Why in the news?

• India has entered the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member in January 2021 and it will stay on the council for two years.
• It is the 8th time India is at the UN security Council Table. 

What are the issues before India now?

1) UN reforms

• New Delhi is pitched on the idea of expanding the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent members.
• India is eminently suited for permanent UNSC membership by any objective criteria, such as population, territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilisational legacy, cultural diversity, political system and past and ongoing contributions to UN activities — especially to UN peacekeeping operations.

2) Terrorism

• India will be pushing the UN to relook  draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) which it proposed in 1996. This provides a comprehensive legal framework to combat terrorism.
• It will also be trying to put terrorists like Masood Azar and others under the UNSC’s 1267 Sanctions Committee which has been pending since 2009.

3) China 

• India is entering the UN at a time when China is at the peak of his power assertion globally.
• China along with Pakistan, is countering India by raising the issue of Kashmir and India is trying to counter by raising issues about Taiwan, Hong Kong and Tibet at the UNSC.

Way Forward

• India is being condemned for human rights issues at home in the UN. The polarising politics inside India gives a window of opportunity to its rivals, and opens up the possibility of criticism.
• India should use diplomacy to settle the issues and use this opportunity to be productive for the nation as well as for the globe.

Reference:

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/india-at-un-high-table-7142523/