India Set to Re-enter UN Security Council
Indias candidature for
2021-22 for the lone seat from Asia Pacific had been unanimously endorsed by 55
members of the group last June.
India is assured a win being the sole contender for the Asia Pacific seat
in non-permanent category of the UN Security Council when the General Assembly hold elections for the five non-permanent members of the
Security Council on June 17 under the new voting arrangements due to the coronavirus
restrictions.
Previously, India has been elected as a non-permanent member
of the Council for the years 19501951, 19671968, 19721973, 19771978, 19841985,
19911992 and 20112012.
Canada, Ireland and Norway are vying for two seats in the Western Europe and other countries
category. Mexico is the only candidate for the one Latin
America and Caribbean seat and Kenya
and Djibouti will contest the seat available for the African group.
The 2021-22 term will be critical for India which has been
pushing efforts to reform the Security Council and seek a permanent membership of
the Council. Support for India has been increasing with number of countries advocating
that the current UNSC does not represent the geo-political realities of the 21st
Century.
The 193-member General Assembly has decided in a move titled
'Procedure for holding elections by secret ballot without a plenary meeting during
the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic'.
According to the decision, the elections of non-permanent
members to the Security Council and the election of members to the Economic and
Social Council will be held simultaneously without a plenary meeting, according
to officials
India is a candidate for a non-permanent seat for 2021-22
and its victory is assured as it is the only candidate for the lone seat from the
Asia Pacific grouping, officials added.
Delhi's candidature was unanimously endorsed in June last
year by the 55 members of the Asia-Pacific grouping.
The UNSC elections are traditionally held in the General Assembly
hall with each of the 193 member states casting its vote in a secret ballot. But
large in-person meetings at the UN headquarters is postponed till the end of June
due to the coronavirus.
As per the new voting arrangement, President of the UN General
Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande
will circulate a letter to all Member States at least 10 working days prior to the
first round of the secret balloting, informing them of the date on which the elections
will be held, the number of vacant seats, the venue where ballots may be cast and
other logistical details.
On the day of the elections, the voter will be required to
visit the designated venue during a specific time slot to cast its ballots. Only
ballots cast in the ballot boxes at the designated venues will be accepted and no
ballots would be accepted after the last time slot has expired.
If the total number of ballot papers cast in all the ballot
boxes do not amount to at least a majority of the members of the Assembly, the President
would circulate a letter to all Member States indicating a new date and time for
the elections.
The General Assembly President will circulate a letter to
all Member States informing them of the results once the voting is complete and
the ballots counted.
Each year the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members
(out of 10 in total) for a two-year term.
The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis
- five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the
Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States.