On Wednesday India was elected as a non-permanent Member for two-year terms starting in 2021 and not against the Security Council of the United Nations. In a decisive election, India, as the only candidate to be elected in a 15-member UNSC for Asia-Pacific, secured 184 of the 192 votes.
“Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India’s membership of the UN Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity,” PM Modi tweeted.
The United Nations Security Council elected the United Nations, India , Mexico, Ireland and Norway, but on Thursday, the 193 UN Member States must return to filled one more vacant seat after a clear winner has not been achieved.
The Security Council is the only UN body capable of taking legally binding decisions, such as sanctions and the use of force. It has five continuous members, namely the United States , the United Kingdom , France, China and Russia, as well as 10 non-permanent countries.
“We have received overwhelming support and are deeply humbled by the tremendous confidence that the member states of the United Nations have reposed in India,” India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirmurti said in a video message after the vote. “India will become a member of the UN Security Council at a critical juncture and we are confident that in the Covid and post-Covid world, India will continue to provide leadership and a new orientation for a reformed multilateral system.”
The elections were also won in conjunction with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway. Mexico has been appointed to the position of non-permanent Latin American and Caribbean Member, while Western Europe and Ireland won the seat. The group’s rival was Canada too. The African Group voting will take place on Thursday, for which Kenya and Djibouti compete.
Five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are– China , France , Russia, UK, and the US. Ten non-permanent members shall be elected for a two-year term in the General Assembly. Five seats are available for the countries of Africa and Asia, one for Eastern Europe, two for Latin America and the Caribbean and two for Western Europe and other nations.
“Member States elect India to the non-permanent seat of the Security Council for the term 2021-22 with overwhelming support,” India’s Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted.
India and the five permanent members and non-permanent members of Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam will become a powerful UN body for two years from 1 January.
For nominee countries to be elected to the Council, the bulk of the votes in the Assembly of two-thirds of the Member States must be present. Diplomats returned to the General Assembly Hall on Wednesday with masks and followed physical distance to vote secretly at allocated times, practically since March in the middle of this coronavirus pandemic.
India was the only single Asia-Pacific seat candidate. Indian candidate. The 55-member grouping, including China and Pakistan, unanimously endorsed his candidacy in June last year.
