India calls for reforms of UN Security Council, stresses need for more transparency in subsidiary bodies

NEW YORK: India at the United Nations called for the reforms of the Security Council, stressing that the demand in this Chamber for reforms is “loud and clear.” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, Parvathaneni Harish, emphasised that the Security Council represents a different period of time and its core architecture, which has remained unchanged for 80 years, is not in synchrony with today’s global realities.

Delivering India’s statement at the Cluster Debate on Working Methods under the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reforms on Thursday, Harish stressed the need for more transparency in the working of the subsidiary bodies of the Council.

He said, “The previous speakers have already emphasised the pressing need for undertaking reforms of the Security Council on priority. The demand in this Chamber for reforms is loud and clear. This call gains greater significance at a time when the world is expressing apprehensions at the ability of the United Nations to deliver, to meaningfully intervene on issues of key importance to humanity in different parts of the globe, particularly in the realm of peace and security – which remains the core mandate of the Council.”

#IndiaAtUN calls for reforms to the Security Council, emphasizing that the demand for change in this forum is clear and urgent.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish :pic.twitter.com/fxcpjlMCGn

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“It is beyond doubt that the Security Council represents a different period. The core architecture, which has remained unchanged for eight decades, is not in synchrony with today’s global realities. To realise its functional mandate, to match the expectations of the people, our citizens, and to maintain contemporary relevance, the Council needs to be made fit for purpose,” he added.

Parvathaneni Harish underscored that an overwhelming number of Member States have acknowledged that reforms are “indeed an imperative,” however, there has been practically no progress in this direction. He stated that they have had numerous discussions and debates, and they cannot lose anymore time in exchanging ideas and discussions.

He said, “It is time for the Member States to act. It is time to move forward. It is time to show results. In this backdrop, I would like to make the following specific points with regard to working methods. First, the Council needs to engage with the wider membership of the UN.”

“A meaningful way to achieve this would be through a discussion on the Report of the Security Council in the General Assembly. This Report should not be merely a compilation of facts. It should be analytical in nature, offering an opportunity for the Member States to effectively appraise the functioning of the Council,” he added.

Calling for more transparency in the working of the subsidiary bodies of the Council, he said, “There needs to be more transparency in the working of the subsidiary bodies of the Council. Let me give a specific example. While decisions on listing are made public, details pertaining to rejection or putting on technical hold of listing requests are the exclusive preserve of a select few. This is indeed a disguised veto.”

Parvathaneni Harish said that the implementation of peacekeeping mandates should duly factor in the concerns of the troop and police contributing nations and termed it a key issue for India as the largest cumulative troop contributor.

He stated that obsolete and irrelevant items with no relevance in today’s world have no basis to remain on the agenda of the Security Council, merely for political purposes. He stressed that reforms related to one cluster cannot be considered in isolation and the question of Council reforms needs to be dealt with “in its entirety, in a holistic manner.”

While concluding his remarks, he said, “I would like to reiterate that the world does not have the luxury to hide behind the smokescreen of the Intergovernmental Negotiations, a process which has no time frame, and no text to achieve real reforms. The pathway to reforms starts with a text and attaching fixed timelines to achieving concrete outcomes.” (ANI)