India on Sunday assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of August. The presidency for the month of August will be India's first time at the helm of the UN's most important body during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.
Highlighting plans for the month, T.S. Tirumurti, India's ambassador to the UN, said in a pre-recorded video, "India is organising three high-level signature meetings focussing on our priority areas—maritime security, peacekeeping and counter-terrorism. India will also be organising a solemn event in memory of peacekeepers."
Tirumurti added, "Security Council will also have on its agenda several important meetings including Syria, Iraq, Somalia, Yemen and the Middle East. Security Council will also be adopting important resolutions on Somalia, Mali and UN Interim Force in Lebanon."
Tirumurti said in the last seven months of India’s tenure in the Council, “We have taken a principled and forward-looking position on various issues. We have been unafraid of shouldering responsibilities. We have been proactive. We have focused on issues of our priority. We have made efforts to bridge the different voices within the Council to ensure that the Council comes together and speaks in one voice on a variety of important issues of the day. This is what we will bring into our presidency.”
Top leaders of a country holding the presidency of the Security Council are known to address the body during their presidency month. Interestingly, Syed Akbaruddin, who served as India's ambassador to the UN, tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi could address the body this month.
Akbaruddin, who is currently dean of the Kautilya School of Public Policy, tweeted, "A first in the making… With India as President of @UN Security Council in August, an Indian Prime Minister may perhaps preside, albeit virtually, a Council meeting for 1st time on 9 August 2021."
India will again preside over the Council in December next year, the last month of its two-year tenure.
(With PTI inputs)
