United Nations: India, which is seeking a permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council, has highlighted the need for "real reform" of the world body's top organ and other decision-making agencies to reflect contemporary realities and make them capable of acting against "mass atrocities".
India's views were expressed by its Permanent Representative to the UN, Hardeep Singh Puri, as the world body discussed the issue of "responsibility to protect".
The discussion took place on Friday as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, had submitted a report regarding implementation of the responsibility to protect. The report examines some of the most heinous events during the UN's watch and notes the issue of mandate and means.
"Even a cursory examination of reasons for non-action by the UN, especially the Security Council, reveals that in respect of these tragic events that were witnessed by the entire world, non-action was not due to lack of warning, resources or the barrier of state sovereignty but because of strategic, political or economic considerations of those on whom the present international architecture had placed the onus to act," Puri said.
The key aspect is to address the issue of "willingness to act," he said. "Here, of course a necessary ingredient is real reform of decision-making bodies in the UN, especially the Security Council in its permanent membership, to reflect contemporary realities and make them forces for peace and capable of acting against mass atrocities."