New Delhi, August 6
Peacekeeping will be the watchword for India at the United Nations during its presidency of the Security Council.

After a gap of 19 years, India has assumed the rotational presidency of the Security Council on August 1. A thematic debate on UN peacekeeping on August 26 is among the activities that have been lined up by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri during his month-long presidency.

Elected to the Security Council in the non-permanent category in October last year with the highest number of votes, India started its two-year term on the UN high table on January 1 this year. Although non-permanent members like India can vote on Security Council matters, the five permanent members --Britain, Russia, France, China and the US -- hold the veto power. “Peacekeeping in and of itself is becoming a somewhat complicated exercise. We have moved on from the traditional paradigm of peace to be kept after hostilities within a country. There are elements of peace-building, which now peacekeepers are expected to pursue, the issue of mandate generation,’’ according to Puri.

India has a great deal of experience in peacekeeping as a major troop contributor to the UN operations all over the world. India has so far contributed more than 100,000 peacekeepers since the process of peacekeeping started. India holds the presidency of the Security Council at a time when it is strongly pitching for a permanent seat on the world body as a part of the UN reforms. The situation in Libya and Syria are also among the areas of concerns to India, which it proposes to highlight during its presidency.

It is becoming clear that India would make every effort during its presidency to restore some of the lost authority of the Security Council. Decades ago, it took “decisions” instead of merely passing resolutions.

Puri is believed to be keen to revert to the old practice of the Council taking decisions instead of passing resolutions, in line with the UN Charter.