It has been a busy first week for India as the president at the United Nations Security Council. A distress call from Afghanistan led to the calling of an emergency session on Friday while Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make history on Monday.
In a break from convention, Modi will preside over a high-level virtual open debate of the UN Security Council on enhancing maritime security. This is the first time an Indian Prime Minister has presided over a UNSC meeting. The event has been dubbed a “signature’’ event by the ministry of external affairs.
“As part of our presidency, we are organising signature events on three focus areas that we have chosen viz. Maritime Security, Peacekeeping Operations and Counter Terrorism,’’ said Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the ministry of external affairs.
The meetings on peacekeeping and counter terrorism will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. While India has been at the forefront of the peacekeeping force—its contribution well known—the other two topics are likely to send subtle messages to two neighbours: China and Pakistan.
“For enduring peace in Afghanistan, terrorist safe havens and sanctuaries in the region must be dismantled immediately and terrorist supply chains disrupted... There needs to be zero tolerance for terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," said T.S Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative to the UN at the emergency session on Afghanistan. It was quite clear who Tirumurti was referring to: Pakistan. India was, however, not the lone voice. The Afghan envoy to the United Nations Ghulam MIsaczai, speaking at United Nations Security Council said, "Taliban continue to enjoy a safe haven and supply and the logistics line extended to their war machine from Pakistan."
With the situation in Afghanistan deteriorating, and the US troops pull out to be completed this month, India will certainly lobby to keep the attention focused on the violence.
Pakistan is also likely to figure in India’s statement on counter terrorism. And the session on August 9, “Enhancing Maritime Security—A case for International Cooperation’’, can certainly not be China free. As Bagchi tweeted recently on Modi presiding over the session, “India has always been a voice of reason and a votary of international law…” This vision India has of maritime security, is not the same as China and New Delhi will certainly use this opportunity to make a point.
