What is your opinion on the UN Security Council’s (UNSC) current efficacy in handling international conflicts?(Answer in 150 words)
Answer: India has come up with a New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism System (NORMS) to reform the multilateral institutions. It envisages reforms in all three pillars of the current multilateral architecture - peace and security, development, and human rights with the United Nations at itsRead more
Answer: India has come up with a New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism System (NORMS) to reform the multilateral institutions. It envisages reforms in all three pillars of the current multilateral architecture – peace and security, development, and human rights with the United Nations at its center. The rationale behind India’s recent pitch for NORMS to reflect the present-day geo-political realities is as follows:
- Lack of inclusivity and representation: The basic structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has remained almost unchanged since its foundation. Member states from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Small Island Developing States do not have adequate representation.
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- Misuse of veto power: Misuse of veto power is criticized for stalling the governing capacity of the UNSC.
- Altered global order: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many vulnerable nations of the Global South got their first vaccines from beyond their traditional sources. This diversification of global production was itself a recognition of how much the old order has changed. Also, recent concerns over food, fertilizer, and fuel security were not adequately articulated in the highest Councils of decision-making.
- Dominated by the Western countries: Multilateral Institutions are dominated by the Western countries where European and American interests have prevailed. For instance, institutions like the International Monetary Fund condition loans on features like trade liberalization, private enterprise, and an overall reduction in public spending.
- Procedural issues: Established multilateral organizations arguably do not meet standards of accountability and transparency that are considered legitimate. A recent example is ambiguity and lack of transparency in the World Health Organization’s investigation of the origins of COVID-19.
- The backlash against globalization: Recent events like Brexit, trade wars among nations, paralysis of the dispute settlement body of the WTO due to blocked appointments/reappointments of judges in its Appellate Body, etc. point towards it.
- Funding gap: Despite a growing share of official development assistance channeled through multilateral organizations, their resources fall short in aiding the developing and least developed countries.
The multi-dimensional crises facing the world today demand a representative multilateral architecture that is reflective of contemporary global realities and is well-equipped to meet emerging challenges. The rapidly shifting global security landscape, the persistence of traditional security challenges, and the emergence of new and complicated challenges such as climate change demand a clear, pragmatic, nimble, and effective platform for collaboration to ensure sustainable peace. Adoption of NORMS by the global multilateral institutions will be the right step in this direction.
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India’s relationship with Europe has become a key component of its international strategy. As India seeks closer ties with European countries, it faces the challenge of dealing with the continent’s diverse and sometimes contradictory landscape. This engagement is not solely about economic gains or political alliances; it involves understanding and addressing the unique complexities that define Europe. Let’s delve into the different aspects of this relationship in a more detailed and straightforward manner.
<strong>Answer:</strong> The <strong>United Nations Security Council (UNSC)</strong> is the principal crisis-management body of the United Nations (UN), empowered to impose binding obligations on the member states to maintain peace. The council's <strong>five permanentRead more
<strong>Answer:</strong> The <strong>United Nations Security Council (UNSC)</strong> is the principal crisis-management body of the United Nations (UN), empowered to impose binding obligations on the member states to maintain peace. The council’s <strong>five permanent and ten elected members</strong> meet regularly to assess threats to international security, including civil wars, natural disasters, arms proliferation, and terrorism, using tools granted under Chapter VI, VII of the UN Charter as well as peacekeeping missions. <strong>Effectiveness of these tools in managing conflicts:</strong> <ul> <li>The Security Council has authorized <strong>59 peacekeeping operations in the years since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991,</strong> many responding to failing states, civil wars or complex humanitarian emergencies and deploying to conflict zones in the absence of cease fires or parties consent.</li> <li>Under more muscular mandates, they have<strong> combined military operations</strong> including less restrictive rules of engagement that allow for civilian and refugee protection <strong>with civilian tasks</strong> such as policing, electoral assistance and legal administration.</li> <li><strong>Regional organizations</strong> have played an increasingly important role in peacekeeping and conflict resolution, in some cases <strong>prodding the Council</strong> to action and in others <strong>acting as subcontractors</strong> on its behalf. For instance, the Council authorized the use of force in Libya in 2011 after the Arab League called for a no-fly zone, which NATO then executed.</li> <li>Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Security Council passed Resolution <strong>2532,</strong> which called for a <strong>90-day humanitarian pause in armed conflicts worldwide,</strong> with an exception for conflicts against designated terrorist groups.</li> </ul> However, there remain issues, which<strong> hamper its effectiveness in managing conflicts and maintaining global peace and security</strong> owing to various reasons like: <ul> <li><strong>Difficulty in functioning:</strong> For instance, during the Syrian conflict, Russia, sometimes joined by China, used its <strong>veto power</strong> nearly twenty times to block resolutions aimed at holding the Assad regime accountable for atrocities documented by UN sources.</li> <li><strong>Frequent use of sanctions:</strong> The sanctions target discrete economic and political matters and specific individuals deemed threats to international security. As of 2021, fourteen sanctions, listing more than 600 individuals and nearly 300 entities, are in place. <strong>Targeted sanctions have raised human rights concerns</strong> of their own.</li> <li><strong>Military force:</strong> Under the UN charter, members can only use force in self-defence or when they have obtained authorization from the Council. However, members and coalitions of countries have <strong>often used military force outside of these contexts.</strong> For instance, NATO’s 78-day air war in Kosovo.</li> <li><strong>Emergence of R2P:</strong> The emergence of the responsibility to protect (R2P) in the early 2000s signifies the failure of UNSC in managing the conflicts.</li> </ul> Therefore, the UNSC must be reformed to ensure inclusiveness of emerging global powers and maintain regional balance in decision making. Various concerns such as power dynamics, block within P5, encroaching on state sovereignty etc. need to be resolved on priority.
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