United Nations, Sept 27: Pressing for UN reforms
including expansion of the Security Council, India on Wednesday said
the world body should reflect the current realities and ensure
collective representation of the entire world.
"In order to ensure that the international community
exercises real ownership of the process of securing our world,
it is essential that comprehensive reform of the Security
Council is undertaken and its membership is expanded in both
permanent and non-permanent categories," Defence Minister
Pranab Mukherjee said in his address to the UN General
Assembly here.
There is wide acceptance that the Council can no longer
be regarded as being reflective of the changed international
environment that has emerged since its creation, he said.
Observing that the Security Council remained mired in the
past, Mukherjee said that recent "tragic" events in Lebanon
and the "stasis" of peace process in the Middle East have
highlighted the "growing failure" of the institution (Council)
designated by the charter with primary responsibility for
issues relating to peace and security.
In his address, the Defence Minister pointed out that
Secretary General Kofi Annan has also called, in his report,
for enhancement of legitimacy and urgent need to reform to
ensure relevance and credibility.
India is a strong contender for a permanent seat in the
Council which has five permanent members, including United
States, Britain, Russia, France and China, and 10
non-permanent members who are elected on regional basis by the
general assembly for a two-year term.
"The Security Council has not only to be more
representative but also to be more effective if it is to be
able to satisfactorily perform the role mandate to it by the
charter," Mukherjee said.
He strongly criticised the council for taking on issues
that are not mandated to it by the charter while failing its
primary responsibility.
For example, the inclusion of items on its agenda that
have nothing to do with peace and security represents an
encroachment on the role mandated to other UN bodies.
Simultaneously with reforming the 15-member council,
Mukherjee advocated the revitalisation of the 192-member
general assembly.
The revitalisation of the assembly, he said, is
intertwined with the reform of the council, and it is no
coincidence that its reform too has long been frustrated.
A strengthened and more effective United Nations
presumes a revitalised general assembly that exercises its
role and authority in the areas of responsibility assigned to
it by the charter. These include its effectively addressing
topics such as international law and human rights, financial,
budgetary and administrative matters, as well as the global
economic architecture and important issues related to
development, he said.
Bureau Report
