India: A Non-Permanent UNSC member

Why in news?

India has been elected to the non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2021-22.

How much support did India get?

India has got an overwhelming support of 184 out of the 192 valid votes polled in the United Nations General Assembly.
India will begin its term in the beginning of 2021, and will hold the position until the end of 2022.

What is the UNSC?

The United Nations Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council.
It gives primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the UNSC, which may meet whenever peace is threatened.
Only the UNSC has the power to make decisions that member states are then obligated to implement under the Charter.
It dispatches military operations, imposes sanctions, mandates arms inspections, deploys election monitors, etc.

What are ‘non-permanent seats’ at the UNSC?

The UNSC is composed of 15 members:
1. 5 permanent members - China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom and
2. 10 non-permanent members who are elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Each of the 15 members has one vote.

How these 10 seats are distributed?

These 10 seats are distributed among the regions of the world:
1. 5 seats for African and Asian countries;
2. 1 for Eastern European countries;
3. 2 for Latin American and Caribbean countries; and
4. 2 for Western European and Other Countries.

Of the five seats for Africa and Asia, three are for Africa and two for Asia.
Also, there is an informal understanding between the Africa and Asia Pacific groups to reserve 1 seat for an Arab country.
These groups takes turns every 2 years to put up an Arab candidate.

How elections are held?

Elections for terms beginning in even-numbered years select two African members, and one each within Eastern Europe, the Asia Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Elections for terms beginning in odd-numbered years select two Western European and Other members, and one each from Asia Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Who are the current non-permanent members?

The current non-permanent members whose terms end in 2020 are Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, and South Africa.
The current non-permanent members whose terms end in 2021 are Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia, and Vietnam.

What happened at the election that India won?

India was the only candidate for the vacancy from the Asia Pacific.
Last year, India’s candidature for the seat was endorsed unanimously by the Asia Pacific group.
This group comprises of 55 countries, including Pakistan and China.
That endorsement meant that India would be a clean slate candidate for the elections, with an assured victory.
Even if a country is a “clean slate” candidate and has been endorsed by its group, it still needs to secure the votes of two-thirds of the members present and voting at the UNGA session.
This means that it should secure a minimum of 129 votes, if all 193 member states participate.

Has India been in the UNSC earlier?

India has earlier been a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12.
For the 2011-12 term, India won 187 of 190 votes after Kazakhstan stood down from its candidacy.

What will happen if there is a contest?

Unlike Africa, which has formalised a system of rotation of its three seats, the Asia Pacific grouping has often seen contests for seats.
On the occasions when there is a contest, the elections for non-permanent seats can go on for several rounds.
Back in 1975, there was a contest between India and Pakistan, which went into eight rounds, with Pakistan finally winning the seat.
In 2018, there was a contest between the Maldives and Indonesia.

Source: The Indian Express