3. India and the UN reforms

INDIA AND THE UN REFORMS

• India has supported the structural reforms of the UN.
• India supports UN in promoting development and cooperation among states

India supports UN in many ways:

1. Increasing peace and security:

• India accepts UN role in cooperation
• Social economic development should be main agenda
• International peace and security management

2. Composition of Security Council:

• It has remained static and harmed representation
• Non-permanent members counters increased from 11 to 15 in 1965. But there is no change in the number of permanent members.
• Majority of the UN General Assembly members now are developing countries.

3. Representation in UN Security Council

• India wishes to be a permanent member.
  1. As India is the second most populous country in the world.
  2.  Also, it is world’s largest democracy.
  3.  It has also played a major role in peacekeeping.
  4. It also made regular financial contributions and never faltered on its payments.
  5. It also has symbolic importance.

• Some countries questions India’s inclusion with Pakistan and its nuclear capability. Few thinks that difficulties with Pakistan will make India ineffective as a permanent member. Some feel that if India is included, then other emerging powers will have to be accommodated such as Brazil, Germany etc., whom they oppose.
• Some feel that Africa and South America should also be represented in the expansion of permanent membership, since they are the only continents not to have representation in the present structure.
• Given these concerns it is difficult that India or any other country becomes a permanent member of the UN in future.

 The UN in the Unipolar World

          The UN in a Unipolar World

• US power cannot be checked easily because of various reasons. The reasons being:

1. Military Power

1. •  

• After the disintegration of the USSR, The US big game the superpower and no country code match up its military and economic power. It allows it to ignore the UN or any other international organization.

2. Location of UN

• •  
• US is the largest contributor to the UN; The US has unmatched financial power.
• The UN is physically located within the US territory which gives Washington source of influence.
• The US has many nationals in the UN bureaucracy

3. Position of US

• 1. As US is the permanent member of UN it has veto powers.
  2. US can stop any moves which it finds is against/damaging its or its friend’s interest.
• Veto power strengthens Washington DC’s stance/choice in selection of UN secretary general.
• The US often uses his powers to “split” the rest of the world and to reduce the opposition to its policies.
• Therefore, UN is not a great balance to the US.
• It brought US and other countries together.
• Leaders of the US appreciate UN for bringing over 190 nations together to deal with conflicts and social and economic development of world.
• UN provides a platform to modify attitude and policies of the US
• It is virtually impossible to balance the power of US, UN provides platform in which specific arguments against US can be heard and discussed, and compromise regarding its policies.
• The UN is an imperfect body but without it the world would be worse off.
  • 1. It allows interdependence.