UN and the New Multilaterlism

CONTEXT: Current political fragmentation may augur poorly for India's upcoming two-year tenure at UNSC on 75th Anniversary of UN. But it could also be an opportunity to restructure Delhi's traditional approach to the UN. 

Challenges in the functioning of the UN:

• Ineffective response to Global Pandemic: China blocking discussions on the origin and sources of the crisis.
• WHO moved a bit in the direction to investigate the source, but the US was not satisfied with the outcome and walked out of the forum.
• Deadlock in the security arena: Cooperation was the per condition for the UN's success in the security arena. Except for a brief period after the fall of the soviet union, collectivism is hard to come by.
• During the cold war, the UN and the Soviet Union were against each other, therefore creating a deadlock in UNSC.
• Currently, China-Russia is presenting a joint opposition to the United States with heightened strategic concerns.
• Divergence of view in the western world: There is a growing divergence between several factions in the Western World.
• On the question of Iran, the US walked out of the nuclear deal but is imposing sanctions, while the EU is not willing to follow the US's lead in the matter.
• Divergence in view is due to viewing the world with traditional East-West prism.
• 'America First Policy' has led to the rejection of multilateral forums and Globalization at large 

Steps Needed: Opportunities lies ahead for India as a seat of the United Nations Security Council for the next two years.

• Shedding lies around UNSC reforms: Delhi needs to shed the illusion created since 1995, that UNSC reforms are unlikely to happen in the near future.
• Recognizing the UN more than Security Council: For, E.g. while the UNSC was dysfunctional, India developed a multilateral agenda of its own : 
• Moving from Decolonisation and disarmament to New International economic order was successful in mobilizing considerable international support.

• Maintaining the relationship between National Interest and Multilateralism: India's primary objective is to ensure territorial integrity in the face to China and Pakistan internationalizing Kashmir issue.

• India has worked mechanism with the Financial Action Task Force to pressurize Pakistan into stopping cross border terrorism.
• China's earlier support in terrorism and Kashmir has turned into a problem, while the US and the west which were earlier part of the problem, have now stepped in to support the cause for India.

• Protecting India's prosperity amidst Disruptions: Unfolding disruptions in economic, technological and environment, have made overhaul in global rules and regulations inevitable.

• India's lesson from the 1970s Nuclear non-proliferation regime was that rules once made are hard to change in future.

• Strengthening Coalition building: In order to rewrite global rules, India needs to strengthen its recent turn towards coalition building.

• India recently reclaimed its role in Non Aligned movement, joined the  European alliance for multilateralism and its new engagement with the US, acquires much significance.

• Increase India's share in the UN budget: Currently, India, China, Japan and US contribution are 0.7, 8, 10 and 22 respectively in the UN Budget. Raising India's contribution to 1% will indicate its approach towards vigorous multilateralism.