India demands change in ‘real power structure’ of UNSC

UNITED NATIONS - India, which is actively pursuing permanent membership of the UN Security Council, has reiterated its demand for a comprehensive reform of the world body’s decision making organ to make it more transparent and effective.

“Clearly, genuine and lasting improvement of the working methods of the council can only be possible as part of a comprehensive process of Security Council reform, based on both reform and expansion of its composition in permanent and non-permanent categories,” India’s Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri said Thursday.

“Till there is a change in the real power structure of the council i.e. its permanent membership, we cannot realistically expect the deep-seated changes that the large majority seeks,” he said participating in an open debate of the council.

“In the absence of such a comprehensive reform, a fundamental improvement in the working methods would either escape us as it has for more than sixty years or, even if miraculously achieved, would not last without the institutional memory, continuing commitment and peer example of new permanent members,” Puri said.

Associating “itself (India) with the growing clamour for early reform of working methods of the council,” Puri suggested wider “consultations with troop and police contributing countries in the devising, revision and implementation of mandates of the UN’s peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions”.

By doing so “the council will render great service to the cause of maintaining international peace and security,” he said. It will also “have a salutary impact on the on-going efforts towards enhancing the transparency and effectiveness of the council’s work.”

Puri said the council should urgently undertake steps in six key areas to improve its working suggesting it must meet in sessions open to all UN member states, consult with non-council members on a regular basis and grant them access to the council’s subsidiary organs, including, the right to participate, as appropriate.

Draft resolutions and presidential statements, as well as other draft documents on the council’s agenda should also be made available to them besides “frequent, timely and substantive briefings” on the matters discussed in the council.

Puri also suggested regular consultations with the presidents of the General Assembly and the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).