United Nations: India will assume the monthly Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday after a gap of 19 years.
According to Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s permanent envoy to the UN, New Delhi will use the opportunity to “re-establish its credentials” with political maturity and show that it is a strong contender for a permanent seat on the 15-member body.
“We are hoping to utilize our stay on the (UN Security) Council not only to re-establish our credentials but also to see what can be done for us to have a more enduring presence,” Puri told UN Radio recently.
He said that India would show “political maturity to supervise the work of the Council …which in turn re-establishes the message that we have the credentials to be a permanent member.”
The Ambassador, however, clarified that the Presidency had nothing to do with UN Security Council reform, which needed to be done through the General Assembly.
India assumes the monthly presidency of the UN Security Council after a gap of 19 years. It last held that the position in December 1992.
Besides the regular work of the Council, India will organize a debate on peacekeeping.
August, however, is also what is informally called the vacation period at the UN, when many diplomats take a break.
Responding to whether Indians knew about the August Presidency, Puri said, “That’s a difficult question to answer.”
PTI
First Published: Monday, August 01, 2011, 09:41