United Nations Day 2024: India continues to push for Security Council Reform

Prelude to the commencement of the UN

The devastation of WWI (1914-1918) persuaded erstwhile US President Woodrow Wilson that establishing firmer organization structures would assistance marque the satellite harmless to unrecorded in. He articulated his imaginativeness for a peaceful and cooperative satellite bid successful his celebrated Fourteen Points code successful January 1918.

His wide internationalism wanted to determination beyond the equilibrium of powerfulness authorities of anarchical planetary relations. Wilson’s imaginativeness recovered factual signifier successful the signifier of the League of Nations astatine the Paris Peace Conference successful 1919. The Covenant of the League of Nations was incorporated into the Treaty of Versailles, the bid pact that officially ended WWI.

However, aft the outbreak of WWII successful 1939, the League of Nations was seen arsenic a nonaccomplishment and disbanded successful 1946. Nonetheless, the League of Nations laid the groundwork for the constitution of a stronger planetary organisation with a unsocial organization structure.

The UN: A imaginativeness for bid successful the post-war world

The leaders of the Allied powers started consultations astir the enactment of a caller planetary organisation during the warfare itself. In 1941, American President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during a concealed gathering envisioned an planetary organisation aimed astatine maintaining bid and bid successful post-war planetary politics.

They issued the Atlantic Charter outlining their imaginativeness of a escaped and peaceful future. This papers laid the instauration for planetary collaboration during the warfare and a imperishable strategy for wide security.

On 1 January 1942, 26 countries signed the declaration of the United Nations. The papers contained the authoritative usage of the sanction United Nations which was primitively coined by Roosevelt to place those countries which were allied against the Axis powers – Germany, Italy and Japan.

Eventually, representatives of 50 countries signed the UN Charter connected 26 June 1945 astatine the San Francisco Conference. India was besides among these nations.

Thus, the United Nations yet came into beingness connected 24 October 1945, aft being ratified by 51 nations, which included 5 imperishable members oregon P5 (France, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the UK and the US) and 46 different signatories. The archetypal gathering of the General Assembly took spot connected January 10, 1946. At present, 193 countries are members of the UN.

Sustainable bid and challenges

The founding ngo of the United Nations is the attraction of planetary bid and information successful the post-war world. The United Nations carries retired this cardinal ngo done struggle prevention, helping parties successful peacemaking, deploying peacekeeping forces, and creating conditions for semipermanent peace.

Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter empowers the Security Council to instrumentality actions, ranging from economical sanctions to subject intervention. The General Assembly is besides bestowed with deliberative functions to intervene successful planetary information issues.

Notably, peacekeeping is 1 of the United Nations’ astir effectual tools successful mitigating conflicts. The Security Council provides the mandate for peacekeeping forces, and subordinate countries supply troops. UN peacekeeping forces received the Nobel Peace Prize successful 1988 for their efforts.

The UN presently oversees 11 peacekeeping operations, including the United Nations Military Observer Group connected India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which was acceptable up successful 1949. The UN besides focuses connected peacebuilding successful post-conflict nations and addresses coercion and disarmament to beforehand lasting peace. The UN Summit for Future (2024) included atomic disarmament arsenic 1 of its commitments portion calling for urgent reforms successful assorted fields.

Criticisms and request for reforms

One of the criticisms of UN peacekeeping is that imperishable members of the Security Council often due its tools for their constrictive governmental gains. For instance, successful the lack of the USSR, the United States secured a Security Council solution authorising unit against North Korea.

The veto powerfulness held by the imperishable members often prevents the United Nations from efficaciously implementing peacekeeping measures, undermining the body’s neutrality and corporate tone successful planetary security.

The United Nations’ inability to mitigate conflicts successful which the interests of P5 are progressive stems from its structure, which reflects the post-1945 powerfulness dynamics. The operation of the United Nations is nary longer seen arsenic representing the existent planetary realities, with constricted practice of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America successful the Security Council.

Therefore, calls for betterment halfway connected expanding the fig of imperishable members of the Security Council, with the G4 countries (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan) pushing for imperishable seats. Abolishing oregon limiting the veto powerfulness is besides seen arsenic indispensable for democratising the operation of the United Nations.

India’s propulsion for Security Council reform

India, a founding subordinate of the UN, has been an progressive contributor to UN peacekeeping missions since their inception. As the world’s largest ideology and an emerging planetary power, India advocates powerfully for UN Security Council reforms, seeking a imperishable spot to guarantee greater inclusivity successful planetary governance.

At the United Nations Summit of the Future successful September 2024, India welcomed UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ enactment for reforms successful the Security Council structure. India continues to beryllium a vocal proponent of an equitable and inclusive planetary governance mechanism.

Non-western organization and determination arrangements similar the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation oregon SCO and BRICS could situation the legitimacy of the United Nations’ corporate information mechanisms unless the second becomes much inclusive and typical of different rising governmental powers.

Hence, reforms of the United Nations should chiefly purpose astatine addressing the issues of inequity and underrepresentation of regions successful its organisational structure. It would guarantee the United Nations reflects the aspirations of emerging governmental powers similar India and continues to beryllium applicable successful addressing planetary conflicts.

Post Read Questions

Discuss the cardinal events starring up to the enactment of the United Nations aft World War II.

What relation has India arsenic a founding subordinate of the UN played successful UN peacekeeping missions since their inception?

How does India’s presumption arsenic the world’s largest ideology power its advocacy for UN Security Council reforms?

In what ways could expanding the Security Council heighten planetary governance and code modern challenges, and what are the imaginable obstacles successful it?

In what ways could non-western organisations similar SCO and BRICS situation the legitimacy of the United Nations’ corporate information mechanisms?

(Dileep P Chandran is Assistant Professor astatine the section of Political Science successful University of Calicut, Kerala.)

Share your thoughts and ideas connected UPSC Special articles with ashiya.parveen@indianexpress.com.

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and enactment updated with the quality cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and travel america on Instagram and X.