India calls for radical UN security council reforms

 India on Wednesday called for radical UN Security Council reforms to represent the current geo-political realities of the world. "Security Council today is clearly one of the most troubling anachronisms of our times. As a body mandated with the primary responsibility for maintenance of international peace and security, it is critical that it should represent today's geo-political realities and today's world and not a world that existed at a particular point of time over half a century ago," India's Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said.She was speaking during at a function here which was attended by Directors General for International Organizations from Brazil, Germany and Japan and other dignitaries.She said that it was important that UN Council conduct its business in a transparent manner reflecting present day working methods and diplomatic procedures of consultation and cooperation. "The Council's present composition and working methods do not command credibility; it's functioning with respect to some of the troubled issues in recent years has been clearly less than effective," Foreign secretary noted.Given this scenario, Singh said it is not surprising that there is today a widespread acceptance of the necessity of the reform of the Security Council in order to change its composition to one that is more reflective of the vastly expanded membership of the UN and consequentially more responsive to a world that is very different from the one that existed in 1945. "This is the only way to impart legitimacy and balance to the Council and restore its credibility as the prime organ of the UN charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. When we speak of reform of Security Council, it is important to understand that the process cannot even begin if the developing world continues to remain marginalized," she added.India, she said, as a leading troop contributing country, it cannot but also comment on the manner in which the Council mandates peacekeeping operations. Consultations with troop contributing countries are limited and, at best, perfunctory, Singh said, adding, there is a near complete absence of genuine partnership between the Security Council and Troop Contributing Countries. "Complex and dangerous operations like those in the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan are mandated by those who have no boots on the ground. The absence of real life experience, and hence of genuine concern and understanding by the 'pen holder' of these mandates cannot bode well for the operations that they govern," she further stated.