India’s UN Journey From Outlier

Context: United Nations’ (UN’s) 75th anniversary is an opportunity to look at the major trends, patterns and future challenges as in terms of safeguarding India’s interests and promoting the common good.

Phases of India’s relationship with the UN: There are three distinct phases:

• Prior to the end of Cold War (1989): India enhanced its non-partisanship diplomatic influence in keeping the nations in Asia and Africa away from the superpower rivalry.
• India tried to utilise the UN for common causes such as anticolonialism, anti racism, nuclear disarmament, environment conservation and equitable economic development. 
• Demanding decade of the 1990s: as the years were marked by the sudden end of the Cold War, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and rise of the United States.
• Balance of payment crisis constrained India’s capability to be active in various international bodies, especially the UN- Security Council (UNSC).
• Pragmatism in foreign policy was shown in enabling the toughest terms on Iraq even after eviction from occupied Kuwait.
• Human Rights allegations: Pakistan stepped up its militancy and internationalised the Kashmir issues on the grounds of Human Rights violations.

• Threats posed by The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): interventions against Yugoslavia in 1999 violated the sovereignty principle, disturbed India.

• Suffered a humiliating defeat by Japan in the 1996 contest for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC.
• Strengthened Nuclear Diplomacy: India rejected indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (1995), and backdoor introduction for adoption of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (1996). 
• Conducted Pokhran nuclear weapon tests (1998), ignoring the likely adverse reaction from the nuclear club.
• New avenues in the 21st Century: Potential and opportunities for India has increased with the turn of century,
• Economic liberalisation and globalisation policies helped in achieving impressive economic performance.
• Emerged as a responsible stakeholder in non-traditional security issues such as spread of small and light weapons, the threat of non-state actors acquiring weapons of mass destruction and impact of climate change. 
• Scaled up its contributions to the development and humanitarian agencies. – 

• Share to the UN assessed budget has registered a hike from 0.34% to 0.83%.
• Peacekeeping Support: through reliable and substantial troop contributions to several peacekeeping operations in Africa.

• Achieved success in various electoral contests defeating nominees of China and UK at UNSC, Human Rights Council, World Court, and Economic and Social Council. 

Indian Initiatives Stuck at UN

• Draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism: is being opposed by Islamic nations over the definition of terrorist and the application of convention on the armed forces.
• Equitable expansion of the UNSC: has received opposition from regional rivalries such as Italy and Pakistan.

India’s Future Prospect at the UN

• Areas of priority: 
• Upholding of Charter principles.
• Mounting punitive measures against supporter, financier and sponsor of terrorists.
• Striving for securing due say to the troop-contributing countries in the management of peace operations.
• Challenges for India 
• US’s disdain of multilateral institutions and changing U.S.-China equation
• China’s growing political isolation on account of the spread of the novel coronavirus would encourage it to convene a formal meeting on Kashmir to please Pakistan.
• China’s aggressive territorial forays in eastern Ladakh and the South China Sea.