United Nations: Arguing that the UN Security Council is no longer reflective of contemporary reality, India has said this poses the "most important challenge" to global peace and security as well as conflict prevention.
The essential function of the Council is to address matters of imminent threats to international peace and security, India`s Ambassador to the world body Hardeep Singh Puri said, addressing a UNSC briefing on `new challenges to international peace and security`.
"In our view, the most important challenge to international peace and security and conflict prevention is that our platform for global governance in this area, namely
the Security Council, is no longer reflective of contemporary reality," he said.
"A composition rooted in 1945 detracts from its abilities to fully harness the capabilities of UN Member-States as of today," Puri said, adding that instead of the continuation of applying methods of coercion from an era gone by, newer
approaches involving collaborative action are required.
Today`s world, the envoy noted, is intensely inter-connected and defined by profound changes in science, revolutions in communications besides warfare techniques and globalisation.
Puri said India is not in favour of the "discordant trend" that has emerged to enlarge the scope of work of the UN Security Council, which should only focus on matters of international peace and security and not be burdened with
social and economic issues.
Puri said in recent months, there have been concerted attempts to enlarge the scope of work and responsibility of the Council.
"We do not favour this discordant trend both as a matter of propriety and pragmatism. From the functional point of view as well, burdening the Council with increasing number of global challenges premised on their perceived inter-connectedness with threat to peace and security is self defeating," he said.
Noting that the Security Council`s focus has to be on matters of international peace and security, Puri said packing the Council`s agenda with social and economic issues
"distracts the Council from its core mandate and from attending to matters that are its primary responsibility."
Issues of social and economic significance should be dealt by the UN General Assembly.
"An unequivocal distinction between these two sets of functions has so far helped in the smooth functioning of the UN system. Any digression from the Charter rules is likely to create dysfunction," he said.
Puri said it is imperative that the Council remains strong in its fight against terrorism.
Terrorist financing, illicit money laundering and illegal arms sale remain intertwined in a complex web of toxic relationship, he said.
"The risk of Weapons of Mass Destruction falling into the hands of terrorists presents a grave security challenge to the international community."
Another area that has an impact on global security is climate change and pandemics.
The two issues demand collaborative approaches and "not finger pointing or punitive action," Puri said.
"The sad reality, however, is that we as the international community have shown little appetite for collaboration and sharing.
"Instead, not only are we not willing to share the benefits of technological developments, such as drugs at affordable prices, but we have also seen hurdles being placed on developing countries sharing their own know-how and
products among themselves," he said.
PTI
