the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on Security Council reform to its next session, India has termed it as “yet another wasted opportunity” and said the process could well go on for another 75 years without achieving genuine progress.

The UN General Assembly Thursday adopted a draft oral decision to continue the intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly that will commence in September. The rollover decision marked the end of the IGN for the current 77th session.

India’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj underscored that the roll-over decision of the IGN simply cannot be reduced to a mindless technical exercise.

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“We see this technical rollover decision as yet another wasted opportunity to instil a breath of life into a process that has shown no signs of life or growth in over four decades,” Kamboj said adding that India joined the consensus in the adoption of the draft presented, simply to acknowledge the personal efforts of Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th session of the General Assembly.

Kamboj stressed it is now apparent that the IGN could well go on for yet another 75 years without any progress whatsoever in the direction of genuine reform in its current form and modalities - that is, without application of the GA Rules of Procedure, and without a single negotiating text.

“As a responsible and constructive member of the United Nations, India will, of course, continue to engage in this process alongside our reform-minded partners, and persist with our efforts to move from repetitive speeches to text-based negotiations.

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However, for those of us who truly wish to fulfil our leaders’ commitment towards an early and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council, looking beyond the IGN looks increasingly to us as the only viable pathway to a future UN Security Council that would better reflect the world of today,” she said.

Referring to the roll-over decision, Kamboj said that as the only formal General Assembly outcome that emerges from this process each year, it must also evolve and reflect the progress achieved during Member States’ deliberations during the year.

She said India was encouraged by the PGA’s efforts to introduce in the decision a small reflection of this evolution, with regard to webcasting and the beginning of a digital repository.

“I must say though that even with these so-called changes, there has been no breakthrough whatsoever, that may be described as progress. This state of affairs is clearly in the interest of those who seek a status quo, to keep this process frozen in repetitive cycles,” she said.

In his remarks, Korosi noted that for the first time in the history of these negotiations, the first segments of the IGN meetings are now webcast and a dedicated website on Security Council reform has been established as a repository for the IGN process.

Korosi said ultimately, the intergovernmental negotiations are driven by Member States and it is therefore up to the 193 nations of the UN General Assembly to show “political will for the reform you want to see”.

“The eight billion people outside these walls do not see the UN as a conglomerate of separate bodies. They see the UN as one. Amid these unprecedented crises, their expectation for us to deliver is at its highest. Let us work in good faith to meet that expectation. We do not have the luxury to spend another 17 years on this issue,” he said.

India has been pitching for a permanent seat in the expanded membership of the UNSC, arguing that the existing body does not truly reflect the contemporary world realities.

Four out of five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) have supported India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the top world body.

At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the UN.

The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any resolution.

There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality. India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.