UN Security Council Reform – Can India drive the change?

Led by “strong” leaders in the mould of Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin or mavericks like Donald Trump, the Security Council members are (mis)using their power to not only push their international agenda but increasingly their domestic one as well. Terrorism, a global scourge has rarely found the necessary traction in the UNSC unless one of its own members has been impacted by it. The US withdrawal from the WHO, an important UN body and cessation of its funding during this pandemic definitely not in the global interest though it may resonate within the US in an election year.  Instead of strengthening the diminished credibility of the WHO and specifically the office of its Director General, in the wake of his unwarranted praise of China (the perpetrator of the current pandemic), the USA has chosen to exit the organisation which speaks rather poorly of the statesmanship of the “leader of the free world” and his administration. Another case that comes to mind was China’s blatant disregard of the ruling given in favour of the Philippines by the Permanent Court of Arbitration(PCA) in 2016 in a maritime dispute under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, despite China having signed and ratified the Convention. India, on the other hand, despite not having ratified the UNCLOS had respected a ruling given in favour of Bangladesh in a maritime dispute between the two countries.

The UN’s global actions particularly in the area of peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance have been beacons of hope for a large part of the world. Its Peacekeeping Forces are viewed with respect and they are successfully managing to keep the peace in many of the world’s most difficult trouble spots.

The UN Security Council was established in 1945 with the inception of the United Nations and its membership comprised the Allied victors of World War 2 (US, Russia, UK, France and China).  In the 75 years since then, the world has undergone a dramatic change, politically and economically; the membership of the UN has increased from the original 51 to the present number of 193; numerous countries gained independence from colonial rule in the three decades following the inception of the UN; they are now leaders in their respective regions and wield considerable economic influence. The UNSC has however remained unchanged. A reconstitution of the permanent membership of the Security Council reflecting the economic, demographic, cultural, political and geographic realities of the 21st century is long overdue and essential for it to remain relevant. It is obvious that this cosy club of Five will resist any such attempts as they have been doing over the years but they must be convinced to embrace change. The era of countries recently unshackled from the bonds of colonialism or recovering from the economic and physical devastation of World War II is now a thing of the past. 

India’s Credentials

India has recently been elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a two-year term commencing on 01 January 2021. This is the eighth time that India has been elected, the first time being 1950 in the same year that India became a republic. Since then India has been in the Security Council in 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12. It was the unanimous choice from the 55-member strong Asia-Pacific region and also obtained overwhelming support from the members of the UN General Assembly, polling 184 out of 192 votes. This support clearly reflects the new reality of India’s growing stock in the comity of nations and places an enormous responsibility on it to vindicate this support.

India has always punched above its weight in the UN. In 1953 Mrs Vijaylakshmi Pandit was appointed President of the UN General Assembly, the first lady to be appointed to that post. India has been the single largest contributor to UN Peacekeeping forces all over the world and has an enviable record of professionalism, commitment and humanitarianism. India has been at the forefront in suggesting numerous initiatives to make the world a better and a safer place to live in. It has always supported a nuclear free world, condemned apartheid and is at the forefront on issues like global disarmament.

One of India’s long standing foreign policy goals is to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. It is part of a group of four countries – the other three being Germany, Japan and Brazil - that are seeking an expansion of the UN Security Council to reflect the reality of the contemporary global order. Of the five existing permanent members, four have actively and repeatedly endorsed India’s inclusion. The fifth, China does not support India’s inclusion for obvious reasons.  India’s credentials for a place at the global top table cannot be ignored. Its global engagement is characterised by inclusiveness, cooperation, multilateralism, humanitarianism and respect for the sovereignty of all nations, big and small.   It has consistently opposed discriminatory mechanisms like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty even at times to its own detriment. It has always pursued an independent foreign policy with conviction and believes in strategic autonomy. India is becoming an increasingly influential voice in most global multilateral institutions (President Trump’s plan to expand the G-7 includes India as a member). It is also the driving force behind numerous regional initiatives like BIMSTEC, IORA etc and has been the voice of the developing world for over seven decades. Its foreign policy outreach over the last few years is beginning to pay dividends. India is one of the few countries which has been able to bridge the ethnic and ideological divide amongst nations as is evident from its excellent relations with constantly sparring countries like Israel and Iran, or Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and on the larger stage even the US and Russia.   It has cemented ‘comprehensive strategic partnerships’ with most of the leading world powers.

The Indian Navy has institutionalised bilateral and multilateral exercise arrangements with about 40 navies worldwide. India is also the predominant Indian Ocean power and as a net security provider in the region has been the first responder in most crises affecting the region including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, both natural and man-made. In 2008, it established the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) which has brought together 24 navies as members and eight as observers cutting across geographies of the largely disaggregated Indian Ocean littoral and its island states. Perhaps the only organisation which has failed to realise its full potential is SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), a group comprising the seven South Asian nations and with whom India shares land and maritime borders.  This is not due to a lack of effort on India’s part (most recently, it established a SAARC fund to combat the for COVID epidemic and contributed USD 10 Million for it) but partly due to Pakistan’s immature recalcitrance to participate and partially due to a trust deficit amongst some of its members. India through its ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy has been proactively trying to energise this group.  Unfortunately, some of the SAARC countries have fallen prey to China’s inducements and are needling India at China’s behest as recent events in Nepal indicate. The folly in supping with the devil will soon become apparent and will lead to subsequent regret as Sri Lanka has discovered and Nepal is discovering with China laying claim to sovereign Nepalese territory. SAARC therefore remains a blind spot which will have to be navigated with caution.     

The cornerstone of India’s foreign policy is peaceful co-existence based on the ancient philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam , which translates to the ‘world is one family.’ The Indian way of life reflecting its soft power is finding growing recognition globally. 21 June has been recognised by the United Nations as the International Yoga Day. India’s cultural outreach is resonating across geographies. The widespread Indian diaspora is now amongst the most professionally qualified ethnic group in most of the world and its significant contribution to its adopted land in more ways than one is now finding recognition with leadership positions in government administrations and industry.  

Can India make the Difference?

This recognition of India’s soft power is definitely not going to be sufficient to force UN Security Council reform. The world respects hard power and it is not a coincidence that the Big 5 are also the world’s leading nuclear weapon powers. However, the Security Council has to look beyond military power. As economics and technology begin taking precedence in a globally interconnected and digitised world, India has an opportunity to leverage its favourable global standing towards building an opinion in favour of supporting the restructuring and reform of the Security Council in line with the evolving paradigm of global power. It has clearly articulated its five priority areas which are in consonance with its broader foreign policy objectives. These are

(a)   Finding new opportunities for progress by partnering with the developed and the developing world.

(b)  Developing an effective response to international terrorism and its sponsors.

(c)   Reform of multilateral systems that do not reflect the imperatives of the 21^st century world

(d)  Comprehensive approach to international peace and security.

(e)  Encouraging technology with a human touch.

The world is perhaps at an inflection point. China has clearly articulated its intention to become the sole global superpower by 2049 and reshape the post- World War II US led world order to a new one with “Chinese characteristics”. Its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative is driving this intent. There is also a Polar Silk Road, a Digital Silk Road and an articulated Atlantic strategy.

The US remains the world’s most powerful country technologically and militarily and is not going to sit idly by and relinquish its numero uno status to China, even though some of its actions in the last four years may suggest otherwise. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s recent official statement which found bi-partisan support within the US is a clear indication.  China is doing itself no favours internationally by opening numerous fronts against its rivals either due to a misplaced sense of invincibility or to deflect attention from its internal vulnerabilities. It is also facing unprecedented global criticism for its (deliberate or otherwise) (mis)handling of the COVID pandemic which is ravaging populations and economies alike across continents.  India on the other hand has been engaging constructively to address global concerns and has extended aid to over 120 countries.  This could therefore be an opportunity for India to use its international goodwill to diminish the Chinese influence in blocking India’s initiatives at Security Council Reform.

India’s potential is being stymied by its inability to build and consolidate its comprehensive national power (CNP).  It a country’s CNP that effectively determines the ability of a nation to matter on the global stage. In India’s case Its governance and administrative machinery has failed to keep pace with the country’s progress and align itself with the aspirations of 21^st century India.  If India indeed wants to shape future outcomes in this region and beyond, it has to first focus its efforts on consolidating its CNP lest it falls short and allows itself to be shaped by outcomes it cannot control.

In many ways, India is in a leadership role amongst the emerging powers and today wields more leverage globally than it has ever done in the past. Non- permanent membership of the Security Council will provide it a place at the ‘horseshoe table’ to participate in its deliberations and provide it a platform to shape global opinion through its articulation and its vote. India must seize this opportunity and successfully initiate the process for the reform and restructuring of the Security Council. The next two years will therefore be important for India’s foreign policy and its future.     

Picture Courtesy-UN Website at un.org

(Commodore Anil Jai Singh is a Naval veteran and Vice President of the Indian Maritime Foundation. The views expressed are personal.)