‘Fit-for-purpose’: India calls for UNSC reform, transparency, expanded membership

Harish also urged the Council to adopt measures under the UN80 framework to streamline operations, including the introduction of sunset clauses for outdated mandates.

India, on Friday, urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to adopt “greater transparency” in its working methods, citing the opaque manner in which requests to designate entities and individuals are rejected.

Speaking at the UNSC open debate on working methods, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said, “As a UN organ whose sphere of functions covers a range of areas, but membership is limited to only 15 members, working methods of the Security Council are critical to its credibility, efficacy, efficiency, and transparency. This gains particular salience in a world beset with multiple crises and facing numerous challenges.”

Harish highlighted the lack of clarity in listing decisions, adding, “A case in point is the manner in which listing requests are rejected. Unlike de-listing decisions, these are done in a rather obscure manner, with member states that are not on the Council not being privy to details.”

On the issue of committee leadership, he said, “Chairs and pen-holderships of the Council’s committees and subsidiary organs are privileges that come with major responsibilities. Discussions in the Council on distribution of Chairs and pen-holderships must prevent Council members with vested interests from being accorded these privileges. Obvious and outright conflicts of interest can have no place in the Council.”

Calling for reform of the eight-decade-old Council, Harish stated, “The overall endeavour needs to be on redesigning the UN Security Council to make it fit-for-purpose, equipped to meet the ongoing and future challenges and discharge its functions purposefully.” He also called for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent membership, ensuring adequate representation for under-represented and non-represented geographies, “through text-based negotiations in a time-bound manner.”

On the need for closer coordination with other UN organs, Harish said, “A useful tool in this regard is the discussion of the annual United Nations Security Council report in the General Assembly. However, this must not be treated as a mere procedural exercise. The report must be more than a record of the Council proceedings and meetings during the year.”

Addressing peacekeeping, he added, “As the largest cumulative troop contributor, India stresses the need for factoring in the inputs of the Troop Contributing Countries and Police Contributing Countries for better implementation of peacekeeping mandates. Continuation of mandates that have outlived their utility for the narrow political interests of certain states must not be allowed. This continued existence in a resource-constrained scenario is a drain on the UN and member states.”

Harish also urged the Council to adopt measures under the UN80 framework to streamline operations, including the introduction of sunset clauses for outdated mandates.

(With inputs from agencies)