In a significant development, the UN General Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a negotiating text for the Security Council reforms, setting the stage for talks on the long pending process at the 70th session of the global body which commences tomorrow.
What is the UN Security Council?
The UNSC is the body responsible for maintaining international peace and security. As per the UN charter's direction, the body can take actions on its behalf with regards to global peace. During disputes and threats to international peace and security, the body can ask to probe into issues, ask members to apply economic sanctions and take military action on the aggressor.
UN peacekeeping operations is one of its major responsibility
Who forms the UNSC?
The UNSC has five permanent members and ten non-permanent members. China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States form the five permamnent members while the the non-permamnent members change every two years in order to provide representation to all continents in the world.
Why the need for reforms are imperative to India?
While other organs of the UN can make recommendations, the UNSC body can alone make decisions which the members have to follow.
However, while the the council can make a decision, the resolution that it passes for the same can be vetoed by the permanent members. However, this isolates the power in their hands. Often the permanent members are blamed for using the vetoes in operations related close to their allies.
What are the reforms being proposed?
One is to expand the council and include non-nuclear members in it. India has aspired to be a permanent member and hence the decision to adopt an irreversible negotiations draft is a small step towards it.
However, there are also reformative suggestions to remove permanent membership all together.
What is the current decision to use text-based negotiation?
So, a negotiation text where the positions and proposals of all UN members were taken, which will be used for further discussions, has been unanimously accepted by them. However, Russia, US and China abstained from sending their position on reforms negotiation.
