India recalls World War II sacrifices, peacekeeping contributions at UN, backs multilateralism

NEW YORK: India on Tuesday (local time) recalled its historic contribution to World War II and its peacekeeping missions during the Cold War — noting how the sacrifices highlight the longstanding commitment to peace, multilateralism and the United Nations.

Addressing the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN-centred International System,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, reflected on India’s deep-rooted association with the UN and its enduring role in shaping the international order.

“The foundations of this organisation were built on the ravages of the Second World War. The devastating impact of this War was strongly felt by my country, India. Over two and a half million Indian soldiers fought alongside the Allied Powers and over 87,000 Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice. This was not our war, but we paid dearly for it. Therefore, it was natural for us to become a founding member of the UN. It was reflective of our yearning for peace”, he said.

He said that despite challenges such as the prevalence of global politics of colonialism, dilution of and lack of respect for the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and how it took a few decades for countries of Africa and Asia to break free from the shackles of colonialism– India never compromised on its unwavering faith in the UN and in multilateralism.

“During the Cold War, India made tremendous foundational contributions towards establishing UN peacekeeping and in the maintenance of international peace and security, including in Korea, Indochina, Congo and Gaza. India continues to be guided by this approach”, he said.

The Ambassador also reiterated its call for reforms at the United Nations to enhance the organisation’s productivity–highlighting how the institution cannot deal with its challenges while being frozen in the architecture of 1940s. He presented India’s suggestions to reinforce a UN-centered international system and said that these include strengthening the General Assembly of the body; purposeful reform, expand the UNSC to deal with contemporary geo-political realities along with making it more transparent.

“The wider UN membership is an important stakeholder on all Security Council matters. Denying access to historical and contemporary documents and maintaining the rules of procedure at a provisional status are not tenable in this age. The working methods must be refashioned appropriately in tune with our times”, he said.

Ambassador Parvathaneni highlighted, “The UN Security Council must be a living instrument, not a fossil. More than any other member state, the permanent members must deliberate on this matter. (ANI)